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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 16, 2010 1:32:56 GMT 12
An interesting article from the Evening Post dated 11th of January 1938 entitled 'Real Air Force' reveals some facts behind why the hangars at Ohakea and Whenuapai are made from concrete. it is quite interesting. Here's an extract:
"How great a difference from the Air Force of a year ago will be achieved when the present section of the programme is realised is indicated by the scale of the hangars to be constructed at the new North Island base at Ohakea, on the Sanson-Bulls highway, near the Rangitikei River, and 24 miles from Feilding.
The twin hangars for which tenders are being called will be the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, though not, of course, as large as those erected for European air forces. Each hangar will have a ground area of 220 feet in width and 190 feet in depth, with a door opening 25 feet high, closed by sliding doors, so that together they will be able to accommodate a considerable number of modem bombing machines of wide wing spread.
The roof design is unusual, for in place of one or other of the forms of standard construction adopted in the Royal Air Force stations in Great Britain, the roof span members will be ten great arches of reinforced concrete, the feet of which will sweep down far outside the walls proper.
The design has been adopted to meet the difficulty in obtaining heavy structural steel at the present time, for the sections required for so great a span are not rolled in Australia, and England would not have been able to'fulfil the order for over a year, and as the contract period is of fifteen months from the commencement of work the simultaneous programme of expansion would have been seriously delayed. Even were the delay acceptable, the cost of such sections would be considerably greater than the reinforced concrete arches decided upon."
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Post by nige on Sept 2, 2010 19:39:51 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 2, 2010 21:08:45 GMT 12
Good find Nige. I guess they moved the scaffolding from one hangar project to the next till all four concrete hangars were built.
I only found out about two months back from my great uncle Ted that my grandad, Jim Homewood, worked at Whenuapai building the aerodrome at the outbreak of the war. I'd known he was a concrete secialist, he'd worked on the crew that built Great South Road's concrete section, but finding out that he helped build the station in 1939-40, and I lived and worked there in 1989-90, was pretty special, as I never knew him. He died when I was two.
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 2, 2010 21:45:04 GMT 12
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Post by nige on Sept 2, 2010 22:01:01 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 2, 2010 23:17:09 GMT 12
Stunning photos Don, thanks for sharing them. I've seen one or two before but most are new to me.
We have visionaries such as Ralph Cochrane and Minister of Defence Fred Jones, plus Minister of Works Bob Semple, to thank for the amazing work they did between 1938 and 1940 to create these huge bomber bases. I'll bet they never considered that the buildings they were designing and building would still be used by the backbone of the RNZAF over 70 years later. I think the concrete hangars are stunning pieces of engineering but till I read the article I posted I never knew they were of local design. I wish we knew the designer's name (or names of the design team more like I'd think). Those hangars are probably some of the most important structures architecturally ever built in NZ pre-war or during the war.
Nige, I cannot really see that the idea of heavy bombers ever entered the minds of NZ's government then. Heavy bombers at that stage when the new force was planned were the likes of Fairey Hendons and Handley page Harrows, and they'd be a bit pointless to New Zealand's needs.
The bomber force that Cochrane was aiming at was for coastal reconnaissance and protecting the waterways. There was no need at that time to set up a long range offensive bomber force. He was looking purely at defence. The Wellingtons would easily have gotten to Australia, Fiji, etc if need be. But their role was to - if the need arose - attack shipping and submarines. They could patrol for 7 or 8 hours wthout a hassle and deliver a decent load of bombs and/or depth charges.
As well as two squadrons of Wellingtons for the medium bomber force he also ordered enough reconnaissance bombers to create around six squadrons or more, plus more bombers as advanced trainers. He was really ramping up the RNZAF from a basic training institution for territorial pilots into a proper strategic force with defence capabilities to properly defend New Zealand. The war came before his intended units were all formed, and only three were operational and trained up in NZ, with the aircraft and some personnel of the other two squadrons, No's 1 and 2 Squadrons, being merged and made operational in the UK to become No. 75 Squadron. You will be able to read a lot more detail in my upcoming book.
I believe there is/was a rail line running past Ohakea though I have never seen it. I have read of a Ventura which bellied in, went through the fence, across the road and across the railway into a paddock, apparently. If there is a rail line there, is that the main trunk line? If yes, did they have a station at Ohakea during WWII? Did Ohakea have it's own siding for moving freight in and out?
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 3, 2010 10:19:32 GMT 12
I believe a "tramway" was built to carry materials from the main truck line to Ohakea during the construction. I have some info at home so will dig it out tonight.
No 2 hangar at Ohakea has a plaque on it from the Institute of Professional Engineers of NZ (IPENZ) which recognises these hangars as a NZ engineering masterpiece. It took the entire concrete production of NZ to build Ohakea and Whenuapai as just about all the buildings and runways/taxiways were constructed from hand poured concrete. At the time reinforced concrete was a very new construction material in NZ. It is amazing that all these structures, built in such a hurry as the war came to NZ's doorstep, have stood the test of time.
