|
Post by aircraftclocks on Apr 16, 2024 20:57:50 GMT 12
Its been a few months now since I visited Ferrymead but Agile, its time to talk W connectors.
Denys I think I have located a copy of the "AB" IPB you have been looking for. The library who has it do not "export". Knowing that people are heading to the US soon for a big airshow, someone may have time to "import" it.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Nov 4, 2023 19:36:09 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Oct 9, 2023 0:55:06 GMT 12
I was also thinking of going to Ferrymead on Saturday. Hoping to see all the good work up close and in person.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Mar 8, 2023 14:10:43 GMT 12
I found this report in a very unexpected place.
STRIKE ON TARGETS OF OPPORTUNITY - MUGHAI AREA (SOUTH BOUGAINVILLE)
11th APRIL - 1945
AIRCRAFT - 4 X F4U'S
PILOTS - F/O MORRISSEY (LEADER) F/S CROSBY, F/S KIDDLE, F/S BOYLE
BOMB LOAD - 2 X 500 LB. DAISY CUTTERS ON EACH AIRCRAFT.
CALL SIGN - ONYX 11
WEATHER -
(1) TARGET AREA. 6/10 CLOUD AT 4000 FEET. HAZE UP TO 3000 FT. REDUCING VISIBILITY TO 5 MILES.
(2) SOUTH BOUGAINVILLE GENERALLY 8/10 CU. at 4000 FEET
AIRCRAFT LEFT GREEN - 1330 Hours
AT TARGET AREA - 1455 - 1500 HOURS
TIME LEFT TARGET AREA - 1530 - 1535 HOURS
COMMUNICATION (1) AIRCRAFT TO DANE BASE - NO CONTACT FROM TARGET AREA 4/4 FROM VICINITY PURIATA RIVER, ON 4475.
(2) LEADER TO F/S CROSBY - LOUD AND CLEAR
APPROACH TO TARGET AREA - SOUTH ALONG COAST OF BOUGAINVILLE TO LAKE LAHALA, THENCE WEST FLYING NTH. OF MT. BOEDER TO MUGUAI AREA.
RESULTS OF STRIKE: F/O MORRISSEY - IN TWO RUNS ON HUTS SOUTH (1 MILE) OF MUGHAI DESTROYED FOUR HUTS AND DAMAGED TWO MORE.
F/S KIDDLE - IN FIRST RUN ON BUILDING NTH-EAST OF MUGUAI DAMAGED ONE BUILDING. SECOND BOMB HUNG UP TEMPORARILY BUT FELL OFF WHEN AIRCRAFT PULLED ROUND.
F/S BOYLE - IN TWO ATTACKS NORTH-EAST OF MUGUAI DESTROYED TWO HUTS IN FIRST ATTACK AND ONE HUT IN SECOND.
F/S CROSBY - NOT KNOWN - MISSING
NARRATIVE - F/O MORRISSEY
F/O MORRISSEY LED HIS SECTION OF FOUR AIRCRAFT TO THE MUGUAI AREA FROM THE EAST AND INSTRUCTED HIS NOS. 2 AND 3 AND 4 TO ORBIT AT 3000 FEET TO 4000 FEET WHILE HE MADE A RECONNAISSANCE OF THE AREA. ON CHOOSING AS A TARGET A GROUP OF SIX OR SEVEN HUTS ABOUT ONE MILE SOUTH OF MUGUAI, MORRISSEY CALLED ON F/S CROSBY TO JOIN HIM AND INSTRUCTED F/S KIDDLE AND F/S BOYLE TO CHOOSE AND ATTACK TARGETS IN THIS AREA.
AFTER CROSBY HAD JOINTED MORRISSEY AND BEEN MADE CONVERSANT WITH THE TARGET THEY WERE BOTH TO ATTACK, MORRISSEY INSTRUCTED CROSBY TO ORBIT WHILE HE MADE HIS ATTACK, AND THEN TO FOLLOW IN ON THE TARGET. THEY WERE THEN AT ABOUT 3000 FEET.
AFTER HIS BOMBING MORRISSEY SAW CROSBY CHANGE HIS DIRECTION OF ORBIT AND FUL ROUND TOWARDS KARA AIRFIELD. MORRISSEY CALLED CROSBY ON R/T AND WARNED HIM TO KEEP AWAY FROM KARA BUT CROSBY DID NOT ANSWER. AT THIS STAGE MORRISSEY SAW TWO BLACK SMOKE PUFFS AHEAD OF HIM. THE ONLY FLAK HE HAD SEEN TO THIS WAS ONE STREAK OF TRACER IN FRONT OF HIS AIRCRAFT WHEN ON HIS PRELIMINARY RECONNAISSANCE ABOUT ONE MILE NORTH OF MUGUAI.
