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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 21, 2015 15:34:57 GMT 12
Dont they all Errol ! Fred ( nicknamed Nugget ) farmed at Martins Bay near Warkworth and flew 17 ops on Halifaxes with 10 Squadron , and according to my interview notes ,Wattie Rowlands ( another Kiwi ) was his w/op. I am unsure of the origin of Nugget or of the other family members but will inquire.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 20, 2015 14:50:45 GMT 12
Errol, what a subject , if only they could talk ! Many aircraft could tell tales of what interesting private loads they carried, not really smuggling , but perks for the troops. I know that in the post war RAF , chocolate and coffee were prized items and while the poms did it , the Kiwis assumed that it was just part of the job , while the Aussies were total professionals taking orders prior to a trip. A gunner from 101 SQ said that on repat trips from Bari they always took the farest perimeter track on landing so they could offload before coming up to HM Customs waiting for their arrival, but if they had POWs aboard , every body just looked the other way. It would be interesting to learn what other objects were carried.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 20, 2015 13:03:30 GMT 12
WORKER Fred NZ 427824 pilot at Warkworth March 21 2015. He completed flying instruction in Canada, then flew Halifaxs in RAF Bomber Command
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 20, 2015 10:13:59 GMT 12
Certainly , 40 sq must have a few red faces , and on a National Radio interview this morning with the Captain of the Canterbury said they will be carrying 2 Seasprites and expect to leave on Sunday. I hope this one doesnt have a breakdown.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 18, 2015 14:57:19 GMT 12
Yes Errol , quite right and thats the buyers commission. The buyer may also then have to pay VAT or GST on top. Theres also the sellers commission , another 10 to 20 % plus perhaps cataloque listing fees etc, so the big auction houses do very well out of every sale. Thats why they do not like private offers like Lord Ashcrofts appearing in the market place.
We showed Lord Ashcroft through the Lancaster on Monday and like all our other visitors he enjoyed being in the pilots seat, and posing for the compulsory photo session
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 17, 2015 10:34:42 GMT 12
Thanks for the offer , but the bid/offer is being made by a benefactor . However , donations are always very much appreciated by the NZBCA to support its veteran activities.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 16, 2015 14:57:45 GMT 12
I am really pleased that this old thread has reappeared as its very timely. The NZBCA are starting to accumulate photos ( copies ) badges, logs etc etc relating to Kiwis in 617 sq. This will be added to the material we already hold , for a special 617 display being created at MOTAT. Hard objects are loved by the conservators as they dont fade or get moth eaten. Please pm me.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 15, 2015 12:17:16 GMT 12
I can confirm that a substantial offer from the Museum group led by MOTATS Michael Frawley was made to purchase the medal set and logbooks prior to auction. They are not able to participate in an open auction as a group. Les feels strongly that they should go to auction to command the best international price and obtain the maximum benefit for the RAFBF ( the BC Memorials caretaker ). If a private benefactor were to buy them and donate them back , concern by Museums over their security and conservators concern about preserving the fabric and paper would probably mean the actual items would rarely be seen on display. But never fear as the proposed 617 display at MOTAT will contian a replica medal set and duplicate logbook from Les along with items from the other Kiwis who served on 617 and the other raids the squadron undertook.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 12, 2015 10:17:42 GMT 12
Nick Carter was the last remaining member of the hard case Wright crew which included " ring the bell " Crankshaw. On 75 Sq the crew flew Wellington with D for Duck noseart , then later on 156 pff flew a Lancaster with Thomas Frederick Duck art. This Lancaster also carried the crews names painted on the appropriate part of the fuselage. A display of the art with photographs and logbook pages will form a new display in the BC area of MOTAT during late June
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 9, 2015 14:08:22 GMT 12
I can say that the AWMM is part of the Museum consortium involved , Otago because of its strong NZ History Dept, plus the Air Force Museum. The idea is that the medals would form part of a special Les Munro / Dambusters display that "toured" the main and regional museums. At this stage there has been interest world wide and our Ministry of Heritage and Culture are looking at it.
