RNZAF Stations

[sniff]

There was also an NDB (Non-Directional Beacon) installed on the spit for instrument approach training when PTS was still at Wigram. The approach went out towards the south east over the water.

I always lost count of the number of sharks basking out there!

[NZ1009]

I am trying to find the actual location of the airfield that used to be at Birdlings Flat. I believe it ran East - West and was close to the current settlement but that is only based on a single photograph that appeared in Wings showing a Harvard taking off from the airfield. Does anyone have any more information or photos?

[zkdex]

Can anyone tell me how much effort went into constructing/upgrading the Emergency Landing Grounds? I know of one that apparently had a stabilised (compacted metal) grass runway (or runways - could have had two), was this common practise?

[lynnestreet]

Jan 3, 2006 23:30:48 GMT 12 steve said:

I notice also on Sean's list Taupo and this has got me thinking as well. I do remember Rotorua Fenton Street airfield which the RAF landed a large 4 engine transport (forgot the type)in the fifties then realilising it was to short for take off with safety margins! Maybe Taupo the same ...but where?

I live in Fenton Park since Dec 2011. There is a memorial rose garden and a children's playgorund on the site of the old training air base. The suburb streets are named after famous aviators who'd worked from Fenton Air Base.

This is the plaque in the rose garden...

Feb 17 photowalk 015-001 by basenjinut, on Flickr

I may be able to locate a map showing the original airbase's flight path over Lake Rotorua, then over swamp land onto the base. That flight path is almost exactly the same bearing as the new Rotorua Airpost (on t'other side of the lake) main runway.

There is a possibility that among a few of the houses, a large concrete wall which creates housing section boundaries may well have been a hangar wall.
Hope the photo is clear.

I really would love to see the local RSA take a project to place a plaque for each airman in "his" street, to keep some pride going.

Attachments:

[lynnestreet]

Jan 3, 2006 23:30:48 GMT 12 steve said:

I notice also on Sean's list Taupo and this has got me thinking as well. I do remember Rotorua Fenton Street airfield which the RAF landed a large 4 engine transport (forgot the type)in the fifties then realilising it was to short for take off with safety margins! Maybe Taupo the same ...but where?

Hi Steve = look at what I found... (Oh I hope the img link works)



More info at ...
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20Waikato%20BOP%20area.htm#Rotorua

[Peter Lewis]

An air display at the Fenton Street airfield was the first air display that I ever attended. That was in 1963.

Of course this site was an airfield well before WW2.
I think that the first aircraft ever based there were Rotorua Airways' Puss Moth ZK-ABG and DH60G Moth ZK-AVV in November 1930.

Later on it became the base for the well known charter pilot Stan Blackmore.

[wheezynana]

Dave - I have a copy of "Scrutiny on the County" by Ken Berry a history of the Marlborough County Council published in 1986 - it has a chapter titled 'War and Postwar' with mention of Woodbourne and The Delta. This book is based mainly on Minutes of meetings, correspondence and newspaper articles but told in an interesting and humorous manner.
Ken was a friend of my father Chic and what follows is a footnote from the book.

"Woodbourne crash crew member, Chic Elsmore, has some horrendous memories of that era; most of which are best left to the imagination. Perhaps the most poignant is that of the pilot who landed upside down, safely held in the open cockpit by the Baffin's harness. 'I'm okay,' he said as Chic approached; then punched his harness, fell just one foot and broke his neck. The training casualties were just as dead as those pilots who 'reserved their pugnacity' and went on to posthumous glory overseas."

Do you know the book? I could photocopy the relevant pages for you if you like.

Cheers - Anne

[Dave Homewood]

Hi Anne,

I hadn't heard of that book, sounds interesting.

However I had heard of that story of the pilot falling from the upside-down Baffin. I have heard several accounts of it and a couple of them say it was the CO (Ron Sinclair) which I think is correct, while another account says it was the Adjutant. None of the accounts I have heard mention a broken neck and I think this is incorrect. The chap was however knocked out cold in all the versions of the story. if it was Ron Sinclair he didn't break his neck as he continued flying after his aircraft tipped over in the wind (something Baffins were prevelant to do). It was definitely not the fatal kind of broken neck, if it happened.

