RNZAF Group Photos.

[Dave Homewood]

Jul 4, 2010 17:18:04 GMT 12 shorty said:

In the sound shell photo does anyone have any ideas as to the different uniform being worn by the chap in the back of the second row down, 5th from the right? It's a lighter colour and a different style to a NZ uniform.

This is a closer look at that guy, as big as I can get it.


I don't think it is any different from the uniform that Jim Ross himself and others are seen wearing in this photo from Jim's collection, which was taken apparently at Harewood. I don't know if that was during his ITW training which he did at Harewood, or his later posting back there with No. 3 (GR) Squadron.


At either time Jim was not destined to be going to the tropics for a long time (he was issued his tropical kit at Whenuapai in September 1942, there are photos). I wonder, was it maybe a fatigues uniform? Perhaps a more stylish development of the lighter coloured uniform that many airmen got when they joined up that looked just like this but without any pockets?

As for your parade shot, can you please scan some sections larger to give us more detail? it's hard to see what's going on. Does that sign say SEA?

[shorty]

I think you'r e right there Dave just stands out being the only guy in the photo wearing it., re the parade shot when I can relocate the photo I'll scan the bits bigger. The badge is "Seabees" and the group alongside are US Navy personel (presumably Seabees)

[Dave Homewood]

There's always one who forgets that it is class photo day. ;D

[Dave Homewood]

Further to this photo here:


I showed this photo from Jim Ross's collection to Norm Todd today. Norm and Jim joined up together and served right the way through the war in mostly the same units, particularly in NZ. The first thing he said was "What are those uniforms??" He had not seen the photo before, but he said he doesn't recall having uniforms like that at all - pointing out that they look like the tropical kit but they a) have no badges on them which is a good point I had missed, and b) he and Jim never got issues tropical kit till they got to Whenuapai and this is - he agrees - Harewood which means this is before then. Apart from Jim Ross himself in the photo, Norm recognised that the corporal on the right was Snow Neils but he can't recall if Snow was on No. 3 Squadron when they were there or if this is from an earlier period when they did their initial ITW training there. I asked if these might have been fatigues uniforms and he said perhaps, with the blue uniforms being their No. 1's, but he cannot recall ever having light uniforms at Harewood. So this is another minor mystery. It is indeed odd that they don't have the eagle badges. I wonder if these are old army uniforms issued for engineers (as they were) for hangar work in lieu of overalls?

[SEAN]

This looks like the "Ref. No. 1175. RNZAF OFFICERS TROPICAL SERVICE DRESS JACKET"

Found on www.warbirdsite.com/musuemuniforms.html

But I know these are OR's...

[SEAN]

And here:

militarianz.freeforums.org/named-tropical-raf-tunic-t492.html

[Dave Homewood]

Hmm, I just looked at sme other photos of No. 3 GR Squadron guys taken the day they were issued their tropical uniforms, and those also have no badges. I am now convinced that this must be Whenuapai in the photo and taken after the tropcial kit was issued, which means these will be members of No. 3 (GR) Squadron. Sorry for the confusion, at least I am now 99% sure of what the photo subject is. Now I'd like to know who the other chaps with Jim and Snow are.

[trx850]

Definitely Post War, but some of you may recognise those in the photo!

Cheers,
Pete M.

[Dave Homewood]

I was only looking at this photo two days ago, in a lot that Don Simms photographed for me from Wigram's archives. It has the names on the photo, but some of them I knew anyway. All Safety and Surface trade I believe.

Rear - Left to Right:
Sgt Barry Cockran (who was the Warrant Officer i/c S&S when I got to Ohakea in 1993)
AC Rehi "Red" Sullivan (who I worked with in the Aucklaand Liferaft Bay in 1990, photo spells it as Sulavan but I don't think that is right?)
LAC Wilson
AC Steve "Stench" Leech (who was one of my Cpl's at Wigram 1991-93)
F/Sgt Purdey

Front, left to right
Cpl Alen [sic]
LAC Beresford
Cpl Sid Kendall (who was S&S Sgt on No. 75 Sqn when i was at Ohakea in 1993)
LAC (W) Hinds
GSH Hefferon

[shorty]

Brian Purdey was a LAC on Canberras with 14 Sqn in 1968/69

[Dave Homewood]

Here are some more group photos:

This is a photo I took of a photo on the wall of wartime fighter pilot Gavin Gullery. This is his Wings Course, Harvard phase at Woodbourne.

