|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 7, 2010 20:45:12 GMT 12
Yes the patch could still be seen in the 1990's when I was there.
Shorty that is the first I have heard of rolling the wheels over the roof, no offence to you but that story seems ludicrous. He would have been cashiered for such a stunt. Also many of the witnesses I have spoken to said it dived straight in pretty much vertically. The impact would have needed vertical force I'm sure to do what it did too, and I'm sure the wreckage was beneath the hole from the photos I have seen of it which backs up a vertical dive. No sensible pilot would roll the wheels over the roof of a hangar, they'd end up in prison and out of a job.
As both men were excited about their impending weddings they may well have decided to let loose with some sort of roll, but it doesn't seem possible that your scenario would be attempted. Even an unauthorised roll might have seen their leave cancelled and thus weddings cancelled.
I really must get the accident report from Wellington some day.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 7, 2010 20:54:50 GMT 12
Hudson was NZ2007, date 17Dec1942. Official finding I was told was a high speed stall (usually incurred when pulling excessive G forces).
Inside the hangar was Miles M.14 Hawk Trainer III NZ585 ex ZK-AEZ, which was also destroyed.
|
|
rod
Flight Lieutenant
Posts: 80
|
Post by rod on Oct 7, 2010 20:56:09 GMT 12
thanks for the info
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 7, 2010 21:01:24 GMT 12
It surprises me that a test flight would be carried out over the station at any rate.
Yes, that's right, I'd forgotten it was a stall, from which the aircraft went in vertically.
In those days by the way the hangar was No. 3 Hangar. The tin hangar was No. 1 as it was the first built and the numbering went the other way, so an old chap who worked there then told me.
|
|
|
|
Post by errolmartyn on Oct 7, 2010 22:23:59 GMT 12
Hudson was NZ2007, date 17Dec1942. Official finding I was told was a high speed stall (usually incurred when pulling excessive G forces). Inside the hangar was Miles M.14 Hawk Trainer III NZ585 ex ZK-AEZ, which was also destroyed. From my 'For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1915-1942)': Note – NZ2077, not NZ2007 (which had crashed a year before almost to the day, on 15 December 1941) Thu 17 Dec 1942 New Zealand Test flight 1 Squadron, RNZAF (Whenuapai) Hudson IIIA NZ2077 - carried out four stall turns and gradually lost height before entering a shallow dive over the airfield from 500 feet, followed by a left hand turn. As its airspeed dropped NZ2077 entered a spin from which it failed to recover before crashing through a hangar and exploding. The captain and electrician are buried at Auckland, the fitter at Wellington, while the air gunner was cremated at Auckland. Also destroyed in the crash was Miles Magister NZ585 in the hangar. Captain: NZ40227 Flt Lt Graham Wellesley HAMLIN, DFC, RNZAF - Age 24. 633hrs solo (96 on Hudson) (Air Gunner): NZ401461 Plt Off Ian McGREGOR, RNZAF - Age 26. 321hrs. (Fitter IIA): NZ40317 Cpl John Vaughan BARRACLOUGH, RNZAF - Age 29 (Electrician): NZ42787 AC1 James MITCHELL, RNZAF - Age 42 Hamlin had completed an operational tour with 75 (NZ) Sqn. McGregor had served in bombers in the Middle East and with Bomber Command in Europe, completing an operational tour, possibly two. Mitchell was born in Scotland and had served with the RFC and RAF during the 1914-18 war. Errol |
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Oct 7, 2010 22:35:44 GMT 12
Note – NZ2077, not NZ2007 (which had crashed a year before almost to the day, on 15 December 1941) Quite right. A typing error on my part. |
|
|
|
Post by shorty on Oct 8, 2010 9:44:56 GMT 12
Yes the patch could still be seen in the 1990's when I was there. Shorty that is the first I have heard of rolling the wheels over the roof, no offence to you but that story seems ludicrous. Never said I believed the story! It was more to show how there are some very wild stories around all notable events. (Just look at the stories that surround the Liberator and B-17 crashes at Whenuapai) |
|
|
|
Post by 14liney on Oct 19, 2010 10:17:37 GMT 12
"If yes, did they have a station at Ohakea during WWII? Did Ohakea have it's own siding for moving freight in and out? "
I believe that the RNZAF used the railway station at Greatford for the movement of personnel and freight.
