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Post by saratoga on Dec 12, 2017 16:25:37 GMT 12
Yeh,all seems a bit unlikely,as they can't even build a wall!
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Post by Brenton on Dec 13, 2017 13:40:29 GMT 12
There was indeed an American military camp here in Kaikohe. I even know where it was. Right next door to where I live. They camped around a grove of Puriri trees just on the other side of Kaikohe from the Airfield. Lot's of old helmets and such like have been found over the years. Of some interest also is the fish that inhabit our northern streams. The Yanks obviously didn't like our mossies and therefore introduced their 'Mosquito' fish. It thrives to this day as does the Mosquito. Not so much our native fishes. Other promises the yanks made ? I heard they wanted to build a four lane harbor bridge for Auckland pretty much where the current one is now. They would pay for and build it but put a toll on it until it was paid for. I think they imagined it would pay for itself in about ten years ? I'd have to be nuts to believe that I suppose.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2017 15:50:25 GMT 12
I have never heard that about the harbour bridge, but I know it's a fact that they offered to build a four lane highway north of Wellington through Transmission Gully, something only now actually happening because the Labour Government turned them down. I do know Labour was also against an Auckland Harbour Bridge just prior to WWII, Michael Savage argued strongly against the suggestion as he reckoned it would never, ever be needed.
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Post by Brenton on Dec 13, 2017 16:19:46 GMT 12
There was a lot of opposition to the current harbour bridge site before they did actually go ahead with it. There were some pretty amazing 'private' beaches lost due to it's construction. That would have been the case back in the war days as well.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2017 17:20:21 GMT 12
This is in Teara, the online New Zealand encyclopedia, originally published in 1966: "During the Second World War the United States Army had a base hospital built in the town and an Air Force bomber base nearby." teara.govt.nz/en/1966/kaikoheIt is clearly wrong, as the US Army did not build the bomber base. I don't think there were many US Army personnel in NZ at all. I assume the personnel were probably US Marines, and I wonder did they build the hospital themselves, was it US Navy Seabees, or did the PWD build it? Was the camp you talk about a permanently manned camp for any length of time, or was it just a staging camp used by Marines on manoeuvres, as happened in Cambridge and many other towns. Was it a tented camp or was it solid buildings? And was the hospital actually used during WWII for wounded and other casualties, or was it just empty and there just in case? I wonder if you might consider a trip to your local museum Brenton, to see what they say?
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Post by Brenton on Dec 13, 2017 18:13:29 GMT 12
Yes I might just do that. My answer to all those questions above is that I just don't know. That's why I posted here in the first place. All that I've heard is word of mouth stuff. Rumours even. One other 'thing'. Kaikohe was the end of the line. You could get all things up by rail to Kaikohe but not to Kaitaia. The Whites aviation photos taken about 1949 show the rail line and sidings right alongside the airfield. Since Richard Pebble decided to 'save' rail, it ( the rail line ) no longer exists but the main line is now a cycle trail.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2017 18:43:38 GMT 12
The problem with this sort of rumour, and they are around many such towns, is right from the start they were usually wrong because military secrecy meant none of the locals really knew what was happening, so speculation and perhaps misheard tidbits turned into stories that became legends that over the decades get passed on and twisted even further. We had it here in Cambridge where generations thought the RNZAF's top secret AR.9 Fuel Depot was either a bomb shelter or a tunnel to the Town Hall, neither of which are true.
I'd definitely start with a museum historian and see what they know. If they don't know anything, the National Archives will undoubtedly have files on what really went on.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Dec 13, 2017 19:38:35 GMT 12
In the National Archive there is a file Defence Works and Buildings Airports, Aerodromes and Landing Grounds - Kaikohe Aerodrome. Interesting the file was opened in 1935 but there are numerous sub files from 1942.