Regardless of who the ultimate owner is , the BC Memorial will benefit ,. Les has spent a lifetime in service to NZ , after his Air Force days he spent many years in State Advances working on rehab loans for ex servicemen , then as Mayor of Te Kuiti , as Mayor of the King Country Regional Council, then latterly as a benefactor to a host of veteran and aviation causes including Classic Flyers. So this move to benefit the Memorial from the sale of his medals and logbook are entirely in keeping with his generosity and a very worthy legacy.
Please remember the man , he earned these awards by his deeds and it is fitting that he is still able to decide on their future . There would be no complaints if a sibling was bequeathed them and kept them locked in a top drawer , never to be seen. It seems to me to be about being sold overseas when " they are ours". Ladies and gentlemen they are NOT YOURS .
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 6, 2015 14:46:28 GMT 12
Dave , there would be Roy Montrowe and Reg Dear both serving with NAC at the time and still with us. Both had pretty strong opinions ( in private ) about the cause.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 6, 2015 14:42:26 GMT 12
Delicious Gavin and Mark I agree , the F86 just looks the complete classic fighter
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 4, 2015 14:51:23 GMT 12
Well said that man. There are a number of plans underway to try and ensure that the collection returns to NZ. However they do belong to Les and his motives are admirable.
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 3, 2015 18:30:51 GMT 12
Bruce , the UK Government wont look at maintaining the Memorial, they and the MOD opposed it at every step and contributed not one penny. If it wasnt for Lord Mayor Boris there would have been nowhere even to build it. The millions required were funded privately with a good sum coming from NZ. The UK Tax dept even tried to claim VAT from the RAFBCA. But on the day , only Boris , the Royal Family were invited to the opening service. I dont recall seeing any senior RAF brass there. RAF BCA had some revenge.
Perhaps in response , and following decades long appeals for a BC medal , the Whitehall mob finally approved a thin copper strip labelled Bomber Command and called it a clasp. Veterans were appalled and many would not even apply for it.But the MOD appeared to not be satisfied with that and imposed a 120 day minimum service on operations to claim it, ignoring that thousands died before they got even close to 120 days on ops . Even more stupid with the rule was that if you went on to squadron after 5 Jan 1945 you couldnt claim the " clasp " even if you had completed a full tour of 30 ops ! And some did.
Luckily the Canadian , Austarlian and NZ DF ignored this ruling and included service time from OTU with one operation as qualification enough.
So the UK Government will never fund this memorial but it had to have a recognised organisation to guarantee maintainence in purpiturity , and thats a long time. Then the RAF Benevolent Fund stepped up.
I know Les has thought long and hard about this and it is his legacy to all those airmen he served alongside and now have their names on crosses in Europe or at Runnymede.
I am sure that there is a certain movie director very aware of the upcoming auction and phone calls have been made. Lets see the outcome
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Post by pjw4118 on Mar 2, 2015 9:36:50 GMT 12
I dont think AIr NZ is keen on any regional flights. I went to book a trip for work to Timaru,, with bag $841 !!! No thanks , a trip AK to Ch return plus two days car hire was less than half. So how long can the Timaru service survive at these prices ? To make matters worse , that night on TV , Air NZ were advertising return to Perth for ..... $841. Maybe our meetings need to be in Australia these days.
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Post by pjw4118 on Feb 27, 2015 9:03:29 GMT 12
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Post by pjw4118 on Feb 20, 2015 7:48:30 GMT 12
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Post by pjw4118 on Feb 18, 2015 14:44:50 GMT 12
I am waiting for Bigfoot
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Post by pjw4118 on Feb 18, 2015 14:38:52 GMT 12
Mark if these are just your practice shots I am looking forward to your take on Omaka
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Post by pjw4118 on Feb 17, 2015 9:01:50 GMT 12
You are onto it Kevin , hardly a day goes by without my mother saying ..BEWARE the 172.
The "pilot " also had a Thunderbolt and 486 sq marked Tempest ready to go , perhaps the 172 was going to be the target.
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