Shorty's right!! We always went the cheapest way on a travel warrant, the overnight ferry and train but if you wanted you could put the value of the travel warrant towards the cost of an airline ticket....that would be NAC.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 19, 2010 13:20:07 GMT 12
Yes, I recall that regarding travel warrants too. I always considered going by train and ferry, as I had never done it at that stage, but it always looked like it would take a whole day of your leave, and so an hour or two on the plane for the exta $20 or so was well worth it.
|
|
|
|
Post by kb on Oct 19, 2010 16:18:18 GMT 12
My father in law ( unfortunately now deceased) was one of those detailed to clean up the mess. It said it was extremely upsetting.
|
|
|
|
Post by trimotor on Nov 6, 2014 23:53:24 GMT 12
From memory, there used to be photos of the crash results framed on the walls of a corridor in the hangar when I was in and out of there between 95 and 2000.
|
|
|
|
Post by raymond on Nov 7, 2014 19:46:08 GMT 12
My Grandad told me the pilot had been celebrating the night before as his wedding was the next day.
I did see a load of photos in the WP photo section (they had an awesome selection of negatives there)of the crash and the burnt remains on the hangar floor.
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 7, 2014 20:11:14 GMT 12
That is correct, both pilots on board were both getting married next day. Very sad. It'll eventually all be in the book....
|
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Nov 10, 2014 7:44:27 GMT 12
Dave,
Just the one pilot (as per Errol M's post above), other two were members of the groundstaff. The pilot was an experienced man (75 Sqdn in UK, etc) but was definitely taking libertys with the Hudson, which was a somewhat fiestier aircraft then the Wellingtons he was used to.
David D
|
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 10, 2014 7:58:36 GMT 12
When I said "pilot" I should have said officer. The two onboard who were from the same crew and who were both getting married next day were F/Lt Graham Hamlin (the pilot) and P/O Ian McGregor (an Air Gunner). Two squadron ground staff were also onboard for a jolly. Corporal John Barraclough and AC1 James Mitchell.
Hamlin and McGregor were both to be married next day, and they were obviously in high spirits. They actually asked another member of the crew, the second pilot Wendell Phillips, to come with them on that test flight. He refused because he was trying to finish writing his Christmas cards to get into the post by that afternoon, and he was sitting writing the cards in a side office in the hangar when the Hudson hit the roof.
|
|
|
|
Post by camtech on Nov 10, 2014 16:26:25 GMT 12
The photos I have seen of this crash are certainly eye opening.
One was of a hole in the hangar roof, another of the roof of the hangar with the remains of one wing still there, but very little else visible of the Hudson. A third showed the rubble inside the hangar, with the Hawk barely visible.
Someone must have copies somewhere.
|
|
|
|
Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Nov 20, 2014 21:27:59 GMT 12
The following is a page from today's KiwiRail staff newsletter. You will see that the RNZAF's concrete hangars at Whenuapai and Ohakea have won an award, along with other structures.  |
|
Hekatahuna
Leading Aircraftman
Mururoa Watch
Posts: 9 
|
Post by Hekatahuna on Sept 28, 2015 19:42:29 GMT 12
To add my pennies worth. Do you know why both WP and OH hangars/bases have a 'Southern aspect'? Drawings were copies from the UK, someone failed to turn them over for the 'hemisphere change'. FRezzzzz FCH.
|
|
|
|
Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 29, 2015 11:26:03 GMT 12
Presumably they expected any enemy bombing raids to come from the North? (or the West).
|
|
|
|
Post by shorty on Sept 29, 2015 13:07:03 GMT 12
Does that mean they should have been on the other side of the runways (or were aircraft supposed to taxy around the back where the doors would be?
|
|