The names above (with my added detail of full names where known) are:
Back Row:
B.C. Shearer (Wellington)
Frank J.L. Bish (Auckland)
D.J. Bourke (Pahiatua)
Keith F. Rollo (Christchurch)
W.G. Duncan (Christchurch)
Sir Frank W. Holmes (Dunedin)
Donald William Gee (Belnheim)
Gavin J. Gullery (Wanganui)

Third Row:
W.A. Trolove (Christchurch)
J.G. Whitney (Auckland)
G.L. Nicholas (Temuka)
B.C. Edgecombe (Waipukurau)
Robert Douglas Martin Watson (Timaru)
D. Tyrrell-Baxter (Nelson)
Richard Alan Falconer (Wanganui)

Second Row:
P.G.G. Kissell (Wellington)
Peter John Sherning (Hastings)
H.C. Parker (Auckland)
S.M. Ballantyne (Oamaru)
L.H. Fraser (Dunedin)
John Alexander Murray (Mosgiel)
A.H. Speden (Gore)
A.G. Gould (Otautau)

Front Row:
P.S. Thompson (Wellington)
P.R. Smith (Wellington)
J.K. Williams (Hokianga)
B.S. McIntosh (Auckland)
Leyton Permain Stephenson (Ashburton)
C. Hardwick Smith (Eltham)
J.H. Murray (Palmerston North)

And another of Gavin's photos, from when he was in No. 20 Squadron


The rest here are from Noel Hanna's collection, starting with his Rotorua ITW course


This is when he was in No. 26 (Fighter) Squadron. he said they were only formed for a matter of weeks and Air HQ decided that as the 13th fighter squadron it might be unlucky, so they disbanded this unit and reformed as no. 22 (Fighter) Squadron with much the same personnel. The CO of both Squadrons was Squadron Leader G. A. Delves, and Noel was a Flight Commander. Noel is seen in the 26 Sqn photo seated fourth from right, and in the 22 Sqn photo below it also seated 4th from right.




This last photo is of the pilots on the Second Tour of No. 14 (Occupational) Squadron in Japan 17 April 1947 till 1948. This shot was taken at Ohakea on the 7th of March 1947.

The pilots are, back row, left to right:
Dave Koln (sp?)
Clarrie Berryman
John Waugh
Peter Frame
Bill Trott
Ray Mackinder
George Jones
Noel Hanna
Cliff Miller
Derek Flintoff
'Red' McNally

Seated, left to right:
George Washington
D'Arcy Coppersmith
Bill Annand
Doug St. George
Geoff Highet
Ron Nairn

[harvard1041]

Hi Dave

Great photos there...the fella sitting to the right of Doug St.George is John Claydon... who later flew the Antartic aircraft on the Hillary crossing ... still alive and in CHC I believe.

Rgds
Hvd1041

[errolmartyn]

B.C. Shearer (Wellington)
Brian Gilbert Shearer - KFA 8 May 44

Frank J.L. Bish (Auckland)
Frank Jack Lyall Bish

D.J. Bourke (Pahiatua)
Denis John Bourke

Keith F. Rollo (Christchurch)
Keith Forsyth Rollo

W.G. Duncan (Christchurch)
Wallace Geoffrey Duncan - Killed air ops 8 Jun 44

Sir Frank W. Holmes (Dunedin)
Frank Wakefield Holmes - see also 'By Such Deeds'

Donald William Gee (Belnheim) - see also 'By Such Deeds'

Gavin J. Gullery (Wanganui)
Gavin James Gullery

Third Row:
W.A. Trolove (Christchurch)
William Alan Trolove - Killed air ops 31 May 44

J.G. Whitney (Auckland)
John Grey Whitney

G.L. Nicholas (Temuka)
Graham Laurence Nicholas

B.C. Edgecombe (Waipukurau)
Bernard Charles Edgecombe

Robert Douglas Martin Watson (Timaru)

D. Tyrrell-Baxter (Nelson)
Donald Tyrrell-Baxter

Richard Alan Falconer (Wanganui) - see also 'By Such Deeds'

Second Row:
P.G.G. Kissell (Wellington)
Peter George Guinness - KFA 3 Jul 63 (Kaimai crash)

Peter John Sherning (Hastings) - see also 'By Such Deeds'

H.C. Parker (Auckland)
Huia Chetwyn Parker

S.M. Ballantyne (Oamaru)
Stuart McKenzie Ballantyne

L.H. Fraser (Dunedin)
Not L H initials
Probably Lawson Albert Fraser

John Alexander Murray (Mosgiel) - see also 'By Such Deeds'

A.H. Speden (Gore)
Alexander Roger Speden

A.G. Gould (Otautau)
Alfred Graham Gould

Front Row:
P.S. Thompson (Wellington)
Phillips Stratton Thompson

P.R. Smith (Wellington)
Percy Reece Smith

J.K. Williams (Hokianga)
John King Williams

B.S. McIntosh (Auckland)
Roy Seymour McIntosh

Leyton Permain Stephenson (Ashburton) - see also 'By Such Deeds'

C. Hardwick Smith (Eltham)
Geoffrey Hardwick-Smith

J.H. Murray (Palmerston North)
John Hetherington Murray

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Brilliant info, thanks very much for that!