For those interested here are tentative plans for a book on the history of Ohakea. Much of the research has already been done and written up by the late Bill Taylor. The early history is fascinating reading.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 3, 2010 11:23:51 GMT 12
I find the fact that the government bought the land at Ohakea originally to set up an airship base the most amazing bit of history. Imagine trying to dock an airship in the wind there.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 11, 2010 21:30:41 GMT 12
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Post by 30sqnatc on Sept 14, 2010 17:56:05 GMT 12
I believe there is/was a rail line running past Ohakea though I have never seen it. I have read of a Ventura which bellied in, went through the fence, across the road and across the railway into a paddock, apparently. If there is a rail line there, is that the main trunk line? If yes, did they have a station at Ohakea during WWII? Did Ohakea have it's own siding for moving freight in and out? Not an NZR railway, it was the Sanson tramway. See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanson_Tramway. I can tell you were not a Navigator  The NIMT is way to the east. Marton, Greatford and Fielding would be the closest it comes to Ohakea. The difference between a railway and a tramway was the legal act under which it was constructed. A tramway was build to lower standards e.g. not fenced and no running at night |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 14, 2010 19:45:48 GMT 12
Thanks for that Paul.
I'm no train spotter so I haven't a clue where the main trunk goes apart from Wellington, Auckland, and Taumaranui (due to a VERY annoying song my Dad used to sing whenever anyone mentioned that town)
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Post by shorty on Sept 14, 2010 20:02:31 GMT 12
Thanks for that Paul. I'm no train spotter so I haven't a clue where the main trunk goes apart from Wellington, Auckland, and Taumaranui (due to a VERY annoying song my Dad used to sing whenever anyone mentioned that town) Jeez Dave, you must have been bought up in the easy days, when we were posted from Wigram to 1 TTS at Hobbie we were sent on the overnight ferry from Lyttleton to Wellington and then by overnight train to Auckland! (in fact I met my ex on that train trip) |
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Post by 30sqnatc on Sept 14, 2010 20:29:26 GMT 12
Thanks for that Paul. I'm no train spotter so I haven't a clue where the main trunk goes apart from Wellington, Auckland, and Taumaranui (due to a VERY annoying song my Dad used to sing whenever anyone mentioned that town) Annoying song like this one folksong.org.nz/taumarunui/index.html  |
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Post by John L on Sept 14, 2010 20:43:50 GMT 12
Aaaaah - great song - know it off by heart and have the record.....
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Post by timmo on Sept 14, 2010 20:59:58 GMT 12
I believe there is/was a rail line running past Ohakea though I have never seen it. I have read of a Ventura which bellied in, went through the fence, across the road and across the railway into a paddock, apparently. If there is a rail line there, is that the main trunk line? If yes, did they have a station at Ohakea during WWII? Did Ohakea have it's own siding for moving freight in and out? Hmm had a quick reccy in GIS and Google earth- Nothing stands out in current imagery (i.e. old bridge abutments, raised earth) or in the cadastral (often the best way to figure out old alignments- look for the old parcel boundaries) in terms of an 'official' railway....its possible that the ammo sheds at the end of 09/27 were serviced by a small rail cart at one stage however? Edit: Didn't read skyhawkdons replies properly  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 14, 2010 22:36:45 GMT 12
That song was sung by Mike moore, who went on to become Prime Minister. The mind boggles. I think Dad's awful version was better than Moore's. |
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rod
Flight Lieutenant
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Post by rod on Oct 7, 2010 17:54:54 GMT 12
I was looking for info or photos of the no1 hangar at whenuapai, i understand it had a roof repair after a hudson decided to take a short cut,
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 7, 2010 18:31:23 GMT 12
The hangar crash was a very sad event, which happened when a very respected and experienced pilot was test flying a Hudson after it had received maintenance. Graham Hamlin had flown Wellingtons in Europe with No. 75 Squadron and earned a DFC before returning to New Zealand and joining No. 1 (GR) Squadron. He had with him aircrew member Ian McGregor, and two ground staff James Mitchell and John Barraclough aboard as was usually the case when engines had been worked on. Both Hamlin and McGregor were to wed their fiance's in Auckland the very next day, so a real huge tragedy.
Many, many people on the base witnessed the crash as it dived into what was then No. 3 Hangar I believe, punching through the very thick concrete roof and exploding in the hangar. Thank god it was lunchtime as there was another aircraft in the hangar that was destroyed and it's almost certain other airmen would have been killed in there if it was not a meal break. All four men aboard were killed of course.
The official line is he attempted to do a low level unauthorised aerobatic manoeuvre. There were enough witnesses to agree that this is what it looked like. It strikes me however as rather odd that a very experienced pilot would do such a stupid thing right over the station. I have not yet discovered accurately what sort of manoeuvre, everyone saw it just that little bit differently, just as in the case of the B-17 crash which everyone witnessed and tells differently.
I know a chap who was a second pilot at the time and had flown with Hamlin, and was in fact assigned to Hamlin's crew. Hamlin asked if he wanted to go for the test flight but this chap was spending his lunch hour writing a letter so declined. A very wise decision.
Ian McGregor had also previously served with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron and then in the Middle East before coming home. He was very close friends with Graham Hamlin. I find the loss of this aircraft and these fine men on 17th of December 1942 a very sad event in the history of the squadron.
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Post by beagle on Oct 7, 2010 19:27:49 GMT 12
I am pretty sure it was 40 Sqn hangar as I am sure I have seen the repairs from the inside while working inside it for quite a few years.
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Post by shorty on Oct 7, 2010 19:46:06 GMT 12
The story as it was told to me is that he was attempting to roll the wheels over the hangar roof. The light coloured concrete patch was clearly visible from the inside (well it was during the late 60's when I worked there.)
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The NIMT is way to the east. Marton, Greatford and Fielding would be the closest it comes to Ohakea.
