|
Post by hbpencil on Apr 29, 2017 11:06:57 GMT 12
Nice. Out of interest, does anyone know what those objects are slung beneath the P-40s at 7:18? They look like some sort of barrel or perhaps a bundle of incendiary stick bombs.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Apr 5, 2017 10:00:31 GMT 12
Cheers for that Dave, I think you're probably right about the Polish and Czech insignias.
HB
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Apr 4, 2017 22:55:47 GMT 12
Cool photos, I'll be following this thread with interest Is it me or some of the fellows in the first pic wearing 2 ferns? The second being on their tunic's left lapel. Also, any idea what those badge/clasps are on the two sergeants far right, back row? HB
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Feb 23, 2017 11:02:23 GMT 12
I'm probably a bit behind the times but have just heard that this will be released in cinemas around the country in June of this year.
A snippit from the press release: "The inspirational documentary account of one man’s pioneering spirit, unswerving tenacity and endless passion, McLaren is the untold story of a New Zealand world motor racing icon. Directed by Roger Donaldson (The World’s Fastest Indian) and coming to cinemas in June 2017, this is the definitive tale of New Zealander Bruce McLaren, who created a motor racing empire from his shed."
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Nov 11, 2016 10:49:42 GMT 12
Here's the finished article by the way. I scanned and coloured the photo in a larger format than this, which is a small version I uploaded to facebook.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Oct 31, 2016 12:31:16 GMT 12
I to found that there was no official permission to wear the LoF badge (as per the links in my previous post) but I guess that still leaves a fair bit of wiggle room in regards to 'unofficial' adornment, and the badge in the photo in my first post certainly isn't the RSA type: www.aucklandmuseum.com/collection/object/am_humanhistory-object-793807As an aside, I found another photo of Fred's showing some more N.Z.M.R members in Egypt and one of them, a Sergeant McCulloch, also appears to be wearing the same type of badge/button. Out of curiosity, would anyone know what S.A.I could stand for? I ask as I found a strange little pin of sorts amongst Fred's stuff which has the number XI (presumably for the XI North Auckland squadron) and those letters. Cheers, HB
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Oct 26, 2016 12:13:00 GMT 12
Hi guys, Thanks for your replies and your thoughts, certainly food for thought. Since posting this thread I've had what may be a break through. Last night my attention was directed to a thread on NZMR badges (link below) which in itself didn't give me any clues until this morning when, while talking with my mum, I found out the Fred had been a member of the Legion of Frontiersmen and after reading a few more threads (also linked below) I now have a strong suspicion that it's his Frontiersmen badge we're looking at. I should also point out that I have another photo of Fred showing both the badge (again the details aren't visible but it is definitely not 'broken' but as Dave suggested just sitting oddly in the above photo) and also the later pattern 1903 bandolier which I suspect mat have caused the badge being moved from the left breast to the right due to the bandolier looping lower across the chest. Cheers, HB militarianz.freeforums.org/new-zealand-mounted-rifle-reinforcement-badge-database-t1837.htmlwww.frontiersmenhistorian.info/nz2.htmwww.nzmr.org/kit.htm
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Oct 25, 2016 17:28:23 GMT 12
Hello, I'm in need of a little help in regards to researching a badge in a photo of my great-grandfather that I'm colourising which I hope to have done by November 11. Below is a crop of the photo with the badge circled. Unfortunately I don't know what his exact role/duties were with the N.Z.M.R. but I do know he was an instructor from 1914 till late 1916 when he shipped out to Egypt with the 19th Reinforcements and the rank of sergeant. It'd be great to know what it was for but I fully realise that as it is blurred they may well prove to be impossible, but even a guess is better than nothing! For the moment I'm assuming that it would have been brass like the rest of the tunic buttons. Cheers, HB
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Oct 16, 2016 10:55:23 GMT 12
It'd be great if it's true but it reminds me of the whole Spitfires-buried-in-Burma kerfuffle. Personally I suspect that 5th pic is a piece of wartime propaganda airbrushing and that the Spit may be an early PR type, the PRU being a law unto itself as far as cammo and markings were concerned?
