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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 7, 2022 12:58:34 GMT 12
Dave Cohu was in Japan. He'd been a Corsair pilot in WWII. His last wartime Corsair flight was on the 20th of August 1945 in NZ5633 with No. 17 (F) Squadron at Los Negros on a Local Patrol. On the 22nd of September 1945 he began the ferry flight home of NZ5640, arriving on the 29th of Sep 45 at Rukuhia.
He had a long gap in his flying, returning to the air on the 4th of March 1947 in Harvard NZ1062 while posted to No. 14 Squadron at Ohakea.
On the 6th of March 1947 he began flying Corsairs. Those he flew were NZ5632, NZ5657, NZ5658, and finally NZ5623 on the 13th of March 1947. Whilst the back of his logbook lists this time as being posted to No. 14 Squadron at Ohakea, the monthly stamp states the unit was CFE, or the Central Fighter Establishment. No. 14 Squadron was, of course, already well established in Japan by March 1947 so this must have been a refresher course at CFE to prepare him to go up as a replacement.
However there was another long gap in his flying and then he was posted to No. 1 Flying Training School at Wigram on the 7th of February 1948, and he then began flying there on the 10th of February 48. At the school he flew Tiger Moths NZ1489, NZ1492, and NZ1493, then progressed onto Harvards NZ1088, NZ1095, NZ1096, NZ1098 and NZ1099 till the 16th of March 1948.
On the 18th of March he set off for the long C-47 journey to Japan.
Before flying a Corsair in Japan he flew six times in Harvard '113' (17-26 April 1948). He flew Corsairs there from then on solidly.
His final flight in the Corsair was in FG-1D NZ5659 on the 25th of August 1948, performing aerobatics at Iwakuni.
Dave's next logbook entry was 1st of February 1949 and he was again with No,14 Squadron but now flying Airspeed Oxfords in preparation for his conversion to Mosquitoes with No. 75 Squadron.
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Post by ZacYates on Jan 29, 2022 15:54:55 GMT 12
Forgive my ignorance/laziness: Dave, have you established dates for the final RNZAF Kittyhawk and Corsair flights?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2022 12:04:43 GMT 12
Nope. Just been gathering evidence towards it, nothing definitive.
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Post by McFly on Jan 31, 2022 12:12:16 GMT 12
Nope. Just been gathering evidence towards it, nothing definitive. Surely this is the last RNZAF Corsair flight...?
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Post by tbf2504 on Jan 31, 2022 12:25:52 GMT 12
I suspect that last flights for P-40s was the delivery from Ohakea/Ardmore to Rukuhia for LTS/Disposal. That would have been (my guess) mid 1945 as things were winding down.
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Post by tbf2504 on Jan 31, 2022 12:34:10 GMT 12
I note from the RNZAF Accident register that there was a Kittyhawk accident at Ohakea on 2 September 1945 so some may have been still in operational service at that time
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Post by tbf2504 on Jan 31, 2022 13:19:47 GMT 12
To illustrate the reduction of flying Kittyhawk/Warhawk aircraft the following is an extract from a DofE minute dated 25/6/45:
Kittyhawk P40E total strength 18 UE requirement 2, Unit Reserve and under repair 2, Balance for storage 14 Stored at 1ASU (Rukuhia) 9 Stored at Ohakea 3 Warhawk total strength 110, UE requirements 41, Unit Reserve and under repair 12, Balance for storage 57, stored at 1ASU 39, stored at Ohakea 2
It is a bit difficult to work out the exact totals however from another part of that minute Storage at 1 ASU 30/5/44 to 22/6/45 Kittyhawks as at 22/6/45 9 Warhawk 39
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Post by davidd on Jan 31, 2022 13:32:40 GMT 12
12/8/45; Decision taken to close down both RNZAF Fighter OTU's at Ohakea, No. 2 OTU "forthwith", and No. 4 OTU w.e.f. 25/8/45. Establishments to provide for a maximum of 500 hours flying per month on F4U, P-40 and Harvard aircraft. Reference: RNZAF Administrative Instruction No. 155/1945 of this date (12/8/45)
Believed that the 500 flying hours per month included all three types of aircraft as a whole.
