Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 4, 2018 11:43:49 GMT 12
From The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA) Saturday 17th of October 1953
U.S. Vice-President's Seal 'Souvenired'
A.A.F.- Reuter
WELLINGTON October 16.
The mystery of the disappearance of the U.S. Vice-Presidential seal from the side of Mr. Nixon's plane has been solved. The seal has taken a permanent home at the RNZAF Station at Ohakea as a personal gift from the captain of Mr. Nixon's Constellation. Souvenired in the first place as a joke, the seal, which is a small sheet of aluminium, bearing a blue eagle on a white ground, was found, after a search in airmen's quarters, and
flown in great haste through bad weather 250 miles to Auckland by Wg-Cmdr. D. P. St. George, commander of the station, in order to catch Mr. Nixon's plane before it left for Australia.
St. George explained the circumstances of the seal's removal to the captain of the Constellation, who gave it back to St. George as a memento. It will have a place of honor in the mess of No. 75 Squadron. The seal is usually placed in a slot near the plane door when it lands. In the meantime, a substitute seal is being used.
The seal was taken as a face-saving gesture by No. 75 Squadron, after its insignia had been souvenired by No. 14 Squadron and taken to Cyprus at the end of last year, though since returned.
It was revealed tonight that personnel of No. 75 Squadron had not yet been told the seal had been given to them, and they are being left in the meantime to 'sweat out' the consequences and writhe in fear of possible repercussions.
U.S. Vice-President's Seal 'Souvenired'
A.A.F.- Reuter
WELLINGTON October 16.
The mystery of the disappearance of the U.S. Vice-Presidential seal from the side of Mr. Nixon's plane has been solved. The seal has taken a permanent home at the RNZAF Station at Ohakea as a personal gift from the captain of Mr. Nixon's Constellation. Souvenired in the first place as a joke, the seal, which is a small sheet of aluminium, bearing a blue eagle on a white ground, was found, after a search in airmen's quarters, and
flown in great haste through bad weather 250 miles to Auckland by Wg-Cmdr. D. P. St. George, commander of the station, in order to catch Mr. Nixon's plane before it left for Australia.
St. George explained the circumstances of the seal's removal to the captain of the Constellation, who gave it back to St. George as a memento. It will have a place of honor in the mess of No. 75 Squadron. The seal is usually placed in a slot near the plane door when it lands. In the meantime, a substitute seal is being used.
The seal was taken as a face-saving gesture by No. 75 Squadron, after its insignia had been souvenired by No. 14 Squadron and taken to Cyprus at the end of last year, though since returned.
It was revealed tonight that personnel of No. 75 Squadron had not yet been told the seal had been given to them, and they are being left in the meantime to 'sweat out' the consequences and writhe in fear of possible repercussions.
