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Post by davidd on Sept 10, 2020 12:07:29 GMT 12
This thread must be pretty well unprecedented on this site. In its scope and completeness, I hope it will remain here as an extremely valuable resource for all interested in this theatre of war, preferably in an honoured place. You must be improving your typing skills out of sight on this particular task - Well done aircraftclocks! I see that all the practice bombing sorties are being recorded as well - although called practices, these sorties were fully operational, with real Japanese targets. Aircraftclocks, would you mind advising when these diary entries cease (in the original files), as a matter of interest! David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 9, 2020 13:24:06 GMT 12
Kiwiruna, your father in law flew with 25 Squadron on their second tour from Emirau, and he was almost set to depart on their third (his second) when the war ended. David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 9, 2020 13:18:03 GMT 12
The long-awaited fitting of bomb sights to the RNZAF PV-1s is now imminent, with first operational use on 8th April against Vunakanau airfield target No. 12 by six aircraft crews of No. 3 Squadron. David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 2, 2020 17:29:07 GMT 12
The yellow colour used on Harvards/Devons/Vampire Trainers in 1950s was certainly quite different from the matt, wartime colour. I recollect that this post-war colour was quite light, and glossy - there was the remains of such a Harvard on the fire dump at Wigram in mid-1960s, think it was 1014. There was also Devon 1830 on this dump at same time, had the day-glo orange rear fuse, and outer wings, but also had yellow wing bands, must have been caught out by the accident before the change-over was completed. David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 2, 2020 8:43:10 GMT 12
In last few months of the war, there were two Corsair squadrons at Los Negros (Mokerang), two at Jacquinot Bay and four at Piva North (Bougainville). However another resident unit at Los Negros was the Corsair Assembly Unit (CAU), which received the sixty FG-1Ds directly from the USA. No. 4 SU was fully equipped (18 aircraft) with these during (I think) June 1945, but they barely got operational prior to the surrender. So a good proportion of those aircraft in the photograph would be the Goodyear-built aircraft. No. 4 SU at Los Negros (which had the oldest of the F4U-1s on strength) gave these up and they were in the process of being ferried to New Zealand at time of surrender. David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 1, 2020 13:53:16 GMT 12
I would bet that the armoured bulkhead forward of cockpit weighs a lot more than the seat armour! There should also be a rear opening door at top of the bulkhead armour, RH side I think, hinged at bottom, with a chunk of clear armour glass in it. Was this for checking something "up front" in flight? David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 1, 2020 13:46:35 GMT 12
hrvd1068, Do not understand your request, do you mean the RNZAF's stores/reference numbers for the various paints, the official names of the colours as such, or the colours used by the four TAF squadrons for their "checkerboard" markings? David D
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Post by davidd on Sept 1, 2020 11:26:40 GMT 12
The above image shows, of course, members of No. 18 Course, 1 FTS, Wigram (commenced course 29/6/40, graduated 19/10/40). Originally there were three other course members (W K Anderson, R R Barber, A A McLean), probably all terminated from flying training. Two of the graduates (Eccles, Patterson) had originally been members of previous courses. I P Griffith should read L (for Lyndon) P Griffith; full initials of Vanderpump are of course M T (for Mortimer Tuke). Otherwise all initials and spellings seem perfect. Most of these men were numbered between NZ40954 and 40994, although Eccles was 40759, Blake was 401164, McSkimming was NZ1314, Oakden was 401028, Patterson was NZ391845, and Streeter was 401033. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 31, 2020 22:56:31 GMT 12
The earlier photo from Ants with the large number of Corsairs, mixed in with some PV-1 Venturas, is definitely at Los Negros (Mokerang strip), and as suspected most of the Corsairs seem to be the new FG-1D's, so right at end of the war. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 31, 2020 9:10:25 GMT 12
Dave, it was the much older Harold L Piper who flew with Short Brothers as the test pilot.
