Successful RNZAF Bale Outs and their Parachute Packers

[Dave Homewood]

This photos was posted to the Safety And Surface trade's closed Facebook group today by Terry Austin, along with the Terry's supposition, "It would be great to name the staff that packed the chutes for the successful bail outs." He has granted me permission to post the photo (which was supplied by Sgt Glen Sinclair of Ohakea) here to see who might know some of the answers. Terry added in his post. "Starting with the one when I was there is LAC J. Jessup, 1985 Strikemaster ejection over Nth Cant."

[Dave Homewood]

As a supplementary question from the the discussion there, the above board only covers parachutes packed at Ohakea. There must have been many other successful parachute bail outs that were packed on other RNZAF stations and bases. We'd like to make a list of them as there are apparently no list or records.

I will add the following I know of:

Tiger Moth - NZ883 - P/O K. Blair, Harewood, No. 3 EFTS - 11 September 1941

Harvard - NZ905 - unknown, Wigram, No.1 SFTS - 31 October 1941

Kittyhawk - NZ3018 - F/O Lionel Renolds, Seagrove, No. 15 (F) Squadron - 18 January 1943
Kittyhawk - NZ3037 - F/O John Mills, Whenuapai, No. 17 (F) Squadron -25 July 1943
Kittyhawk - NZ3075 - S/Ldr Guy Newton, Vella Lavalla (flying from Guadalcanal), No. 17 (F) Squadron - 12 September 1943
Warhawk - NZ3086 - F/Sgt George Luoni, Guadalacanal, No. 17 (F) Squadron - 23 September 1943
Warhawk - NZ3176 - F/Sgt Keith Mulligan, Torokina, No. 16 (F) Squadron - 16 August 1943
Warhawk - NZ3239 - F/O Fred Tucker, Bougainville, No. 16 (F) Squadron

Corsair - NZ5409 - F/Sgt Ron Warren, Nissen Island, No. 20 (F) Squadron - 15 November 1944
Corsair - NZ5451 - S/Ldr John Killian, No. 19 (F) Squadron, Emirau - 25 December 1944
Corsair - NZ5303 - F/O Leighton Stephenson, No. 16 (F) Squadron, Green Island - 11 January 1945
Corsair - NZ5361 - F/Sgt John Barr, Torokina, Bougainville, No. 21 (F) Squadron - 18 January 1945
Corsair - NZ5349 - F/Sgt Keith Wakeman, Bougainville, No. 14 (F) Squadron - 29 January 1945
Corsair - NZ5460 - P/O Donald Gee, Torokina, Bougainville, No. 20 (F) Squadron - 13 February 1945
Corsair - NZ5430 - P/O Henry Brougham, Emirau, No. 23 (F) Squadron - 28 March 1945

Venom - WR282 - F/Lt Ian Palmer, Singapore, No. 14 Squadron - 29 April 1957
Venom - WE409 - F/O Geoff Hubbard, Singapore, No. 14 Squadron - 3 July 1957

[Dave Homewood]

And of the ones on the board above we know the packers for, the are:

Strikemaster NZ6367 (Pilot P/O Peter Lindsay) 3 July 1985 - Parachute Packer = LAC J. Jessup
Skyhawk NZ6256 (F/Lt Phil Barnes) 20 March 2001 - Parachute Packer = Pete Nicholas