RNZAF pilots trained in the USA?

[Dave Homewood]

I knew that some of the Kiwis in the Royal Navy Fleet Air Army trained in the USA with the US Navy.

I also knew that some RAF members trained at special flying schools in the USA (I have interviewed two English Spitfire pilots who did this for the WONZ Show).

However I was not aware that RNZAF aircrew trained in the USA too. It would seem so, according to this from the Press newspaper from the 10th of August 1942.

"NEW ZEALANDERS ABROAD:— Three flying sergeants from Christchurch undergoing air training at an American school were entertained recently in New Orleans by the Public Relations officer attached to the New Orleans army air base. LEFT TO RIGHT: Ray Sanderson, American official, Ray Leslie, and Joseph Bettle."

So is this true? And if so, how many courses went to US training schools? Where where the schools? What were they flying?

OR - are these perhaps already fully trained men who were sent to the USA to learn about a new type that was to enter service? Like how Max Wilkes went to Florida to train up on Avengers and then came home to train the rest of his squadron on the type.

[errolmartyn]

It looks as though The Press has read rather too much into this image. The three RNZAF pilot graduates pictured left Lyttleton, New Zealand on the Boisssevain on 10 May 42 and disembarked at Greenock, Scotland on or about 8 Jul 42. The ship sailed via the Panama Canal (and possibly via New Orleans?). There was no time for any further training of these pilots in the US. Bio details for Leslie, the only one of the threesome not to survive the war, appear in Vol Three of my For Your Tomorrow and confirm that he undertook no training in the US.:

LESLIE, Warrant Officer Raymond William Gibson.
NZ415702; b Chch 25 Jul 20; Canterbury Coll Sch of Art, Chch; attendant - father's service station, Chch. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Airman Pilot u/t 19 Oct 41, 1EFTS 1 Dec 41, 1SFTS 10 Jan 42, Pilots Badge [wef 18.3.42] & Sgt 24 Apr 42, att RAF & emb for UK 10 May 42, 3PRC 10 Jul 42, 6(P)AFU 21 Jul 42, 2FIS 12 Aug 42, 15(P)AFU (Oxford) as staff pilot 9 Sep 42 [att 1516BATF (Oxford) 10-18 Oct], 3(C)OTU (Anson) as staff pilot 17 Oct 42, 'injured on active service' [in an Anson f/ldg acc on 23 Dec 42?; hosp until 16 Apr 43], 12RS [formed from 'O' Flt Ansons of 3(C)OTU] as staff pilot 8 Dec 43, 3SGR (Botha &/or Anson) 17 Dec 43, 132OTU (Beaufort, Beaufighter) 14 Mar 44 5(C)OTU (Beaufighter) for torpedo cse 16 May 44, 489 Sqn RNZAF (Beaufighter - 35 ops) 31 May 44, kao 28 Jan 45. Bergen (Mollendal) Church Cemetery - joint grave D.10, Norway. Son of Richard Sheridan & Catherine Leslie (née Gibson), Riccarton, Chch. [phot. TWN 18.4.45].

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol, that clears it up. I thought it was odd I'd nver heard of training for RNZAF in the USA.

[apteryx]

And here is Ray Leslie's headstone in the cemetery at Bergen.