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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 25, 2008 22:00:26 GMT 12
Thanks. I suspected it might be DH's badge but wasn't sure.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 25, 2008 23:15:58 GMT 12
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Post by NZ1009 on Oct 26, 2008 0:32:25 GMT 12
Hi Paul,
Thanks for your prompt reply - these photos and logbook give me a fascinating insight into a life that I aspired to (accepted for pilot training at Wigram in 1963 but a small (in my view anyway!) eye-sight problem finished that). Obviously, going by the number of replies and views of this thread, my interest is shared by many so please keep the photos and logbook coming.
Thanks, Wayne
P.S. I am currently working in Trento, Northern Italy which is why I am posting in the middle of your night!
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Post by glideboy on Oct 26, 2008 6:43:38 GMT 12
Paul, any and every piece of data on his aerobatic team displays and practices are of genuine interest to me for my website section, and the cutting above is very much appreciated. Any others like it would be most welcome, thanks. www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Airshow_Display_Teams%20Home.htmThe Gisborne displays were on the 17th and 18th of August 1962. Are you able to please supply more details of the November 1962 South Island Tour please? As for questions you have, this is probably the best place to ask as someone is bound to know, or know who to ask. Hi Dave Yes I have a whole heap of newspaper cuttings and also some official pageant brochures (although I will have to look at them to check on whether they relate to the SI tour) I also have briefing notes for some displays. Again I will have to check on dates for those. I'm off out of town for the rest of the weekend, so will have a look early next week. I also found the photo of the Venom start up. Looks like it appeared in a Singapore newspaper. Paul
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Post by glideboy on Oct 26, 2008 7:06:14 GMT 12
Hi Paul, Thanks for your prompt reply - these photos and logbook give me a fascinating insight into a life that I aspired to (accepted for pilot training at Wigram in 1963 but a small (in my view anyway!) eye-sight problem finished that). Obviously, going by the number of replies and views of this thread, my interest is shared by many so please keep the photos and logbook coming. Thanks, Wayne P.S. I am currently working in Trento, Northern Italy which is why I am posting in the middle of your night! No worries Wayne. I have more...I have video of 09 taken for another Harvard taking off at Wigram and flying out towards Birdlings. Just for general interest I also have video of 33 and 27 in formation. Hopefully I will work out how to transfer Barrie's video to DVD over the next few weeks. I'm not sure if anyone would be interested in a copy, but I will keep you posted on my progress. Paul
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Post by FlyNavy on Oct 26, 2008 7:26:45 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2008 11:02:11 GMT 12
Sorry Phil, there was last night when I posted it. Looks like the auction ended.
Paul, thank you regarding those aerobatic team cuttings and the display notes which would be most interesting no matter which display it was. I look forward to whateer you can rovide, thanks.
Also, I for one would certainly be interested in a copy of the DVD if you get it sorted, thanks.
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petera
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 88
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Post by petera on Oct 26, 2008 23:21:20 GMT 12
The shot of the Burmese Spitfire UB421 certainly made my day. They do not come much better that for a Spitfire historian. These shots would presumably have been taken in Cyprus. UB421 was ferried out from Lydda to Nicosia on 27 September 1954. There were a few problems with an oil leak and the ferry departure to Burma was delayed until 13 November. UB421 is a surviving Spitfire and came out of hiding on my second of four research trips to Burma in the 1980/90's. Embassy staff had photographed it at a display in Rangoon and on a subsequent visit I inspected it a Mingaladon base prior to it being placed in the Defence Forces Museum in Yangon (Rangoon). Because of the clandestine nature of both the export of this aircraft from Czechoslovakia and the equally clandestine export from Israel to Burma, masquerading as a UK ferry flight, the RAF serials of these aircraft is clouded. Engineering inspections have solved the identities of most of the ex Burmese Spitfire survivors, but UB421 stands alone as the only surviving complete Spitfire in the world for which the RAF ID is not known. Last year a comprehensive study of Israeli engineering documents located the ID of UB425 being rebuilt in the UK and hopefully it will in time do the same for UB421. No such problems for New Zealand's own Burmese Spitfire UB424. PV270 was nicely stenciled on the firewall of Brendon Deere's machine and yielded it on inspection at Hmawbi in 1987. The lady ferry pilot is 'Jackie' Moggridge. PeterA Defence Forces Museum Rangoon May 1996.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 26, 2008 23:44:34 GMT 12
It's really neat to see that the Spitfire in the old photo still exists and is semmingly well loved, despite the paint looking a little like hand-brushed Humbrol. Is that a fuel tank under the wing next to the rocket? Or a rather big bomb? Did the postwar Burmese use theur Spitfires in actiion anywhere?
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Post by NZ1009 on Oct 27, 2008 2:35:50 GMT 12
Hi Paul,
I would be very interested also in getting a copy of the DVD and more than willing to contribute to any cost involved. As a thought, any chance of getting the logbook and some of the more important photos added to the DVD? It would provide some form of back-up for the real things in case they ever got lost or damaged.
