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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2005 15:47:27 GMT 12
Excellent, thanks Steve. I'm up in Auckland tomorrow and may try to see if I can get there to take a photo.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2005 19:14:41 GMT 12
Steve, Regarding the bombing of the RNZAF Parnell depot, it was in Fox Street apparently, in 1969. That's a couple of blocks north-east of Bedford Street, and seperate again from the Bedford Street and Market Road depots mentioned already. I found this about military depots being bombed by protestors (terrorists in today's lingo!) on this site www.auckland.ac.nz/uoa/aup/book/big-smoke1.cfmThe Bower brothers blow up the Fox St RNZAF depot in Parnell as part of radical protests against involvement in Viet Nam. They are jailed for four and five years. 'Within twelve months there were thirteen bombing attacks on military bases and conservative establishments throughout the country. Two dynamite bombs for the Fox Street airforce base where gear used for and from Vietnam is often stored. A smoke bomb for the Wellington Security Service. A dynamite bomb for the Auckland Supreme Court. A firebomb for the Navy Recruiting Centre in Jean Batten Place. A dynamite bomb outside the Intercontinental during Agnew's visit. A dynamite bomb in the Domain during Anzac Day. A dynamite bomb (which failed to explode) for the army storehouse at Ardmore. A firebomb into the Army Recruiting Centre in Wakefield Street. A firebomb into the Auckland Rugby HQ during the All Black trials for South Africa. A brick and ball-bearing grenade for Truth. And last but not least a firebomb for [Van Russeyvelt]'s bedroom after an ideological split between radical groups.' Shadbolt, Bullshit & Jellybeans (1971). Quite stunning to me - I had heard from older RNZAF guys when I was in the Air Force that they would get spat on and punched by protestors, and have fruit, etc thrown at them in the street, but I never knew they were blowing up base property and depots! Whoa! |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 13, 2005 19:24:33 GMT 12
Now, turning to RNZAF presence in Remuera I have found some more (I shall do an update of theswe Auckland bases on the site when I get home and have a chance to piece all this together) From www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2PMed-pt4-c1-2.htmlMedical Orderlies
In September 1939 there were only six medical orderlies on the strength of the RNZAF – three at Hobsonville and three at Wigram. With the expansion of the RNZAF this number was steadily increased, the number growing to 380 (including 80 airwomen), all being recruited directly into the RNZAF. The first recruits were interviewed by selection committees and precedence given to those applicants with previous medical experience, either with St. John Ambulance or with Army medical units. After their ground training course they were posted to stations, where practical and theoretical instruction was given during the course of their duties. At some stations courses of training were arranged in conjunction with the local public hospitals. When greater numbers were required, special training courses were started in April 1942, under the supervision of the Matron of the Nursing Service. A training school was also established at Remuera, where a much fuller syllabus of training was introduced and the course was extended to six weeks. Subsequent to the initial training course, orderlies were required to undergo six-monthly trade tests to qualify for higher rank. Prior to being posted overseas orderlies, irrespective of rank, were later required to undergo a four-weeks' refresher course at this training school, and had to attain a specific standard before being sent overseas. |
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Post by steve on Dec 14, 2005 1:01:09 GMT 12
Aerodrome services Branches....is that 1 book or a vol of Two....I remember an excellent series i think of the aerodrome contruction unit M.O.Works that i researched in Wellington over 20 years ago.\
Parnell: Both pictures have the wrong captions...The large buiding is on Parnell Rise and the flats on Bedford Street Parnell.(In front of the large storeage building which has gone) MArket Road was a very large 1000 bed US naval Hospital plus a medical storeage facility adjacent on Mt Hobson. The Mt Hobson site is the size of a football field and the foundations are still visable,,,a short walk from the entanace on the road beside the motorway.
Vietnam..bombings ...the number come as a surprise to me too...however the anti miliatary sentiment from those days still exists today ...anti establishment...long haired hippie losers whose kids these days are a part of the P drug scene......I suspect...I really feel for the 60s and 70s servicemen ... they really got a lot of crap shoved their way.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 14, 2005 21:38:52 GMT 12
Sadly I ran out of time today and didn't get up to Bedford Street to photograph those flats. Blast it all.
If anyone from Auckland could get some photos for the Stations page on my site I'd appreciate it, thanks. Post them here if you do.
Thanks for the extra info there Steve.
I wonder if the Fox Street building, blown up by the terrorist, was also used during the war making it appropiate for my page? Any ideas anyone?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 15, 2005 16:02:01 GMT 12
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Post by SEAN on Dec 19, 2005 19:30:49 GMT 12
Here is a bit more on RNZAF Remurea from Official History of the Aerodrome Services Branch..  |
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Post by SEAN on Dec 19, 2005 19:35:36 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2005 19:43:04 GMT 12
Thanks Sean, that is very helpful.
Where was the Auckland Teachers Training College situated? I plan to soon make a more detailed street map for the site showing all the places these RNZAF depots were situated.