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Oct 1, 2016 11:07:10 GMT 12
As you're using Photoshop you might like the AlienSkins plug-in which simulates various old school camera and film effects in both colour and b&w.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Jul 7, 2016 22:48:38 GMT 12
That's an interesting story Swamp Ghost has, great that one can still see evidence of it with those bullet holes. As per my previous post, it seems that the AVG did receive some Es in drips'n'drabs during March, April and May of 1942.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Jul 7, 2016 15:35:37 GMT 12
Great photos, I especially like the SBD with its original paint. If I get the chance this evening I'll try dig out my copy of Bloody Shambles vol 2 to check if I'm right in thinking that the AVG got a handful of P-40Es just before they were disbanded.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Jun 27, 2016 13:45:49 GMT 12
The spitfire IXB took me by surprise too as there is no such thing. Spitfires came with C or E wings only (as far as I know). My Spitfire references have one sentence that refers to the LF.IX being referred to (for some strange reason) as the Spit IXB. Not sure why the clipped wing IX was called the IXB. So I assume that OU-T has clipped wings. I realize that this is a bit late but it may be of interest to someone. By the mid war period the Spitfire series designations had turned into a bit of a mess, so in October '43 (if I remember correctly) it was overhauled with the nomenclature we now use being introduced. Prior to that the unofficial but widespread use of the terms IXA and IXB were used for what were then named the F.IX and LF.IX respectively, and continued to be used in squadron and pilot files long after that. Needless to say many people have been caught out by those terms since then, thinking that there were MkIXs with type 'a' and 'b' wings which wasn't the case. Another to watch out for is the IIC, which was a MkII (with either 'a' or 'b' wings) fitted with Merlin XX and used for ASR work.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on May 4, 2016 18:03:31 GMT 12
Happy Star Wars Day to you too
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Mar 29, 2016 21:12:14 GMT 12
Great photos, Troops. Not the easiest of environments, but you've nailed some goodies there. +1, great photos indeed.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Mar 29, 2016 21:06:06 GMT 12
The next Defence White Paper is due to be released later this month and will include updated plans to replace key defence assets, including the Orion planes. I can't find where I read it but, IIRC, the plan is to spend 11 billion on new gear for the NZDF over the next decade and part of that will be for replacing the Orions. If that's the case, it does seem a bit odd to spend "tens of millions" to upgrade the Orions if they might not be around for much longer.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Mar 14, 2016 20:18:42 GMT 12
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Sept 5, 2015 14:33:35 GMT 12
Hi David, Cheers for that, it all certainly makes sense to me. And thanks for telling of the problems with the HF/VHF radio conversions for the P-40N, I hadn't heard of that before and like learning stuff like that. As for FR509, I got the serial from Joe Baugher's site: www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_1.html
Harry
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Sept 2, 2015 23:06:03 GMT 12
I have finally got around to checking the TO's and the answer is very simple. The P-40K-15-CU was the first P-40 sub-type fitted with the twin filtered carb-air intakes on the factory production line - thus the P-40M-1-CU was the second sub-type to feature this refinement, not the first. To quote from TO No. 01-25CK-2 ("P-40K, P-40K-1 and P-40M Airplanes - Service Instructions", date March 10, 1943, page 82, under "Engine and Accessories", paragraph (4), "The carburetor air intake system on airplanes AF42-10265 and up, incorporate an air filter and carburetor heater". It is worth pointing out that AF 42-10265 was the very first P-40K-15-CU... Hi David, That's very interesting and I must say a bit confusing as it contradicts the T.O. (01-25C-7) I read yesterday! That one claims all E, E-1, K and M-1 require Modifications A, B, C, D and E in order to install the carburettor air filter, those respective mods being: A = Modification of the engine breather vent tube and coolant lines B = Relocation of the propeller relay box assembly C = Modification of the top cowling and installation of carburetor air filter intake elbow D = Modification of side cowling and installation of carburetor air filter boxes E = Installation of air filter control C and D of course are the ones that deal with the installation of the grille forward of the exhaust stacks. Needless to say I spent this evening trying to find photos of K-15s with a clear view of the nose so I could see if they have a grille. I've only found three so far however two of them RNZAF so here they are: NZ3056 (relinked from the P-40 Pile) NZ3060 FR509 (42-10388), 112 Sqn, Italy As you can see they have no filter although admittedly three photos isn't 100% conclusive evidence. Maybe only some K-15s got them? Maybe T.O. 01-25CK-2 contains a typo or clerical error of some sort? Regardless, it's interesting digging into this sort of thing Cheers, Harry P.S. Something I missed when reading 01-25C-7 yesterday was that the instructions for installation of the filter originally came from a document titled 'Curtiss Service Bulletin 490-23, 530-7, revised February 2, 1943', so the modification would've existed by the time our P-40s went to the Solomons.
|
|
|
Post by hbpencil on Sept 1, 2015 10:31:10 GMT 12
Hi guys,
I posted this photo and question over at ww2aircraft.net and received suggestions like those on this thread except for one bloke who supplied a pdf containing scans of Technical Orders for the P-40, which proved to be very interesting. Firstly, the grille is definitely for the air filter and not for cooling; and secondly it turns out that a modification existed to add the air filter (incl the grille) to the E, K and early M variants (the first 59 produced didn't have it, the rest did)! However the T.O. is dated 29 October 1943 which would be later than the photo, so I'm leaning towards NZ3064 having a cowling transplant from an M. According to the modification details, only the top and side cowling panels needed to be adjusted to fit the grill so it's tempting to think this aircraft had, even if just for a little while, OD top and side cowling panels with the rest of the airframe in two tone cammo which would've looked quite interesting!
|
|