Thanks, Wayne
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Post by baz62 on Oct 27, 2008 13:34:29 GMT 12
Loved the colour photo of 1040. I was one of the CAF guys(Shorty was one of the originals!) restoring her in the late 80's/ early 90's and she now flys in Queensland in a US Marines paint scheme ( after we carefully made sure the paint inside the cockpit was the same as the 1950s RNZAF scheme she was going to wear on the outside!!!! (Silver and yellow training bands) I've got a picture of 1040 flying over Birdlings Flat. Its black and white and a copy from an RNZAF photo. The chap I got it off was interested in working on 1040 with us and related how he trained on Harvards at Wigram(until he got chopped). He said he only had the one photo of one he got from the photographic guys at Wigram. Imagine our amazement when it turned out to be the very Harvard he wanted to help on!!
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Post by glideboy on Oct 27, 2008 18:26:55 GMT 12
Hi Paul, I would be very interested also in getting a copy of the DVD and more than willing to contribute to any cost involved. As a thought, any chance of getting the logbook and some of the more important photos added to the DVD? It would provide some form of back-up for the real things in case they ever got lost or damaged. Thanks, Wayne There is about 2 hours of video which is a mixture of family and Air Force film. So I will have to sit there and edit the footage as required. From memory his footage includes: Flying in Egypt, Malta, Cyprus and includes filming from the ground of various aircraft. Singapore, including flying in a Lincoln, and he also filmed a rocket attack in Malaya (from the cockpit). Back at home he filmed a flight in a T11 from Ohakea along with flights from Wigram in Harvards, Devons. He also filmed air pageants: the fateful opening of Rongatai where the Sunderland scrapped its fuse on a low pass, including the Vulcans (one of which ran off the runway at Ohakea and another crashed on returning to the UK?) and the US aircraft. The (I think) 50th anniversary of the RNZAF celebrated at Ohakea etc So I guess what I'm saying here is that it will take sometime to go through the whole lot and I will also need permission from the rest of the family before I send out copies. Paul
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Post by glideboy on Oct 27, 2008 18:52:01 GMT 12
Loved the colour photo of 1040. 1040 is the right hand Harvard in this photo. (Sorry about the quality, its just too big to scan) Also in this photo is 1013, 1034, and 1050. Here are my favourites. These are paintings by James H Bayliss (Hastings Captain) Entitled: Cadet Pilot B.J.Reid, 1st solo November 21st 1950, Taeri Airfield. De Havilland 'Tiger Moth' NZ 1490. Acting Pilot Officer B.J Reid Harvard NZ 1071, Lake Ellesmere April 1952 Flying Officer B.J Reid, De Havilland Venom 'K', Firedog Strike Malaysia July 1955 Flight Lieutenant B.J Reid, De Havilland Vampire T11, Ohakea Decmber 1959.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 27, 2008 19:43:31 GMT 12
Those paintings are great. And all the film footage sounds wonderful.
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Post by glideboy on Oct 27, 2008 21:17:50 GMT 12
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Post by glideboy on Oct 27, 2008 21:31:02 GMT 12
Does anyone have a photo or more information regarding the incident mentioned at the bottom of this page? Further information: Tengah, July 27, 1955. Vampire T11 521, passenger: Mr Boyd, Comments: Air to air photographs
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 28, 2008 0:10:24 GMT 12
Thanks very much for those display cuttings, really excellent stuff.
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petera
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 88
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Post by petera on Oct 28, 2008 3:05:20 GMT 12
There is a New Zealand connection with the lady ferry pilot of the Burmese Spitfire at Nicosia, Cyprus. First Officer 'Jackie' Sorour, as she then was, made the delivery flight of Spitfire ML407 on 29th April 1944 from Hamble to the 485 Squadron base at Selsey. This was to become Johnnie Houlton's machine for D-Day. ML407 survived the war, was converted to a two-place for the Irish Air Corps, and is currently airworthy in care of Carolyn Grace at Duxford/Bentwaters in the UK. It still carries its 485 Squadron livery. Jackie Moggridge passed away in January 2008 but in recent years had flown regularly with Carolyn in the back seat as co-pilot and co-starred in 'Absolute Heaven' a film of their adventures together in the Spitfire. PeterA
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Post by NZ1009 on Oct 28, 2008 4:53:07 GMT 12
Interesting angle on the Harvard on the left-hand side of the first picture in the clippings. Re the eight Devons and eight Harvards picture, unusual in that they sent eight Devons to this air-show when normally it was mainly Harvards plus a few Devons. Is this the largest formation of Devons put up by the RNZAF?
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Post by FlyNavy on Oct 28, 2008 6:09:20 GMT 12
petera, Thanks, that is a nice story about the female pilots. I gather the film "Absolute Heaven" was a documentary for TV or was it a feature on film? When was this film made (approx.)? Tah.
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