MORRISSEY PULLED AWAY TO THE EAST, AWAY FROM KARA AND WARNED HIS SECTION TO BEWARE OF HEAVY ACK ACK. HE THEN NOTICED THAT CROSBY WAS MISSING AND CALLED FOR HIM ON R/T BUT RECEIVED NO REPLY. AT THIS POINT F/S BOYLE CALLED MORRISSEY AND ASKED WHETHER HE (MORRISSEY) HAD DONE A ROLL ONTO HIS TARGET. REALISING THE POSITION MORRISSEY CALLED BOYLE TO JOIN HIM AND LED HIM TO THE POSITION WHERE CROSBY HAD LAST BEEN SEEN. TOGETHER THEY SEARCHED AN AREA WITHIN TWO MILES RADIUS OF MUGUAI INVESTIGATING FIVE FIRES EN ROUTE. BOTH MORRISSEY AND BOYLE WERE QUITE CONVINCED THAT NONE OF THESE FIRES WAS THAT OF A BURNING AIRCRAFT BUT WERE MERELY RUBBISH FIRES.
AFTER SEARCHING FOR APPROXIMATELY THIRTY MINUTES F/O MORRISSEY REFORMED HIS SECTION AND HEADED FOR PIVA. NO CONTACT COULD BE MADE WITH DANE BASE UNTIL THE AIRCRAFT WERE IN THE VICINITY OF THE PURIATA RIVER WHEN THE LOSS OF F/S CROSBY WAS COMMUNICATED AND ACKNOWLEDGED.
THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN BRIEF WERE MADE KNOWN TO PIVA OPERATIONS, AND AFTER REFUELLING, THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED TO GREEN ISLAND.
F/S BOYLE
WHILE F/O MORRISSEY WAS BOMBING, F/S BOYLE SAW WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS MORRISSEY'S AIRCRAFT CHANGING ITS DIRECTION OF ORBIT AND PULLING CLOSER TO KARA WITH ITS BELLY MORE OR LESS EXPOSED. AT THIS TIME HE SAW ONE GUN FLISH FROM THE KNOWN ACK ACK POSITIONS NORTH OF KARA (Map Ref. 297379 1" series, KARA) AND ABOUT TWO SECONDS AFTER HE SAW THE CORSAIR WING TO PORT AND GO DOWN ALMOST VERTICALLY IN A MANNER NOT NORMAL FOR BOMBING/ATTACK. AS F/S KIDDLE THEN CALLED HIM ADVISING HIM TO KEEP ORBITING AS HE (KIDDLE) WAS GOING INTO MAKE AN ATTACK, BOYLE LOST SIGHT OF THE CORSAIR WHICH HE LAST SAW AT 1000 TO 1500 FEET GOING DOWN PRACTICALLY VERTICALLY. BOYLE THEN FOLLOWED KIDDLE AND MADE HIS BOMBING RUNS, AFTER WHICH HE CALLED MORRISSEY TO ASK WHETHER HE HAD DONE A DOWNWARD ROLL IN HIS BOMBING. BOYLE RECEIVED A NEGATIVE REPLY AND JOINED MORRISSEY IN THE SEARCH OF THE AREA.
AFTER SEARCHING UNSUCCESSFULLY FOR TEN MINUTES BOYLE SAW A NEW FIRE THREE QUARTERS OF A MILE EAST OF THE NORTH END OF KARA STRIP. THIS HE INVESTIGATED AT LOW LEVEL AND FOUND THAT IT WAS NOT OF A BURNING AIRCRAFT. BOYLE WAS QUITE CONVINVED OF THIS. FROM THE POSITION OF THE FIRE TWO PUFFS OF GUN SMOKE WERE SEEN. THE SECTION WAS THEN REFORMED AND LED TO PIVA.
F/S KIDDLE
WHEN ORBITING NORTH-EAST OF MUGUAI SAW TWO LINES OF TRACER BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE THE GUN POSITION.