[chinapilot]

Great photos Dave.

[Not many people around now with that beautiful handwriting...]

[kontrolsports]

Jun 22, 2010 10:22:16 GMT 12 shamus said:

Now for the Harvard lovers, I suspect that some may know guys in these photos.

This next one has the names on it. They are, Robertson, Drew, R.L. (Arnold?) Smith, Fenton, Lorimer, P.R.Fenton, Porter, Williams.

This one has my Grandad, Guy Robertson (or more specifically Guyon Moncreith Robertson) he is the very first on the left in the back row. Thanks for finding this, taking a screen shot to keep if you don't mind

[shamus]

Kontrolsports, your welcome, Merry Christmas, Shamus.

[errolmartyn]

Dec 24, 2010 21:41:12 GMT 12 kontrolsports said:

Jun 22, 2010 10:22:16 GMT 12 shamus said:

Now for the Harvard lovers, I suspect that some may know guys in these photos.

This next one has the names on it. They are, Robertson, Drew, R.L. (Arnold?) Smith, Fenton, Lorimer, P.R.Fenton, Porter, Williams.

This one has my Grandad, Guy Robertson (or more specifically Guyon Moncreith Robertson) he is the very first on the left in the back row. Thanks for finding this, taking a screen shot to keep if you don't mind

All of these men were flying instructors (and pictured as freshly minted pilot officers?):

Guyon Moncrieff Robertson - See also 'By Such Deeds'
Raymond Lloyd Annand-Smith - killed on ops with 23 Sqn RNZAF 5 Dec 44
Hugh James Lorimer
Robert John Finlay Porter
Frank Henry Drew
Terence Fitzherbert Fenton
Patrick Recroft Fenton
James Nelson Williams - killed on ops with 16 Sqn RNZAF 19 Dec 43

Errol

[jurisnz]

Jun 20, 2010 12:20:35 GMT 12 kiwirotorwrench said:

Jun 19, 2010 16:07:25 GMT 12 shorty said:

In the 5 Airframe fitters course the guy Street looks like Pete Street who was still around Wigram in the 80s, I think he also became a guide in the Museum, was involved in the CAF as well.

When I looked at that photo I also recognized Pete Street. I worked in 4 Hangar as a baggy Acft Mech in 1979 and he was there as an airframe Sgt. Kind of dry sense of humor and first impression he was kind of dingy, but when you were around him more you realised he was just having fun. I guess at that point he had been in nearly 30 years, hasn't changed much from the photo.
KC

[jurisnz]

Jun 20, 2010 12:20:35 GMT 12 kiwirotorwrench said:

Jun 19, 2010 16:07:25 GMT 12 shorty said:

In the 5 Airframe fitters course the guy Street looks like Pete Street who was still around Wigram in the 80s, I think he also became a guide in the Museum, was involved in the CAF as well.

When I looked at that photo I also recognized Pete Street. I worked in 4 Hangar as a baggy Acft Mech in 1979 and he was there as an airframe Sgt. Kind of dry sense of humor and first impression he was kind of dingy, but when you were around him more you realised he was just having fun. I guess at that point he had been in nearly 30 years, hasn't changed much from the photo.
KC

kiwirotorwrench

Peter left the RNZAF and re-enlisted 11 April 1961. He and I were on the same recruit course at Wigram. Yes, he was on 5 Airframe course, but he must have left the service as prior to his rejoining in 1961 he had worked at NAC. So, as he had a break in Service he had not done quite 30 years in 1979.
kiwirotorwrench, like you, I was also at Wigram and perhaps we tripped over each other, particularly if you were anywhere near the RNZAF Museum
I don't know if Peter is still alive. But if he is, someone may remind him how he tried to hide a Harvard in 1977 from being disposed - he was the inventory holder for all stored Harvards in 6 Hangar and he seemed to think he had a spare aircraft.