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Post by Brenton on Dec 15, 2017 11:47:50 GMT 12
I visited the Kaikohe Heritage Museum and spoke with the two women there, Linda ? and Delwyn Walker (manager). Long story short is there is no information what so ever there in regard to the airfield, military hospital, or the military camp. Delwyn, who's family have been in the area for some time , did say straight out that the Americans built both and that they definitely had a camp here during the war. She explained where it was , a different place to were I'd been told but still in the same basic area. She said the Americans discovered a hot spring and began digging a hole to make a pool. They were going to use it for themselves but never finished it. The hole they dug is still viable today.She assumes they were US airforce personal. From their recommendation I borrowed two books from the local library. 'Tides of History' by Kay Boese and 'The Fruit of the Tree' by Rayma Ritchie. Very little to find in either books about these subjects. However there is confirmation that work continued at night under lights during the airfield construction. 'Tides of History' states the airfield was originally cleared and levelled for an emergency wartime aerodrome. Also that the military hospital was completed in 1942 but laid idle until 1946 when due to a housing shortage several families moved into the nurses' quarters. At no time does it say who built either. From 'The Fruit of the Tree' one learns that by 1941 Kaikohes Home Guard was opperating. Mr Berry reported on the 1st July 1941 that 'lighting restictions are in force and a trail blackout is ordered'. Later that year after Dr G M Smith decided to stop regular visits to Kaikohe there was a Home Guard protest. Guardsmen were to cease attending parades in Kaikohe as a protest against ineffective organisation. In March 1942 - each morning at 8am the Kaikohe siren will be sounded as a time signal, and also as a test. At this time troops were in Kaikohe in their hundereds. The commandant had commandeered Mr Frank Orr's house as headquarters. Mr Berry speaks of the Home Guard.'It was in some ways a replica of "Dad's Army". There were no weapons at first. After a certain amount of trouble I was allowed to form a machine gun detachment, based on a Spandau. We were issued with a Browning MG eventually but with no-one to instruct in its use ...We got it to pieces but couldn't get the return spring in .... A Kaikohe airman ( Arthur Ritchie ) showed us how and it was so simple I felt ashamed !' April 1 ( Hmmm ) 1943 - 'On Manoeuvres With The Home Guard' - Mr Berry says, 'the Kaikohe and Mataraua platoons of the home guard under Captain Hugh Cox (DHS headmaster ) held a weekend bivouac at Mataraua ....We had by this time uniforms and enough arms to make do.' So not much else to add although if you go to Whites Aviation photos and search Kaikohe you will find some early aerial shots of some plantaions. These plantions started in 1930 when the Kaikohe Development Company was formed and they started planting tung oil trees.This was a huge venture with up to 3,000 acres planted. There were complaints at this time of a dust nuisance in the main street of Kaikohe. Shop owners complained of damaged goods. However the plantation did not succeed and by 1940 it would have ceased altogether. Looking at those Whites Aviation photos I'm pretty sure that this plantation inculded the area which is now the Kaikohe airfield. Anyhow, Delwyn Walker took my name and contact info , I think I have sparked some interest in the whole affair and she said she was going to 'ask about'. Perhaps she will discover more yet.
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Post by Mustang51 on Dec 15, 2017 11:55:00 GMT 12
On this side of The Ditch there are other factors. There was a offer to the Oz Govt to build a concrete highway between Sydney and Melbourne utilizing the massive resources of Kaiser and also the US military resources held in Australia. The offer was apparently made on the basis that the Americans had the gear here and it was without 'overhead'. making the project good for them to utilize their massive over capacity. Unfortunately in the immediate post war environment the Oz Govt could not afford it. In retrospect it would have been the project that could have galvanized post war Australian development.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 15, 2017 12:37:27 GMT 12
This is from the AUCKLAND STAR, 4 SEPTEMBER 1945. This shows all the defence camps in Northland (most of which were for the NZ Army and some of those were later occupied by Americans, were built by the PWD, not by Americans. I have highlightly a few passages.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 15, 2017 12:45:32 GMT 12
It is possible that if some of the US troops had set up camp at the Kaikohe airfield (which is likely given its importance in the region) that perhaps they did do work to expand it, or improve drainage or whatever whilst they were sitting round awaiting an invasion. But I would be prepared to bet they did not build the airfield from scratch as implied by the rumour, it was already there and was being used before the war, as I proved in earlier posts.