WHILE MORRISSEY WAS BOMBING HE SAW CROSBY ORBITING AND THEN SAW ONE BURST OF BLACK SMOKE AT ABOUT 4000 FEET AND TWO GUN FLASHED FROM THE GROUND FROM A POSITION NEAR THE NORTH END OF KARA (Map ref. 297379 - 1" series - KARA SHEET) AFTER HE HAD COMPLETED HIS BOMBING, AND ON LEARNING THAT CROSBY WAS MISSING, KIDDLE CLIMBED TO 4000 FEET AND TRIED TO CONTACT THE MISSING AIRCRAFT AS WELL AS DANE BASE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN BOTH. HE THEN FLEW SOUTH DOWN THE EAST SIDE OF KARA AND THEN NORTH AGAIN OVER THE SAME AREA. PUFFS OF M.G. SMOKE WERE SEEN COMING FROM A POSITION ONE-QUARTER TO ONE-HALF MILE EAST OF THE NORTHERN END OF KARA STRIP. KIDDLE SEARCHED THE WESTERN SIDE OF KARA BEFORE REJOINING THE SECTION AND FLYING TO PIVA NORTH FIELD.
FLAK ENCOUNTERED
THIS IS THE SUBJECT OF A SEPARATE REPORT.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Feb 6, 2023 23:39:52 GMT 12
They will be the Holt flares.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Jan 24, 2023 10:28:31 GMT 12
I had made a typo with the gross weight, which I have now corrected. When looking at the aircraft registrations, the most represented registrations started with G. So most aircraft were British. The only nationalities listed seem to be either British or Dutch. During the war, it was only Pan Am services on service duties.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Jan 23, 2023 20:23:20 GMT 12
The master for ZK-AMC is listed as Garden who is British.
Looks like both flights staged through Koepang.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Jan 23, 2023 20:16:12 GMT 12
Looking in another register, the master for ZK-AMA is listed as Burgess who is British.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Jan 23, 2023 19:27:06 GMT 12
Just located the entry for ZK-AMC.
27/3/40 17.35 arrival, AWARUA ZK-AMC, Line - Tasman Empire Airways, Agent - Qantas, 48000 Gross poundage, 31183 Net poundage, Crew - 6, Nationally - UK Brit, Departure 09.00 28/03/40 to Sydney, Place of call - UK via Nth Q'ld p'ts
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Jan 23, 2023 19:11:21 GMT 12
Can not help you with the log books for the 2 aircraft, but I have found an entry in the registers for ZK-AMA on her delivery. This is from the Register of aircraft in and out - Brisbane.
26/8/39 10.45 arrival, Aotearoa ZK-AMA, Line - Tasman, Agent - Qantas, 48000 Gross poundage, 31356 Net poundage, Crew - 6, Nationality - British, Destination - Sydney, Departed 26/8/39
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Dec 26, 2022 16:43:31 GMT 12
It seems that there are no entries for January and February 1948.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Dec 26, 2022 12:00:41 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Dec 26, 2022 11:27:21 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Dec 25, 2022 11:01:49 GMT 12
I have located the above documents in an overseas archive.
Are these documents available from NZ sources?
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Nov 6, 2022 14:30:56 GMT 12
I flew in a jet from Hamilton in 1982. I was on my way to my recruit course, it was a B727.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Sept 18, 2022 19:19:29 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Aug 7, 2022 23:29:11 GMT 12
I was one of the 2TTS students who had the pleasure of spending a night at Weedons. We were issued military arrest warrants for the occasion. If the protestors got past the police and over the boundary fence, then they became our problem. We were advised that once we had dealt with them, we were then to return them to the other side of the fence for the police to take action. A very quiet night it turned out to be.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on May 4, 2022 0:35:35 GMT 12
I was looking at USN action reports for mention of white markings on allied aircraft.
It appears that some US Corsairs had white cowlings, but I have concentrated on references associated mainly on P40's and other interesting comments.
15 May 1942 On 15 May the United States eliminated the red ball in the center of the insignia of all combat aircraft of the Army and Navy. From this date the insignia will consist of a five-pointed white star within a blue circle. The red, white and blue tail markings will also be eliminated.
27 August 1943 Combat report of VMF-215, COMAIR New Georgia Remarks: The Tony seen by this flight was brindle brown in color with the usual red meat balls. It has an air scoop underneath the wing like our P-51. Did not think it had a white tail or spinner similar to our P-40. Lt. Woolf saw the same Tony that Maj. Owens saw and made a point to observe it closely. It has stacks coming out of hood. Thinks it had belly tanks. Similar to our P-40. Round wing tips. It has no white markings at all. Bright red balls on fuselage, large spinner.
