Interesting RNZAF Hudson Nose Art

[Dave Homewood]

I am currently putting up the page on my website on the late Mr Jim Ross, who served in the RNZAF during World War Two and a Flight Mechanic and then a Flight Engineer.

I have put his page up online, and some of the photos (but not all yet, hopefully tomorrow or so more will appear there).

One thing that strikes me is the great nose art on one of No. 3 (GR) Squadron's Hudson's which he photographed while at Henderson Field, Guadalcanal. The plane is called "Chips" and it sports a large dog who looks a lot like Pluto.

I have never seen nose art on an RNZAF Hudson before I don't think. Does anyone know:
a) which aircraft this was? Serial no., etc
b) If other RNZAF Hudsons carried nose art at all?

See the photo here
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Jim%20Ross.htm

[Bruce]

Hi Dave, I just had a close look at the Pic, especially to see the engine to see if it was in fact an RB34 Ventura. Its not, in fact its definitely a wright engined Hudson. I was wondering if it could have been a Ventura because many of the RNZAF Venturas were delivered with Factory - Painted Disney style artwork, usually on the fusealge aft of the entry door. Such artwork was applied by workers at Lockheeds plant (Burbank I think) and usually involved cartoon charactors doing unspeakable things to a Japanese person. After a few were delivered, the US and NZ Command became concerned for the safety of the crews should aircraft with this style of artwork be shot down in Japanese territory. An official order was issued that such artwork be overpainted, normally at the service acceptance point. There is a lot of photographic evidence that quite a few aircraft still had the "Factory" art whilst in service, others show distinctive patches of fresh sea blue paint near the entry doors. The RB34 in MOTAT has similar style artwork in this location, and I understand that such artwork was not restricted to the PV1s. The Hudsons came a roundabout way via British Allocations and were normally repainted in the Pacific Blue scheme before deployment, so it is unlikely that the nose art is factory painted - although the syle is very similar.
Pity it wasnt a P&W powered Hudson - that would have narrowed things down a bit.

Cheers, Bruce.

[Dave Homewood]

Cheers Bruce,

Yes I have seen a lot of those Disney-painted artworks on the Venturas. Many wore Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck and went up to the Forward Area with these more harmless artworks.

You can see a number of them, plus locally produced nose arts on Peter Mossong's site here
rnzaf.hobbyvista.com/ven1.html

The photo was definately taken when he was at Guadalcanal with No 3 Sqn, so that narrows it down a little. I am keen to know if other 3 Sqn aircraft also wore artwork up in the Pacific (or even at home)

Cheers
Dave

[Dave Homewood]

I have dragged up this old thread from when the forum first opened. This is because I have created a smiulation of what the Hudson "Chips" may have looked like, using the original artwork from the photo. Below are the origianl photo and my new 'reconstruction'
If anyone can pinpoint which Hudson this was, I would really like to know. To narrow it down it was on 3GR's first tour.

That goes for any other nose art worn by Hudsons, and other RNZAF GR and BR aircraft. I hope to put a modelling section into my book.

PS - the colours of the artwork here are pure guess work, but as Chips looked a lot like Pluto I made him similar in colour.

[stephen]

Really fasinating: RE: the applied artwork from the factory....and the pictures from the late Jim Ross brings an error to life more so than reading a book....I wonder if any nose work was actually authorised for crew morale from RNZAF Wellington or just a blind eye situation applied...popeye lucas and his c47 surely must have been authorised?

[Dave Homewood]

As a follow up to what Bruce wrote back then, it wasn't the Lockheed workers who applied the Disney art. It was actually the real Disney cartoonists who worked across the road from the assembly plant and got into the habit of going across in their lunch hours to add cartoons to the bombers, thinking they'd raise morale.

I'm unsure how how a level permission had to be sought to apply art. It was possibly at just the CO of the Sqn r Base Commander level. I know art was applied en masse to the Avengers of No. 30 Sqn and the Anson of the GR School.

I have since found out about a few more Hudsons carrying art too, but am always interesested in any more facts or photos.

[Dave Homewood]

I am digging up this ancient post because I have a strange feeling that in much more recent years another photo of the Chips nose art has surfaced, and you could see the whole artwork, but I cannot remember where I saw it. Does anyone know please?

[McFly]

Sept 8, 2021 16:38:28 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I am digging up this ancient post because I have a strange feeling that in much more recent years another photo of the Chips nose art has surfaced, and you could see the whole artwork, but I cannot remember where I saw it. Does anyone know please?

This may be helpful Dave....

See also: link and link and link

Aircraft was Hudson Mk.III NZ2021, No. 3 Sqn, Guadalcanal - 1943.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks!!

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder where the decal manufacturer got that information from.

[davidd]

I don't know where they got their information (although from what I can see, this looks to be generally accurate), but I can add that 2021 was flown up to PDG (New Caledonia) on the date quoted above, by F/L G S A Stevenson and crew from Nausori, and it subsequently arrived at Henderson Field (Bomber I), Guadalcanal on 15/3/43, under F/O C A Fountaine and his crew.

This aircraft remained operating from Henderson Field (except when absent at Pallikulo field, Espiritu Santo on inspections) until its loss on 24th July 1943. The absences from Guadalcanal were between 22nd and ? March, and again 17th and 25th April. It was then absent for a large gap between 20th May and 11th July 1943. During this time at Santo, NZ2021 was flown by F/O A S Lawson & crew on 2nd July for the purpose of depth charge tests following failures of these weapons at Guadalcanal. Over next few days, till about the 6th, this aircraft was flown by other crews for low level bombing practice and aerial gunnery practice. All these flights were undertaken by 9 Squadron crews. Crews of this squadron otherwise seem not to have undertaken any operational flights with this aircraft, as the ferry flights to and from Guadalcanal from Santo seem to have been undertaken largely by operational crews of 3 Squadron.

David D