Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 4, 2018 13:42:57 GMT 12
This article from the Cairns Post (Qld.) dated Mon 2 Nov 1953 has a confusing passage in it about the squadron that our MR.5 Sunderlands would be operating within in Fiji. Is this a media blunder? Or was there a real plan of some kind for this to happen originally? Notably they have spelled Lauthala/Laucala Bay wrong and I don't thing No. 14 Squadron ever operated with No. 78 Wings as a "composite squadron" so I suspect the journalist has the squadron number wrong?
RNZAF PLANE IN CAIRNS
FROM ENGLAND
TO MAINTAIN: PACIFIC PATROL
The seventh Sunderland flying boat to be ferried from England to New Zealand via Cairns for the Royal New Zealand Air Force landed at Trinity Inlet shortly, after 4 pm on Saturday. It carried 11 New Zealand servicemen.
The captain of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant D. Clark, D.F.C., A.F.C., stated that eight more planes would be flown from England. They had been purchased from Marine Reconnaissance for duty at Aunthala Bay (Fiji) and Hobsonville, (New Zealand), for anti-submarine and search and rescue
work.
Flight Lieutenant Clark stated that the aircraft would be engaged in the patrolling of part of New Zealand's commitment of nine million square miles of sea, which was allocated to her under a pact with Australia and the United States. In that area there are no operational land bases and only a few disused war-time strips.
The Sunderlands based on Fiji would become part of No. 33 Hong Kong squadron. The R.N.Z.A.F. will patrol as far north as Canton Island, but the main part of her patrol is in waters east of the home islands: Australia maintains a patrol to the north and south to mid-Tasman, and the United States westward down to Canton Island.
HOSPITALITY
Flight Lieutenant Clark and other members of the aircraft's complement expressed their appreciation to the people of Cairns, who they said had made their overnight stay a happy one. The hospitality of those they had met and especially Cairns Customs officers, would not be forgotten.
One passenger is a member of No. 78 R.A.A.F.-R.N.Z.A.F. composite Vampire jet squadron based on Cyprus. The aircraft travelled via Gibraltar and left Cairns yesterday shortly after 6 am.
RNZAF PLANE IN CAIRNS
FROM ENGLAND
TO MAINTAIN: PACIFIC PATROL
The seventh Sunderland flying boat to be ferried from England to New Zealand via Cairns for the Royal New Zealand Air Force landed at Trinity Inlet shortly, after 4 pm on Saturday. It carried 11 New Zealand servicemen.
The captain of the aircraft, Flight Lieutenant D. Clark, D.F.C., A.F.C., stated that eight more planes would be flown from England. They had been purchased from Marine Reconnaissance for duty at Aunthala Bay (Fiji) and Hobsonville, (New Zealand), for anti-submarine and search and rescue
work.
Flight Lieutenant Clark stated that the aircraft would be engaged in the patrolling of part of New Zealand's commitment of nine million square miles of sea, which was allocated to her under a pact with Australia and the United States. In that area there are no operational land bases and only a few disused war-time strips.
The Sunderlands based on Fiji would become part of No. 33 Hong Kong squadron. The R.N.Z.A.F. will patrol as far north as Canton Island, but the main part of her patrol is in waters east of the home islands: Australia maintains a patrol to the north and south to mid-Tasman, and the United States westward down to Canton Island.
HOSPITALITY
Flight Lieutenant Clark and other members of the aircraft's complement expressed their appreciation to the people of Cairns, who they said had made their overnight stay a happy one. The hospitality of those they had met and especially Cairns Customs officers, would not be forgotten.
One passenger is a member of No. 78 R.A.A.F.-R.N.Z.A.F. composite Vampire jet squadron based on Cyprus. The aircraft travelled via Gibraltar and left Cairns yesterday shortly after 6 am.