The younger Harvie was born 23/7/15, commissioned in RNZAF on completion of pilot training at Wigram 27/7/40, to Ohakea (as staff pilot?) 5/8/40. He subsequently completed a flying instructor's course @ Hobsonville on 18/11/40, and thereafter served as a flying instructor at Harewood (3 EFTS) till 10/12/41, then Whenuapai (4 EFTS) till 8/2/42 when this EFTS was closed down, reverting to Harewood (still instructing) before commencing a new career as a GR pilot from 24/10/42. On this date, he commenced a course @ School of GR, New Plymouth, and on completion he was flying Hudson aircraft from Nelson (2 GR) from 7/2/43, then to Nausori, Fiji (4 GR) from 5/5/43, to 9 Sqdn (Espiritu Santo) from 5/7/43, 3 Sqdn at Guadalcanal 12/7 - 16/10/43, serving "on the front line". At this point he and his crew returned to Santo, and by 16/11/43 he was back in NZ, with a newly reformed No. 9 Sqdn at Whenuapai, still on Hudsons. From 5/12/43 he was on more peaceful duties with 40 Sqdn also at Whenuapai, presume flying Lodestars and Hudson transports till September 1944. At this point he was posted to the Utility Flight at Guadalcanal, flying Hudsons again, still on transport duties, till returning to NZ for leave in about January 1945, but returned to this unit in mid-February on appointment as Officer Commanding Utility Flight. He was also at this time appointed as pilot, AOC's aircraft, replacing F/L H C (Harvey) O'Loughlin, in this post.
David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 31, 2020 8:54:25 GMT 12
Dave, the H L Piper mentioned above was NZ40241 Harvie Llewellyn, RNZAF, not to be confused with the more famous Harold Lord (from Banks Peninsular), who learned to fly at Sockburn late in WW1, flew with NZPAF in mid-1920s, the RAF in 1920s/30s, participated in the famous flight out to NZ in 1930 with Cyrus Kay in the Desoutter, and finally joined Short Brothers as a test pilot (and later chief test pilot) in mid-1930s (mostly on flying boats). They may have been related, and having the same initials has rather predictably created all sorts of problems for historians over the years! David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 30, 2020 12:27:13 GMT 12
Dave, These four photographs comprise the successful members of Nos. 14 to 17 Courses of No. 1 Flying Training School at Wigram. No. 14 Course members all had "39xxxx" numbers, rest all had "40xxx or 40xxxx" numbers. Approximate dates of commencement of these course at Wigram were: 12/3/40, 9/4/40, 6/5/40, 1/6/40, graduation dates were 28/6/40, 26/7/40, 23/8/40, 21/9/40 respectively. As you can see, these dates match up very closely with the dates of publication of these photographs. No. 15 Course seems rather small, but nine of these men were shipped off to the RAF, and 4 (J G Dunstan, H A Eaton, D J V Henry, H L Piper) were retained in NZ for instructor duties. Two other course members (A J Hull, H J Von Tunzelmann, not shown here) were killed in an Oxford crash on 22/7/40. Later wartime courses were considerably larger than these early ones. Incidentally No. 2 FTS at Blenheim (Woodbourne) was also cranking out graduates during this same period (their equivalent course numbers were 3 - 6, with commencement and graduation dates pretty well identical to Wigram). You can see that from Couse No. 17 onwards, about a 50% increase in pupil numbers per course. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 30, 2020 11:29:38 GMT 12
Harking back to the origin of NATS and then NATTS, I believe it was the late Cliff Jenks who inspired that final designation, as outlined by Paul, probably when Cliff was holding the post at Defence HQ of "Director of Operations", although this is just an inspired guess. Incidentally the first "T" in NATTS indicated "Telecommunications", thus resulting in probably the longest name of any RNZAF unit, ever! "Navigation, Air Electronics and Telecommunications Training Squadron". This designation came into force as from 22nd April, 1983, per AFO T.87 1983, dated 9/12/83. Incidentally, another (little known) RNZAF sub-unit unit came into existence at about this time, introduced by same RNZAF Order. This was OSMU, standing for "Operational Software Maintenance Unit", which was established under the Maritime/Operations Wing of RNZAF Base Auckland. Perhaps a sign of the times. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 29, 2020 12:52:06 GMT 12