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Post by Brenton on Dec 15, 2017 14:22:31 GMT 12
No I don't think so Dave because the earlier airfield was open in 1935-ish and at that time the current airfield was a plantation IMO. There were construction gangs there in 1942 because Brown and sons had a blacksmithing and welding shop nearby and maintained the contractors (doesn't say who) machinery. Those at the shop staff had to work very long hours. 'The airfield was to be used for flying in American wounded from the Islands to be hospitalized at the nearby pre-fab hospital erected for the purpose. Neither was used for what they were built, but Kaikohe got its airfield and its Northland College.'.... goes on to say Mr Brown senior was deaf and used to carry around a big battery to aid with his hearing. Lois ( Brown ) worked with us in the post office and after the war had a shop selling knitting wools and knitwear.(The Fruit of the Tree - Rayma Ritche)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 15, 2017 16:25:45 GMT 12
OK, what we need to do is find a pre-1942 may of the airfield and confirm if it was in a different location.
There must be old people in the town who remember the war years, particularly women who may have mixed with the soldiers and PWD workers, or kids who hung around. Maybe you should ask at the RSA or the Senior Citizens Club meeting if anyone has memories, that is how I pieced together a lot of my local history, you can get some good memories and leads.
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Post by Brenton on Dec 15, 2017 16:46:57 GMT 12
Did you find the photos of the plantations ? They were described as being in the Tautoro area. That's on the same road out of Kaikohe as the airfield but down a steep hill in the valley. It was the home village of Hone Heke , the guy who chopped down the flag pole. The road going down the hill is known Jacobs Ladder. I believe that's the road on the far left in the photos. Up on the top of the hill is the current airfield. Anyhow by word of mouth I think I will be able to find out more. There is already more than one person on the case.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 15, 2017 22:55:40 GMT 12
OK, what we need to do is find a pre-1942 may of the airfield and confirm if it was in a different location. In my (Harry Wigley's) 1939 'Air Pilot' the only two airfields listed under 'K' are Karioi (near Ruapehu) and Kekerangu (seven miles from the Clarence River). Neither seem to be anywhere near Kaikohe.
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Post by Peter Lewis on Dec 15, 2017 23:00:50 GMT 12
My father spent some of his time in the Army during WW2 as driver for the engineering officer in charge of coastal fortress construction. During one visit 'up north' they found that one of the contractors apparently did not know their east from their west, and had built the concrete foundations 180 degrees out - any guns installed there would have had to be set up facing inland . . .
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jaybee
Squadron Leader
Posts: 122
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Post by jaybee on Dec 16, 2017 8:13:48 GMT 12
The current Kaikohe airfield forms part of a Waitangi Tribunal claim (Wai 302) and there is an interesting report detailing the acquisition of the airfield under the Punlic Works Act from 1942 onwards. It does not specifically deal with who built the airfield- see forms.justice.govt.nz/search/Documents/WT/wt_DOC_94184645/Wai%20302%2C%20A001.pdfThis report indicates that the originally planned airfield, listed elsewhere as being authorised on 14 October 1935, was never actually built. The report doesn’t address who actually built the current airfield. The answer likely can be found in the Offical War History of the PWD if anyone has access to it (I think there is a copy in the Auckland Central Library). For what it’s worth, Defending New Zealand, Vol 2, page 521 lists Kaikohe as being regularly manned by the RNZAF and the current airfield appears in a 1944 RNZAF service edition of the Air Pilot Vol 1.
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Post by Brenton on Dec 16, 2017 11:11:49 GMT 12
It does say that construction of the airfield was done by the Southern Cross Construction Co.
Very interesting read. Thankyou jaybee. Me and my fellow RC fliers hope the field stays just as it is. We have always been aware that some Maori have claim to it. But reading that it's not all of it and it seems it's more a case of whether they received adequate compensation. Some of the land surrounding the strip could in fact be given back IMO without altering the runways at all. It will be interesting to see how it pans out but in all fairness something should be done. There was a move by local Kaikohe business 'types' to have the Kaikohe airfield turned into an International runway. Effectively moving the Kerikeri Airport to Kaikohe. Their argument was that the Kerikeri runway was too short for the larger international planes ( that they would like to have seen come direct to Northland ) but could not be extended so the Kaikohe airfield would be better. I don't think that idea was ever going to happen but 'we' did discuss the prospect. It's not as easy as people think to find suitable RC flying sites. The Kaikohe strip is fantastic just as is. When the Tiger Moth club visited not so long ago they looked superb with an natural background and no modern buildings to speak off visible.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 16, 2017 11:31:36 GMT 12
I believe Southern Cross Construction Co. as a fairly major New Zealand company that built lots of infrastructure under contract to the Public Works Department, including the runway at Fiji.
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