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Post by apteryx on Oct 29, 2017 17:35:35 GMT 12
And here is Ray Leslie's headstone in the cemetery at Bergen.
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Post by apteryx on Oct 5, 2017 9:30:14 GMT 12
Sorry, the link was to an earlier draft itinerary. The correct itinerary is now here.
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Post by apteryx on Oct 5, 2017 9:28:59 GMT 12
An updated itinerary is available here.
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Post by apteryx on Sept 13, 2017 13:11:35 GMT 12
I went to the Flying Legends at Duxford in 2013 and it was a fantastic show. I was staying with a friend about an hour's drive away and traffic to and from wasn't too bad. Our trick for getting away was to watch the first part of the final mass flypast (Balbo) from our spot on a grassy bank, move to the carpark for the second mass flypast, and leave before the individual group swoops (as we'd seen most of them anyway). There was no congestion on the roads as we left. Next year I'm leading a tour on the theme of Britain's transport heritage that includes Flying Legends at Duxford, and have posted this in the Forum marketplace: A boutique tour company in Hamilton, Calder & Lawson Tours, will next year be taking a tour focussing on Britain's transport heritage: Trains and boats and planes. It kicks off with the Flying Legends Airshow at RAF Duxford on 7 July 2018. Other aviation visits include the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. A free day in London would allow a visit to the RAF Museum at Hendon.
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Post by apteryx on Sept 10, 2017 8:28:52 GMT 12
A boutique tour company in Hamilton, Calder & Lawson Tours, will next year be taking a tour focussing on Britain's transport heritage: Trains and boats and planes. It kicks off with the Flying Legends Airshow at RAF Duxford on 7 July 2018. Other aviation visits include the Solent Sky Museum in Southampton, Fleet Air Arm Museum at Yeovilton, and the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. A free day in London would allow a visit to the RAF Museum at Hendon.
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Post by apteryx on Jul 30, 2017 17:11:35 GMT 12
Dave: thanks for the extra information about Louis Jacobsen. Very sad.
I have a cunning plan to see Jim Wilkie's restored Gladiator next year, and shall report on this forum if successful!
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Post by apteryx on Jul 29, 2017 15:29:41 GMT 12
Great suggestion, which I've actioned through the CWGC website. This headstone is nearest to a shelter belt, so is probably in the dampest part of the CWGC part of the cemetery. You're right, the CWGC does a fantastic job of maintaining the graves they're responsible for, and I'm sure will get onto this.
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Post by apteryx on Jul 28, 2017 11:48:11 GMT 12
Dave. According to this source: 263 Squadron RAF N5914 P/O James Leon Wilkie (20) 02.06 1940. Took off from Bardufoss at 14:30 along with N5681(P/O Jacobsen) on patrol Narvik/Bjørnfjell. Wilkie was shot down when they attacked two Bf 110's of I./ZG 76. P/O Wilkie was shot down by Leutnant Helmut Lent of ZG 76. F/O Louis Jacobsen (New Zealand) managed to shot down at least three German Heinkels this day. One of these was He 111 1H+CK which force landed on lake Grøvelsjøen. The remains of the wreckage of Wilkies Gladiator remained on Lille Haugefjellet until the end of 1998. Then the wreckage was recovered and brought to the Jet Age Museum, Gloucestershire Airport for restoration. P/O James Leon Wilkie rest at Narvik New Cemetery. And according to the Jet Age Museum near Gloucester, which is restoring Wilkie's Gladiator: Two Gloster Gladiators of B Flight, 263 Squadron RAF had been ordered to patrol the Narvik area and to follow the railway line to the Swedish border. Around 14h30 the British fighters reached the border and encountered two Luftwaffe aircraft which they identified as Ju 88s. In the words of the lead pilot, P/O Jacobsen ‘I attacked No1 from above and beam, and fired one four sec.burst with ‘deflection, from approx. 300 yds. Attempted to close range, but enemy a/c drew slowly away while diving. Chased ea/c into Sweden and fired another 2 sec. burst at approx. 400 yds. Enemy a/c disappeared into cloud. On returning to patrol above cloud, I noticed No2 a/c (his wingman) was not following and did not see him again’ P/O Jim Wilkie was missing, it is assumed shot down during his first attack on the enemy aircraft.
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Post by apteryx on Jul 28, 2017 9:55:02 GMT 12
Hugh Morrison from Masterton was in the Royal New Zealand Navy Volunteer Reserve, flying with the Fleet Air Arm. On 4 May 1945 he took part in the last air raid of WW2 in Europe, when 44 naval aircraft attacked a submarine base about 100 km from Narvik. Operation Judgement saw two ships and a U-boat sunk, with no civilian casualties in the nearby village. ‘Hughie’ Morrison’s Grumman Wildcat fighter was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into the sea. He was brought ashore but died soon after, and was buried at Narvik. On a recent visit to Narvik New Cemetery I placed a poppy on the grave. New Zealander James Leon Wilkie, RAF, is also buried here. P1120505 Narvik cemetery Morrison by Andrew Ontheroad, on Flickr
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Post by apteryx on Jul 28, 2017 9:51:12 GMT 12
James Leon Wilkie from Wanganui served with 263 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, based at at one stage at Bardufoss in northern Norway during the German invasion. On 2 June 1940 he and another pilot flew Gloster Gladiator biplanes on patrol near Narvik. The other pilot, also a New Zealander, was successful in shooting down three modern German bombers that day. Jim Wilkie went missing, and it is assumed he was shot down during his first attack on the enemy aircraft. The wreckage of his plane was later found, and his body buried in Narvik. On a recent visit to Narvik New Cemetery I placed a poppy on his grave. Hugh Morrison (RNZVR, flying with the FAA) is also buried here. P1120504 Narvik cemetery Wilkie by Andrew Ontheroad, on Flickr
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Post by apteryx on May 7, 2017 18:37:54 GMT 12
Great effort. Thanks very much for making that and sharing it.