Additionally, I do intend to someday add a map of the sites in central Wellington where the RNZAF had premises. These include the Stout Street HQ building, still used today. Plus a number of hotels were taken over by WAAF's, and Anderson Park was also taken over from the Americans by WAAF's who worked in Wellington. I want to also add the likes of the Contact Office, Recruitment Office, and any other facilities in that city centre. Was there a Port Depot in Wellington too? I think there was. I know there was one in Lyttleton.
Also, does anyone know where exactly in Christchurch the RNZAF had buildings too? There was a recuritment centre, a Stores Depot (later moved to Weedons), and possibly other depots right in the city.
Eventually I also plan to add a section on the Radar Stations of the RNZAF, with a map of locations.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2005 19:47:39 GMT 12
Holy cow, the reply above was just to the first post, I didn't see the second till now as we were typing at the same time!
That is absolutely fantastic Sean, thank you so much! tehre are stations there I've never heard of, and a lot of really great detail. Thanks again, it's fantastic.
Doh, additionally to my last post, lots more work to go yet!!!
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Post by SEAN on Dec 19, 2005 20:11:56 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2005 20:30:48 GMT 12
Fantastic stuff, thanks Sean.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2005 20:33:09 GMT 12
I guess the actual street layouts will have changed a lot in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch since the war. I know Hamilton has changed a bit - a motorway now cuts through part of the previous RNZAF station camp!
So, bearing that in mind, does anyone have, or know where i can get, street maps of these cities in those days please?
The same goes for Gisborne, does anyone have a wartime (or thereabouts) streetmap of that town?
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Post by Bruce on Dec 19, 2005 21:29:54 GMT 12
Dave, have a talk to the guys in the Geography Dept / cartography) at university - They have a lot of good stuff - there is a 1940? (or '44) aerial photo of Hamilton on display in the hallway (I block level 2) and you can see the CAC munitions factory in Dey St and the Bledisloe hall etc - worth a look in itself.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 19, 2005 21:43:05 GMT 12
Bruce, thanks for that. I had no idea about that photo. I had previously been to the Waikato Museum and the Hamilton Library, but all i could get was a photo from the mid 1950's. A 1944 photo would be perfect for what I want. It possibly shows the camps, etc, if they were not camouflaged (and probably weren't as it's too far from the coast to be in danger from the air theoretically). I shall have to make a trip to the uni someday with the digital camera...
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Post by steve on Dec 19, 2005 22:52:08 GMT 12
Excellent Sean...I remember reading this aerodrome services history in Wellington some years back...It is the "bible" on RNZAF stations etc...I note that Te Korpuru is listed as an emergency fighter strip...I wonder if this is the present location of the Dargerville Airfield...The map location is slightly north of the present location?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 20, 2005 20:12:03 GMT 12
Just a few questions, does that Aerodrome Services Branch book talk about Waiouru?
The Official History of the RNZAF (JMS Ross) talks about Waiouru as if it was an RNZAF Station. I know there is still a runway there somewhere. But, was this the same as, or different to the RNZAF station/airfield/depot at Karioi, near Waiouru?
If it's a different facility I'll have to add Waiouru to my North Island map.
Aslo, where is Musick Point? Some of those radar stations are already on my map, I thought they were there as aerodromes but no, it seems they were Radar stations. Some will be both. There are a lot more radar stations than mentioned in these pages too, the book in Hamilton Library has dozens of them. I must get onto doing something about the radar stations soon.
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Post by Bruce on Dec 20, 2005 21:23:58 GMT 12
Musick point is the bit of land sticking into the Hauraki Gulf between the Tamaki river and the suburbs of Pakuranga and Howick. It was named after Edwin Musick of Pan American Airways fame. there is still a coastal radio atation there.
Karioi is basicly a large grass paddock not far from Tangiwai, about halfway between Ohakune and Waiouru. I have flown in there once in a Cessna 337 on a survey flight for Hibiscus Air Services (both pilots on that occasion were later killed in the Nomad crash on Franz Joseph Glacier) there was no indication that Karioi was ever anything other than what it is now, a large open grass airstrip with no facilities or permanent structures.
I beleive the Waiorou strip is a bit newer, it currently is sealed, but has no fixed structures either. It is aligned well out of the prevailing wind as the figures used to position it were based on Data collected at Karioi - about 20km away around the mountain. I would assume that the RNZAF had a presence in Waiouru during WW2, as it was a railhead and suitable storage depot for munitions etc. personnel from all services passed through there, along with political detainees and consientious objectors en route to the prison at Erua.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 20, 2005 21:25:37 GMT 12
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Post by Bruce on Dec 20, 2005 21:30:59 GMT 12
Re Dargaville airstrip - this strip was aparently formed in the postwar era, late 50s I think. A lot of the swamp on which it is sited was not drained until then.
Te Kopuru is actually on the other side of the Nortern Wairoa river (an arm of the kaipara Harbour) and is actually south west of the town of Dargaville. (towards Poutu, the North Kaipara head) The land on this side is mainly sandy, with the dunes backing towards Baileys Beach. The flat area around Te Kopuru was drained quite early in the areas history and would indeed have been a suitable emergency landing area. (My ancestors were northlanders from the Kaipara)
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