The subject of the very last comment in above post is presumably the same floating crane I saw in mid-2001, still beached up against the road where it was put aground by the Japanese in 1944 after it was attacked and damaged by Allied air strikes. It was actually a British crane, captured in Singapore after the invasion in early 1942, and later towed out to Rabaul. It was definitely a big crane - you could say it was built to last! David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 27, 2020 19:23:03 GMT 12
Dave H, there was no PTS (Pilot Training Squadron) at Wigram in the 1950s, in fact that name did not come into use till about January of 1966 (at same time as the Stations became Bases, Operations and Training [later Support]Groups were created, and Whenuapai and Hobsonville were "merged" as RNZAF Base Auckland). Also the original NATS (Navigation and Air electronics Training Squadron, think I got that right!) came into existence at Wigram at the same time. I think PTS was originally known (from some time in mid-1950s) as "A" Flight of the Flying Wing. Most of this sort of historical detail is now all but forgotten, SOOOOO long ago. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 27, 2020 10:12:27 GMT 12
Dove/Devon NZ1801 with the "stencil" fern leaf would have been photographed sometime before about 1960, by which time the "decal" fern leafs should have been incorporated (although I doubt that this would have been noted in the aircraft's log books, but I have been known to get things wrong from time to time). The second photograph of '01 with the white cabin top appears to be at Wigram judging by the very distinctive hills in background - also note what appears to be the tail of a Canberra on extreme left, and is that the tip of the tailfin of a US Navy Neptune protruding above the fuselage of the Devon? Seems that there was definitely some "event" in progress here, as already postulated. I am thinking some time in 1959 maybe, although we also had some 75 Sqdn Canberras visiting from Singapore in 1957 or 58. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 26, 2020 18:58:06 GMT 12
From what I have seen of photos of CFS aircraft, probably only a proportion of their Harvards, Oxfords, and Tigers had their cowlings painted all-red in the "trademark" style. CFS also had one Hawker Hind for quite a while in 1941/42 (appears in background of one photo, at Tauranga.) As for the CFS P-40s, who knows, keep your eyes open! One of their P-40s was written off in a forced landing (finger trouble?) although I believe pilot was not hurt. Cannot recall seeing a photo of this crash. David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 26, 2020 16:29:44 GMT 12
Do not know the answer to that one Dave, but you would think the usual large unit codes worn by these a/c would be equally as easy, if not easier to see than a thin stripe. However I do know that certain Hudsons at Ohakea (always presumed by me to be 1 OTU aircraft prior to February 1944, or Gunnery Training School [GTS] aircraft subsequently), were often marked with yellow mainplane leading edges, and sometimes also with yellow leading edge "rings" on the engine cowlings. At one stage, at Ferrymead (or is that Ferrymede?) there was a collection of Hudson mainplanes, and at least one pair had the yellow leading edges still applied. Denys might well remember these. All this yellow paint was probably intended for some purpose. I have always this assumed this was most likely to be a warning of a serious aerial hazard to other aircraft in vicinity, and this may well be caused by a Hudson aircraft with up to six trainee air gunners aboard, along with their instructor, intent on shooting at an aerial drogue being trailed not too far away, as well as the drogue aircraft itself. The drogue tower, at Ohakea in 1944/45, might be a Harvard, a Vincent/Vilde, or from about August/September 1944 onwards, an Avenger (much more speed than other two, therefore more realistic).
The pilots of these two aircraft were generally busy enough concentrating on each other (for good reason), with less time to survey any other unexpected approaching (and nosey) aircraft.
I once had a conversation with a moderately senior RNZAF officer (now long dead, probably Wing Commander W G Coull) who was a passenger in a transport Hudson up in the Islands not far from Guadalcanal (stop reading here if you think you have heard this tale before). The captain of the Hudson had observed a US Navy JM-1 (otherwise known in USAAF as a B-26 Marauder) on a converging course at same altitude. The strange aircraft was painted overall bright yellow, which peaked the pilot's interest, but he could not for the life of himself remember what the significance of this colour scheme was. However he would be very soon reminded, and rudely.
