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Post by ringatu4 on May 9, 2012 15:40:33 GMT 12
Know a chap who may be a useful resource, unless he's covered already... Don Curtis in Rotorua. He I think flew for CC and wrote up a BC history after WWII. Can be contacted via RSA or AFA Rotorua or me. RB
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Post by ringatu4 on Apr 15, 2012 9:52:22 GMT 12
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Post by ringatu4 on Apr 7, 2012 14:42:49 GMT 12
A 2012 update on 'King's Crew'. * The project is now extended to a multimedia ebook edition of 312 pages. * A special Air Force Museum edition has been lodged with Wigram. * The ISBN for the ebook edition is ISBN: 978-0-473-21063-2 * Legal Deposit copies are being lodged with the National Library this week. * The animated video edition of 'King's Crew' will be premiered in Rotorua Library's new theatre in a few weeks time. Leave me some email if you wish to attend the premiere. * While the production follows a typical town ATC squadron, much of the action is of course mirrored in every ATC squadron around the country. * During the two years spent writing this history, I've not come across another author attempting this scale of a unit history. As I was uniquely placed in time & place, and worked pro bono for the cadets; it's unlilely another transport author will ever justify this time investment. In saying this, I hope to be proved wrong of course! RB
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Post by ringatu4 on Feb 21, 2012 9:38:26 GMT 12
A heads-up warehouse are stocking a range of Bounty classic movies on DVD for $6. Of special interest is the Leslie Howard 1942 movie "First of the Few" As Wiki says "... the film contains precious footage that would otherwise have been lost to posterity:
Film footage of the Supermarine S.4 in taking off from Southampton Water, and in flight, which is now available nowhere else. The film also includes footage of many real-life Battle of Britain fighter pilots in the opening and closing scenes. RAF fighter pilots such as Tony Bartley and Brian Kingcombe (with pipe) have cameo roles in the scenes at the dispersal, and are seen discussing their flights before take off and after landing..."
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Post by ringatu4 on Dec 15, 2011 20:19:53 GMT 12
"King’s Crew"- the unique Unit History of an exemplar ATC Squadron 1941-2011
*** Now Available for purchase for a limited time, exclusive to ‘Wings Over New Zealand’ members.***
“King’s Crew”, the ATC Unit History is now available as a licensed, documentary program for viewing on your PC or laptop. ‘A Flight’ (a band of 1960’s ATC cadets) painstakingly researched and compiled this 45 minute program over two years. It reconstructs the history of a typical ATC Squadron from 1941 to today. It is a unique piece of youth development, ATC and New Zealand aviation history.
2011 is the 70th Platinum Anniversary of the Air Training Corps (ATC) in New Zealand. It is also the 70th anniversary of No. 14 Squadron ATC. What a wonderful Christmas gift for any Kiwi bloke!
'King’s Crew' premiered to an invited audience headed by the NZCF Commandant. Surviving commanding officers from the past fifty years mustered to mark the occasion. RNZAF, ATCANZ, NZDF and NZCF representatives attended.
NZCF advise No. 14 Squadron is perhaps the only one to make this extraordinary effort, their ebook marking the milestone of seventy years in national youth development. The squadron hugely contributed to the RNZAF in WWII, forming 30 Squadron which distinguished itself fighting in the West Pacific. Our research shows it also contributed to 14 Fighter Squadron via 30SU.
'King’s Crew' is available for purchase on CD exclusively to ‘Wings Over NZ’ members. All proceeds are donated to the cadets of 14 Squadron, replacing equipment lost during a recent burglary. Your $49.00 donation can be made via PayPal to rexbunn@bigpond.com or via cash, cheque, bank transfer etc.
‘King’s Crew’ the program, is supplied as a 45 minute, auto-run AV program. It is written in PowerPoint and has a full, licensed twenty-part musical score, 142 aviation sound clips, and is professionally editted over 665 hours by a published transport author.
Order enquiries should be addressed to the King’s Crew editor Rex Bunn at rexbunn@xtra.co.nz NB:- This offer is being made for a limited time only. Please act now if you want to receive your copy. Donations to ATC squadrons are usually tax deductible.