[pjw4118]

zkdex , you asked how much work went into the ELG construction programme., it was huge. For example at Haast , two 5000ft stabilized strips were put in , on a flat swamp.The Aerodrome Services Branch history lists expenditure as Pounds 45000, a lot when Taieri cost 12000. Google Earth it and see just how big the airfield at Haast is. In contrast the airfield at Wereroa was rolled , drains filled in all within 48 hours and cost a few hundred pounds
I will do a posting on it at some time.

[lynnemcaennyl]

Mar 26, 2012 16:35:46 GMT 12 lynnestreet said:

Jan 3, 2006 23:30:48 GMT 12 steve said:

I notice also on Sean's list Taupo and this has got me thinking as well. I do remember Rotorua Fenton Street airfield which the RAF landed a large 4 engine transport (forgot the type)in the fifties then realilising it was to short for take off with safety margins! Maybe Taupo the same ...but where?

I live in Fenton Park since Dec 2011. There is a memorial rose garden and a children's playgorund on the site of the old training air base. The suburb streets are named after famous aviators who'd worked from Fenton Air Base.

This is the plaque in the rose garden...

Feb 17 photowalk 015-001 by basenjinut, on Flickr

I may be able to locate a map showing the original airbase's flight path over Lake Rotorua, then over swamp land onto the base. That flight path is almost exactly the same bearing as the new Rotorua Airpost (on t'other side of the lake) main runway.

There is a possibility that among a few of the houses, a large concrete wall which creates housing section boundaries may well have been a hangar wall.
Hope the photo is clear.

I really would love to see the local RSA take a project to place a plaque for each airman in "his" street, to keep some pride going.

[lynnemcaennyl]

I am rather proud of living on the site of Fenton Street Airbase. I am writing an article about its history and those of its pilots and crewmen, the training, off duty escapades etc. I would liketo ask for anyone who may be able to contribute information or family anecdotes to please post as Reply how I may contact you, with a brief sentence describing what you can offer.

Remember to not write email addresses in the usual format. For example you can contact me by emailing (close the spaces and use the named symbols)
mcaennyl at outlook dot com.

(Writing your email in the correct format allows web-bots to pick it out from the text, and you could end up with loads of spam in your Inbox.)

Thank you in advance for any contribution. All credit to you will appear in the article.

[avenger]

An earlier post --[Lake Ellesmere was of course also a low flying zone for military training back in the olden days, right up till CFS and PTS left Wigram for Ohakea I think.]

Not entirely sure this area (Birdlings Flat) used for trainee's low flying.
I did weapons training there but no low flying, that was along the Rakaia River. Although did some low altitude level bombing.
Also believe we the last course to do the "airweapons' training at Birdlings Flat, May 1958, the date of this photograph.

[Dave Homewood]

I think the Red Checkers team did low level practices there, though didn't they?

[lynnemcaennyl]

Regarding Rotorua's Fenton Air base...
When the area became a housing area, the following streets were named for those who trained at Fenton Base and were awarded honours: Barron, Clouston (a crescent, for two airmen of same surname), Compton, Deere, Ensor, Gibson, Jameson, Kain, Lucas, Maida, McKee, Trigg, Trent, and Ward. (Parallel to the street named for Maida is Peace Street).
I approached the local District Council and Chorus (the Fibre-Optic company) to ask that they please decorate some of the Fibre-Optic boxes to commemorate some of the airmen. Local artist Warren Houston (a former Air Force serviceman) was commissioned to do two - for "Cobber" Kain, and for Lloyd Allan Trig. He is also hoping to decorate another Fibre-Optic box in tribute to James Allen Ward.
Pics of the two Chorus boxes were featured in a Rotorua Daily Post article on 12th September 2015.

Click on:  link to a post on my blog
at which you can see the two Optic-Fibre boxes, and a map of the airmen's streets.

[Dave Homewood]

That is superb Lynne.

[oj]

Yes, very good stuff.
Interesting how this site brings people out of the woodwork.
Warren Houston also worked at NZAIL for a while on Airtrainer and Fletcher production lines.

[drpc]

Dec 19, 2005 19:43:04 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

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.

[tbf25o4]

The large RAF four engine aircraft at the airshow at the Fenton airport in 1963 was a Blackburn Beverley from the FEAF

[Dave Homewood]

Regarding RNZAF Remuera, I came across this from the AUCKLAND STAR, dated 27 JULY 1944

[Dave Homewood]

And this from the AUCKLAND STAR, dated 30 JUNE 1944