The JM-1 proved to be a drogue tower, and was actually engaged in this activity at this very moment. In total ignorance, the Hudson captain wisely asked his crew members, and passengers, if anybody knew the significance of all that yellow paint, although by this time the Marauder was passing across the Hudson's present course. Suddenly a cable appeared close ahead of the Hudson, and before the pilot could take any action, scraped harshly across the upper surface of his wing, then miraculously slid off his wingtip. How it missed the spinning propeller on that side will remain a complete mystery, but all aboard were pretty shaken up, realizing that a cloud load of angels must have been hovering not too far above their heads to have escaped from what would have been an otherwise horrendous and unnecessary death. It is conceivable that it might even have dragged the US Navy aircraft out of the sky and into the sea, or at least have caused it to stall if the cable had snapped. I'll bet that the Hudson captain never forgot what class of aircraft wore the overall yellow colour scheme after that experience. This incident took place in about March 1944, and within three months, the RNZAF's two Hudson drogue towers located at Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), on strength of the Utility Flight there, were brought into line with this US Navy convention, and adopted the overall yellow scheme which they continued to wear until the end of WW2.
So far as I know, there is no surviving copy of any RNZAF accident report on this incident, but fortunately a brief mention of it survives in, I think, the Operations Record Book of No. 1 (Islands) Group. The captain would have known there could be no talking his way out of this one, and it seems he was forgiven the unfortunate gap in that essential general knowledge which all pilots flying in this operational area should have known.
David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 26, 2020 15:28:50 GMT 12
Some delightful comments in these summaries: I particularly liked the one which mentioned the observed results for the routine daily ship counting: "Results positively negative". This diarist really does work hard to provide some laughs for his readers. Well done! He also does include plenty of operational details, and is not shy to mention failures of attacks, although there seem to be few of these. Reading them you can really appreciate that "the war just ground on and on".
The Japanese seemed to be insanely keen on building new huts, and the Allies were just as delighted to locate and demolish them, one by one if necessary. The detailed account of the USMC PBJ-1J Mitchells being employed on ground strafing is fascinating, with so many heavy calibre machine guns firing at once. Most interesting that the crews had to have the cockpit windows open to help clear the resulting build-up of smoke, but how hard on the hearing was the firing of at least 12 x 0.50" Browning machine guns all at once, just feet away from the unfortunate occupants of these aircraft? I understand that sustained firing of the "package" guns on sides of cockpit were rather prone to cracking the actual steel gun mountings after a while.
David D
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Post by davidd on Aug 25, 2020 10:55:41 GMT 12
NZ1009 is of course totally correct! In the first version of the book "Aircraft of the RNZAF" I had no opportunity to check the captions before it went to the printers, which were devised by "The three Ross's (Macpherson, Ewing and Dunlop). I was rather astonished to read in the caption for a photo of some Harvards in formation, that the crest on the tails was that of the University of Canterbury! Pretty certain this was written by Mr Macpherson, and having spent considerable time with him, I know he was one of the nicest and kindest fellows that have ever lived, and his teaching degree was obtained at guess where! The funny thing was, that image was so small that you could barely see the outline of the crests, let alone the inner detail, so it was hardly worth pointing this detail out anyway!
I seem to recall another boo boo in the caption department of that book which used a photo of a FAA Seafire (Merlin engine) visiting NZ from INDEFATIGABLE in November 1945, but the rest of us aviation nuts know that the RNZAF's Seafire XV (Griffon engine) was very recognisable as such, with that enormous nose and spinner, etc. That caption made me wince too.
Incidentally, the symbolism on the Christchurch City crest is pretty basic, and is really an acknowledgement of the roots of its early history, and source of its wealth in those days: the two rivers which wend through it, plus a (hapless) dead lamb (did they really hang them like that in the 1880s?) and a stook of wheat, plus VERY symbolic representation of the first four ships. The two pukekoes propping the whole edifice upright are as good a choice as any, but a Kiwi on top probably not so typical of the city (but perhaps scratching around on Banks Peninsular in very early days). Sometimes I really do go on a bit. David D
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