PS: Thanks to Dave for his kindness in encouraging this posting and the genesis of 'King's Crew'
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Post by ringatu4 on Nov 18, 2011 9:33:29 GMT 12
For the 70th Platinum anniversary of the the ATC, our "A Flight' team from the 1960's squadron completed "King's Crew" the Unit History of 14 Squadron (City of Gisborne) 1941-2011. The title honours our longest-serving CO S/L Andy King AE & bar. It was lodged with NZCFHQ for safekeeping. It would be nice to get it up here but at 620mb, it's a bit big! We have tried to donate it to the RNZAF museum but the stringent terms required seem to preclude this.
King's Crew is now a 284 page ebook written in Powerpoint with a musical score and narration. Following the MayDay2 celebration in Gisborne earlier this year, at which our CO was awarded the Commandant's Medal and NZCF Certificate of Recognition for his services to the ATC since 1960; we prepped a version for public screening, one that avoids copyright issues. Here is the Honour Roll for 14 Squadron...hmm can't get the darn page to tab the terms....
Commander Term F/Lt Ken Garland 1941-1943 F/Lt Paul Evans 1943-1944 F/O Campbell Prentice 1944-1951 F/Lt Tom Kent (acting) CFM 1952-1953 S/L Nick Williamson DFC 1953-1960 F/O Aubrey Harper 1960-1961 S/L Andy King AE & Bar 1961-1977 S/L Tom Walsh CFM 1977-1990 F/Lt Grahame Tombleson CFM 1990-1991 F/Lt Janet Steele CFM 1992-1993 F/O Fraser Grout 1994-1995 F/Lt Kevin Lloyd CFM 1995-1997 P/O Glyn Jones 1997-2001 P/O Blair Hughes 2001-2003 P/O Chris Watt 2004-2005 P/O Cathy Rolfe 2006-2007 F/Lt Kevin Lloyd CFM (acting) 2008-2009 P/O John Baker 2009-2010 P/O Kristal Tamanui 2010- on
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Post by ringatu4 on Jul 31, 2011 21:12:49 GMT 12
I have always wondered this, as I was never in the ATC. Do the many ATC squadrons in New Zealand that have the same squadron number as a real existing or past squadron of the RNZAF keep ties or affiliations to the real squadron? Have been meaning to answer this affirmatively for some time. Recently we completed the Unit History of 14 Sqn ATC and presented the 255 page work to the NZCF Commandant at a function celebrating the Platinum Anniversary of our old Sqn. 14 sqn ATC had close links with 14 Sqn RNZAF for decades on from WWII. This was driven by two key factors, firstly cadet siblings migrating from Gisborne ATC to the RNZAF. The second factor involves 30 Sqn & SU, who's groundstaff from Gisborne appear to have gone on to serve 14 Fighter Sqn RNZAF. 30 Sqn members returned and staffed 14 Sqn, closing a loop that remained through into the 1960's and probably the 1970's. Indeed at the 70th Anniversary reunion this year we had 30 Sqn groundstaff members attending. So the answer to your 2005 question Dave...is yes.
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Post by ringatu4 on Jan 23, 2011 8:18:53 GMT 12
Hmmm, well to counterbalance the "straight" moments above...on our first Dak flight to an Ohakea camp, I packed a vial of "Evening in Rotorua"..a particularly concentrated fluid that vapourised H2S (and not the radar form). At cruising altitude the cap seal leaked and a dreadful vapour filled the DC3 fom flight-deck to dunny. The CO stormed back to discover the source of the sickening stench, and being unable to avoid LOL I was ordered to drop the vial in the can. I discovered the power of black comedy that day. These days you'd be jailed for a stunt like that...hence IMHO our youth are growing up, all too often as wimps.
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Post by ringatu4 on Jan 2, 2011 13:39:30 GMT 12
Hi, a group of us are reconstructing the lost history of 14 Squadron ATC, covering the 1941-1977 period. This project arose from our first MayDay Reunion, after 50 years. We hear other groups are underway given the 70th anniversary celebrations due in either 2010 or 2011, (depending on how you count 1941).
Our 1960's CO is still hale and hearty and after near two decades of sterling service to ATC, we think he's earned some sort of official recognition in this anniversary year. We lost our 1950's CO only this year.
At first glance the 'Cadet Forces Medal' looks to be the most appropriate medal. Have other squadrons-past gone this route? How and where does one apply for such recognition, on behalf of squadrons-past? Compliments on a fine website.
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