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Post by chinapilot on Apr 20, 2014 15:22:14 GMT 12
Just slightly off thread but Clarence (Clarry) Berrryman flew DC-3s and 748s with Mt. Cook Airlines and I think at one stage was Chief Pilot there. Edited to add that probably a few of the ground crew ended up with skin problems in later life. Shorts are even sticky and uncomfortable when outside doing physical work in that area. Places like Green Island get cooling breezes but the other places with lots of vegetation around make for an extremely uncomfortable environment. The locals had it right before the missionaries arrived - they virtually wore nothing
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 20, 2014 15:37:02 GMT 12
Richard said he's going to contact Clarry and see if he can recognise any faces in the photos.
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Post by davidd on Apr 20, 2014 16:27:01 GMT 12
One little known fact about RNZAF (and NZ Army) dress in the tropics is that originally the NZ Govt sent these poor chaps overseas with 100% WOOLLEN undewear! This was an intolerable situation (it seems that the wool industry had convinced the Govt as well as the medical profession that the ONLY thing that real men should wear against their skins was wool), which may have some merit in the temperate and coller zones, but it was NEVER intended for the tropics. The great saviour came in the form of the United States armed forces who issued all their men who wanted them with rather flash and very lightweight olive green cotton briefs with a drawstring. These soon became de rigueur for the RNZAF in the forward area, as did the excellent American lightweight boots with 'composition' soles, which also became standard for aircrew, and compulsory for those working on aircraft. My father still had a stack of the dark olive green underwear when he returned to NZ in late 1945. David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 20, 2014 16:40:59 GMT 12
Wow, woolie undies in the tropics sounds like a punishment! No doubt before the issue of the US cotton briefs, the RNZAF and Army must have both had a very strong "commando" units.
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Post by chinapilot on Apr 20, 2014 17:15:32 GMT 12
Mind boggles wearing woollies in the tropics.... Normal Kiwi style in 1970 New Ireland Shorts only for working...going 'formal' was the addition of jandals and a T-Shirt.
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Post by Brenton on Apr 20, 2014 23:16:04 GMT 12
I was looking at Luther Moores "Kittyhawks and Corsairs" www.facebook.com/groups/439897779477636/ and showed dad the photo of an American Aircraft Carrier Corsair standing on it's propeller spinner. He said he had seen a Corsair doing just that at Ardmore. He doesn't know who the pilot was or even if he was a fellow member of 26 sqn. Probably not I'd guess. Two planes had landed and as was standard practice they were belting down the very long Ardmore runway tail up. They did this to clear the strip fast and it was a good deal easier to see where you were going as well. Once they reached the first turn off they would cut the throttle and let the tail drop. But long before they got there one of them suddenly flipped up on end. This would have happened because of the misuse of brakes. Apparently it just balanced there and even began to spin around. If there had been any wind it most likely would have gone back down onto it's wheels. There wasn't and it fell over onto it's back. A change of underwear perhaps. The other 'trap' at Ardmore was running off the concrete. Not a good move in a heavy Corsair. This apparently is what happened to F/Sgt Wright. As soon as his plane hit the soft ground it flipped over.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 20, 2014 23:25:50 GMT 12
That's actually Peter Rowley's page. Luther and I helped him set it up.
My Dad lived across the road from Ardmore on Airfield Road, and he and Nana both said that the Corsairs were often seen going over onto their noses, it was not a freak occurrence, more a common one. Also they occasionally went through the fence and across the road into my grandparents' farm.
Ardmore is a swamp and even now a heavy aircraft on the grass after rain is prone to dig in and tip a tail dragger. Doug Brooker's Spitfire had that problem in recent years.
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chicgd
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 7
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Post by chicgd on Apr 24, 2014 21:26:44 GMT 12
Yes they are almost certainly all 26Sqn members. I forgot to add P/O Geoffrey Goldsack's name. He's sanding at the back between Freyburg and Bradley. BTW it's a pity that corsair photo wasn't of NZ5451 and not NZ5351. Crashed about 40 miles from Emirau after being hit by anti-aircraft fire on 25 December 1944. Squadron Leader J. Kilian baled out and was rescued uninjured. Aircraft written off books at Emirau. Dad remembers that although he wasn't part of that strike. His memories of Kilian are vague because he hardly ever saw him. Dad believes he spent most of his time drinking with the yanks. He was probably bored to death up there after his previous experiences in the Kittyhawks. Apparently after been shot down Kilian made it into his dingy alright and was picked up by a American Dumbo. One of the crew members took a look at him all soaking wet and made the mistake of handing him a full bottle of Rum (the real powerful stuff, navy rum)..."here bud you look like you could do with some of this" he said. Of coarse Kilian didn't bother to give the bottle back....after their return to Emirau they had to carry him off the plane LOL. Brent. This is from that day in my grandfathers diary... "*Monday 25th Up at six & went to breakfast, coupal of real eggs & bacon, on duty all day, big strike out to Kav in morning C/O shot down bailed out in sea another corsiar with hole in main plug we have lost three corsiars since we arrived here all pilots safe 10 SU jeep smashed up three in hospital got flat tyre while on strip patrol. "
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Post by Brenton on Apr 25, 2014 19:11:41 GMT 12
That's interesting chicgd. I've just finished reading that to my dad. The fact that this was written down gives it more weight I think but I'll give you my dads response. More foggy memories perhaps ?