.....rounded tips; plane had large spinner and appeared to carry a belly tank similar to the P-40; exhaust stacks projected from the cowling. This plane definitely had no white markings. However during the engagement over Kahili the afternoon of 26 August in which three tony's were destroyed pilots all agree that the Tony's shot down had white spinners and tails similar to our P-40's. Several days ago on 23 August during two engagements with Jap VF, several in-line engine Jap VF were seen all of which were described as having square tips similar to the Hap. It's now believed that there are two type of Jap in-line engine VF operating in this area, and will be referred to in the future as Tony's and square wing-tip Tony's.
USS Langley Action report 14/3 to 22/3 1945 The nature of the attack was advantageous in view of the fact that training runs of the past weeks have been "HOW" and "TARE" type. However, it is significant to note, that had the attacking fighter planes been suicidal, scarcely a carrier in the Task Group would have escaped more serious damage, since nearly all planes crossed their targets before being shot down. The distinctive special white markings on our planes were of great advantage to gunners in recognizing planes in head-on approach.
Action Report for 14 March to 30 April 1945. US Pacific fleet, Commander Carrier division five
IDENTIFICATION OF AIRCRAFT
The painting of an easily recognizable identification marking on VF planes, white cowl marking, was highly successful in the first KYUSHU raids and is recommended as a task force practice in future large scale operations. If markings are put on in white chalk paint they can be changed quickly and often. The nose cowling marking is probably the best of all such markings, but rings about one foot wide painted around both wings out board of the stub wing section should prove highly satisfactory. When the Jap fighter strength has been further whittled down, the importance of this means of identification will not be so great, but at this time a continuation of the practice is highly desirable.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Apr 30, 2022 13:44:42 GMT 12
Most likely one of the RAN colour schemes.
|
|
|
Post by aircraftclocks on Apr 28, 2022 2:02:59 GMT 12
Found this document in an archive at the lincoln University, UK.
BATTLE ORDER - NO. 75 (NZ) SQUADRON - 6/7th DECEMBER, 1944. A/C Captain Navigator Bomb Aimer WO/Air F/Engineer MU/Gnr. R/Gnr. E * F/O Glossop Sgt McNeil F/S Mace P/O Meehan Sgt Harvey Sgt Killick Sgt Haworth A F/L Barton F/O Birch F/S Semple F/O Stuart Sgt Smith Sgt Moore Sgt Williams B F/O Abraham F/O Glengarry F/O Jones Sgt Davies Sgt Hughes Sgt Makin Sgt Evans D F/O Leadley Sgt Day F/S Gill F/L Galloway Sgt Clare F/S Baker Sgt Heslop Y F/O Ford F/O Weeden F/O Chapman F/S Tredinnick Sgt Muller Sgt Glover Sgt Fitzwater X F/O Gawith F/ Baker P/O Taylor F/O Piesse Sgt Jones Sgt Caldwell S F/O Kilpatrick F/O Tait F/S Cattenack Sgt Davenport Sgt Barton Sgt Halladay Sgt Olive R F/O Atkin F/S Coulson F/S Thurston F/S Curtis Sgt Jones Sgt Madden Sgt Johnstone X JN** F/L Waugh P/O Woonton P/O Swetland F/S Kidd Sgt Southgate F/S Nickels F/S McDonald O JN F/S Jones Sgt Jacob F/S Petrie F/S Humphrey Sgt Hall Sgt Talbot Sgt McManus F JN@ F/O Williams F/S Sim W/O Duncan W/O Harrison Sgt Pound F/S Harrington F/S Smith K JN F/O Simpson P/O Woodhouse F/S Hemingway Sgt Dibbs Sgt Johnstone F/S Thomas Sgt Chippendale * 2nd Pilot P/O Parsons. @ 2nd Pilot F/O Clements. ** 2nd Pilot F/S Wood Reserve aircraft A "N" & JN "P" Times: 1st Briefing 1400 2nd Briefing 1500 Bus to Aircraft 1600 DUTY PERSONNEL Officer i/c Flying: W/C Lealie, D.S.O., A.F.C. Engineer officer:- W/O Murphy Sigs Officer:- F/O Jenkins Radar:- F/S James, Sgt Holdsworth Electrical Officer:- F/S Melhuish Armourers:- Sgt Conner, Cpl Moon, AC Springham Stores:- LAC Helmore Compass Adjstr:- Sgt Dalby Photo:- LAC Sanders L/Reprs.:- Cpl Pritchard, AC Thornton W/Mech.:- Cpl Robinson, LAC Wooly A.C.P.:- Electricians:- Cpl Peel, AC Griffiths
|
|