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Post by apteryx on May 7, 2017 11:32:01 GMT 12
The Timaru Herald has an article about a Timaru man working in Khartoum, who took part in an Anzac Day service there organised by the British embassy. The only New Zealander buried in the Khartoum CWGC cemetery is F/Sgt Samuel Leonard Pointon. Errol Martyn has posted details elsewhere of him and the accident that killed him. Pointon was a Hurricane pilot being ferried from Cairo to West Africa to collect aircraft, and the Hudson he was a passenger in stalled on approach to Khartoum and crashed killing all 17 on board. Pointon was 24 and had flown 9 operations in the Middle East with 33 Squadron RAF. He was on delivery duties after recovering from wounds received when shot down some months earlier.
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Post by apteryx on Apr 28, 2017 17:21:40 GMT 12
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Post by apteryx on Jan 29, 2017 18:33:56 GMT 12
7 Squadron, in Hamilton. I was on a National Flying Scholarship at Wigram in January 1973.
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Post by apteryx on Jan 29, 2017 9:57:22 GMT 12
Excellent work, Murray; the plane looks fantastic. I have NZ1761 in my logbook from Air Training Corps days, and recently became re-acquainted with ex-NZ1762. The Airtourer T6 is a lovely aircraft.
I have copies of some of the original RNZAF checklists and a photo of the instrument panel; get in touch if you'd like copies.
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Post by apteryx on May 27, 2016 16:12:07 GMT 12
ROBERTSON, Gordon. D.F.C. Flt.Lt. R.A.F. WWII Gordon set sail on the ebb tide, 1st May 2016, in his 94th year. Beloved Husband of Dorothy for 68 years. Adored Father and Father-in- Law of Penny and Warwick, Nicky and Rick, Alastair and Rose, Libby and Patrick. Much loved Grandfather of Sian and Jason, John and Adele, Anna, Chris and Celine, Jessie and Werner, Sam and Nina, Luke, Jake, Violet and Briny and Great - Grandfather of Zoe, Ruby, Jack, William, Darius, Sam, Poppy, Jayden, Ethan, Caleb and Aria. The family would like to thank Kate McLean Homecare, Lifewise and the staff of Ward 68 Auckland Hospital for the loving care given to Gordon. A ceremony to celebrate the life of Gordon will be held at St Thomas's Church, 368 Kohimarama Road on Friday 6th May at 11.30 am. Appears to be same as 134367 Flt Lt Gordon Robertson, RAFVR. DFC published in London Gazette of 2 Oct 45 (no citation but unit given as 605 Sqn). To New Zealand post-war? Errol I've been in contact with Gordon Robertson's daughter, Penny Leyland, who confirms that the DFC citation mentioned by Errol does relate to her father. He served as navigator in 23 Squadron and in 605 Squadron in its intruder role. He married in the UK in 1947 and he and Dorothy emigrated to New Zealand two years later, living first in Wellington and then in Auckland from 1953.
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Post by apteryx on Feb 19, 2016 11:59:14 GMT 12
Great choice of image by the Herald! Not sure the article is about events of more than 20 years ago, when this photo might have been relevant. Does the blame go to automatic image sourcing, or choice of a photo by someone who hadn't been born when the Blunty was in service?
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Post by apteryx on Jan 28, 2016 9:20:33 GMT 12
Ah, my mistake. Despite including a comment about stickies it seems I hadn't being paying enough attention to them. If I scan down past the stickies (and there can be quite a few of them) I do see the most recently-modified post first and then on in reverse chronological order. Was it always like this or has something changed with a Windows 10 upgrade? Not sure.
Anyway, apologies for sowing confusion. Hangs head in shame ....
(macnz's question about showing posts within a thread in reverse chronological order is a good one, though.)
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Post by apteryx on Jan 24, 2016 17:41:44 GMT 12
This may be a very simple question; hopefully the answer is simple too! Is it possible to order threads on a page so that those with the most recent post are at the top (stickies excepted?). The way threads appear to me, if I open up a subject area (e.g. wartime RNZAF) to look for the most recent post listed on the home page, I have to scan down through many threads (which are in random order) to find the one that's most recent.
Cheers.
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Post by apteryx on Jul 20, 2015 19:25:39 GMT 12
Thanks to this thread floating to the surface I've just come across the wonderful photos posted in November 2013 of Observer course 19 at Levin. Thanks very much for posting those, fwx. I understand that my mother's cousin, Ron O'Neil, was in that course (10/2/41 - 11/4/41), though I have only one photo of him (taken later, probably in the UK) and haven't managed yet to match him to any of the figures in the posted photo.
He served with 57 Squadron and was shot down twice. The first was in June 1942 when his Wellington went into the North Sea. Only three of the six crew survived. After several months of recuperation he was sent back to his squadron, now flying Lancasters from Scampton. He went AWOL for over three weeks on the journey back to base, for reasons we don't know; perhaps he was still getting over the trauma of ditching in the North Sea. He was nearly court-martialled but a sympathetic neuropsychiatrist recommended leniency, which was granted. On the second flight after that his plane was shot down over Hamburg; as far as I can determine actually in the massive Ohlsdorf cemetery in the city. His grave is in the CWGC section of that cemetery, and I laid a poppy on it during a visit last year.
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