"Oh yes it was definitely Xmas day. This was the first time the Japs had responded." "What do you mean 'responded' ?" "This was the first time they had shot back. Took them ( NZ Corsairs) by surprise. No one new why. Perhaps they had sneaked in more supplies the night before or something." "But you guys had lost 3 Corsairs by now ?" "Well that's strange. Must have been landing accidents or some such. I don't understand the big strike thing...there was only the two of them." "What do you mean only two ?" "Well it was just another ordinary patrol. Just him and Bobby Jans I think. They were half way through the patrol and decided to go in and drop their bombs. As they dived in with Kalian in the lead the japs opened fire and blew out some of Kilians engine pots. He had no choice but to glide out to sea. Dad understood that he had ditched the plane. Bobby Jans circled and made sure he had made it into his dingy and waited for the Dumbo to turn up."
Dad doesn't remember anything about a big strike on that day. So there you go. It was a long time ago and maybe some of what he remembers is correct. I tell you this just as a matter of interest.
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Post by davejans on Oct 25, 2016 23:02:14 GMT 12
That's interesting chicgd. I've just finished reading that to my dad. The fact that this was written down gives it more weight I think but I'll give you my dads response. More foggy memories perhaps ? "Oh yes it was definitely Xmas day. This was the first time the Japs had responded." "What do you mean 'responded' ?" "This was the first time they had shot back. Took them ( NZ Corsairs) by surprise. No one new why. Perhaps they had sneaked in more supplies the night before or something." "But you guys had lost 3 Corsairs by now ?" "Well that's strange. Must have been landing accidents or some such. I don't understand the big strike thing...there was only the two of them." "What do you mean only two ?" "Well it was just another ordinary patrol. Just him and Bobby Jans I think. They were half way through the patrol and decided to go in and drop their bombs. As they dived in with Kalian in the lead the japs opened fire and blew out some of Kilians engine pots. He had no choice but to glide out to sea. Dad understood that he had ditched the plane. Bobby Jans circled and made sure he had made it into his dingy and waited for the Dumbo to turn up." Dad doesn't remember anything about a big strike on that day. So there you go. It was a long time ago and maybe some of what he remembers is correct. I tell you this just as a matter of interest.
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Post by davejans on Oct 25, 2016 23:03:14 GMT 12
That's interesting chicgd. I've just finished reading that to my dad. The fact that this was written down gives it more weight I think but I'll give you my dads response. More foggy memories perhaps ? "Oh yes it was definitely Xmas day. This was the first time the Japs had responded." "What do you mean 'responded' ?" "This was the first time they had shot back. Took them ( NZ Corsairs) by surprise. No one new why. Perhaps they had sneaked in more supplies the night before or something." "But you guys had lost 3 Corsairs by now ?" "Well that's strange. Must have been landing accidents or some such. I don't understand the big strike thing...there was only the two of them." "What do you mean only two ?" "Well it was just another ordinary patrol. Just him and Bobby Jans I think. They were half way through the patrol and decided to go in and drop their bombs. As they dived in with Kalian in the lead the japs opened fire and blew out some of Kilians engine pots. He had no choice but to glide out to sea. Dad understood that he had ditched the plane. Bobby Jans circled and made sure he had made it into his dingy and waited for the Dumbo to turn up." Dad doesn't remember anything about a big strike on that day. So there you go. It was a long time ago and maybe some of what he remembers is correct. I tell you this just as a matter of interest.
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Post by davejans on Oct 25, 2016 23:09:57 GMT 12
Just doing some research on my father Bobby Jans and interesting to see his name cropping up on this site. Sadly he passed away in 1984 at the age of 60 before the age of the internet and facebook so never knew much about this part of his life. I came across a photo of him sitting on the wing of a Corsair with 3 or 4 other pilots and have not been able to locate it again. Would be keen to communicate with anyone who knew him. Regards David Robert Jans
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Post by Brenton on Oct 27, 2016 12:30:55 GMT 12
Hi Robert, great to hear from you. I do hope you find that photo again. Allan Emett ( my dad ) remembers Bobby and told me a story about him some time ago that you may not have heard. It was back in the days of training in Harvards ( I think ). Bobby was flying in #2 position alongside the flight instructor. On the R/t he heard the instructor say "Come in #2 " So Bobby moved in closer. Then he heard again " Come IN # 2 !" ..... so ... he moved I some more and ...BANG ! The wingtips touched !!! And then he heard " For Christ sake #2....on the radio ...come in on the radio ! "
And this wasn't all that uncommon it seems.
Regards Brenton.
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rodm
Flying Officer
Posts: 67
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Post by rodm on Oct 27, 2016 13:48:24 GMT 12
Just doing some research on my father Bobby Jans and interesting to see his name cropping up on this site. Sadly he passed away in 1984 at the age of 60 before the age of the internet and facebook so never knew much about this part of his life. I came across a photo of him sitting on the wing of a Corsair with 3 or 4 other pilots and have not been able to locate it again. Would be keen to communicate with anyone who knew him. Regards David Robert Jans Hi David, would the following photo happen to be of your father NZ437302, R. F. Jans, who enlisted at Omaka on 14 May 1943? The photo is from circa May-June 1942 when he was a member of No. 12 (Invercargill) Squadron, Air Training Corps... Cheers Rod
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 27, 2016 21:20:45 GMT 12
That's a great story Brenton!!
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