At at date of 12/8/45, No. 2 OTU was part way through No. 23 Course, which commenced training 24th July 1945, with some 31 pupils. Flying by pupils of this course ceased 12th August 1945. Considering the brevity of the course, it was a rather unlucky one, with two pupils killed in two Harvards which collided in the air on 4th August, and another pupil and an instructor were killed on 3rd August when two P-40s collided whilst airborne. Of remaining pupils, some five were posted to the planned No. 24 Course, balance of approx. 27 were transferred to the Reserve in September and October 1945.
This would have been the last honest work undertaken by the RNZAF's P-40s; thereafter probably just delivery flights to Rukuhia, etc. However at least one flew a little longer, probably just a matter of four to six months at the most, if the Meteor/Corsair/P-40 photo is to be believed, and nobody has suggested that this was anything but genuine.
Incidentally, 4 OTU was re-equipped at Ohakea with F4U Corsairs in late June 1945, all its P-40 being either sent to Rukuhia for storage and disposal, or transferred to 2 OTU as attrition reserves. Its normal establishment was 37 P-40s plus 10 Harvards.
No. 2 OTU retained its P-40s (aircraft establishment same as for 4 OTU) until it ceased all flying operations as noted above, on 12th August 1945.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2022 15:58:14 GMT 12
Regarding No. 1 Aircraft Storage Unit at RNZAF Station Rukuhia, the establishment of this unit was by Air Department, Wellington, on the 16th of May 1944, with the following number of aircraft to be put into storage there but kept in ready-to-fly condition, the following: 30 x Venturas 10 x Harvards 16 x Avengers 40 x P-40's
Items were not to be removed from these aircraft in order to make others airworthy. They had to be kept in top condition. They were to have daily inspections and engine runs regularly. Should any modifications on the fleet come about these stored aircraft had to have the mods done. And they were to be kept clean and inspected for any corrosion.
Aircraft returning from the Pacific would be required to have an 8- hour inspection and needed to be deemed fully airworthy and ready for service before being out into storage. This would mainly pertain to the P-40's.
There was also to be an unspecified number of aircraft to be stored in "long term storage" conditions. No fixed establishment was laid down for these aircraft as it was expected to be changing regularly as aircraft became surplus. These aircraft would be prepared for long term storage, and I guess could become parts donors if need be.
This is as ordered by G/C Geoffrey Ellis of Air Department. This was the beginning of No. 1 Aircraft Storage Unit. The unit was a lodger unit of RNZAF Station Hamilton, and the Officer Commanding No. 1 ASU was an Equipment Officer with the duel role of OC and Equipment Officer, responsible directly to the Commanding Officer of RNZAF Station Hamilton (who from memory was W/C Mort Manhire).
No. 1 Aircraft Storage Unit's officially formed on the 10th of June 1944.
So there were at least 40 P-40's flown into Rukuhia in June 1944 for ready-to-fly storage and likely several more for long term storage as they returned from the Pacific.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2022 16:11:39 GMT 12
This is Fred Ladd's last flight in a P-40 while he was posted to the No. 1RD Ferry Flight. 10th of January 1946!
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Post by ZacYates on Jan 31, 2022 16:49:03 GMT 12
Nope. Just been gathering evidence towards it, nothing definitive. Thanks Dave, it's proving to be a much more fascinating subject than I originally anticipated.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 31, 2022 17:34:05 GMT 12
I have been looking for answers on this since I first posed the question in 2005, Zac. We may never know the definitive answer.
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Post by hairy on Feb 5, 2022 11:02:44 GMT 12
That entry in Fred Ladd's log book kind of confirms the date on the back of the photo of NZ3102 that I posted on page 1 of this thread.
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