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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2006 1:08:52 GMT 12
Hi all, I have been promising this for a long time and have finally sorted out a ormat I like. The RNZAF Stations pages on my website which currently consist of two pages, North island and South Island, are getting seriously large and very slow to download on some PC's. So I intend to break them up into smaller pages, based on regional areas. So the existing introduction page will stay, and you'll still click on either NI or SI, but these will take you to a small page with just a map of that island you chose, with regional areas picked out. You then click on the region and get a page with all the stations and depots in that region. So, I have been working on the prototype, which I randomly picked to by the Marlborough region. Here is a tentative link to the first draft which i hope you guys can look at and comment upon, whether you like the new layout etc. Any ideas or suggestions will be considered and any criticism taken on board in the spirit it's meant. So, what do you think? Go here, then navigate the region from the map at the top of the page www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/RNZAF%20Stations%20Blenheim.htmI have some questions too about this region: Has anyone got information about RNZAF activities at Wairau Valley? I found reference to something being there, but I don't know what. Also, does anyone know where Dillons Point is on the map? It's not in my map book of NZ. It's somewhere near Blenheim, and I believe it may be near Whites Bay. But all I can find on a websearch is Dillons Point Road in Blenheim itself. Does anyone now where the airfield land may have been? Does anyone have details of the airstrip lengths and types at Grassmere, Clarence and Fairhall? I'm sure they'd all have been grass, but want to make sure. I am certain i saw somewhere about a year or so ago a photo of hangars being erected at RNZAF Fairhall, which were half round prefad types like at Ardmore or Ashburton. Does anyone know where I may have seen this photo? I cannot recall where. Lastly, when did the sealed runway get built at Woodbourne? I'm assuming that the airfield was all grass strip throughout the war? Answers, clues and comments on the page are all welcome and appreciated, thanks.
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Post by steve on Jun 5, 2006 1:35:00 GMT 12
Dave you deserve a medal...excellent presentation...and yes regional is the way to go with maybe input from locals who have memories of the stations and the varies stories that can be told...offcourse due consideration to size etc...This is all valuable recent NZ history and the airforce should be asked (used to be Photo Establisment Ohakea?) to provide assistance with any historical photos that they can provide on all listed stations/locations...so their history is more available via the internet and not the subject of timely and expensive reserach of the past...
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 5, 2006 10:32:53 GMT 12
Thanks Steve.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 7, 2006 0:07:18 GMT 12
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 7, 2006 20:43:10 GMT 12
I have to agree with Steve: you have done an excellent job with this, Dave.
Very well presented, well researched, and very easy to read. 10/10.
By the way, which font(s) did you use?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 7, 2006 22:00:32 GMT 12
Thank you Craig. There is a lot more work to do yet of course... especially in the research field
The font I am now using for the text and titles is called Garamond, with the italics on
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Post by corsair67 on Jun 7, 2006 22:15:58 GMT 12
Well that font ceratinly looks good with the background and page format you've chosen.
When you were doing your BR/GR Squadron research at Wigram in April, did you get a chance to look at anything about these wartime airfields?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 7, 2006 22:31:18 GMT 12
I didn't actually get much chance to look at anything at Wigram because a) the staff were all busy getting packed up to go to Wanaka, and b) I found most of what I need isn't held there any more, it's all in Wellington. All official records are there. Wigram only holds unnofficial stuff now. Things like logbooks, diaries, etc. I am now plannig a trip to the National Archives.
I did however have a very nice chat with Jane Provan about the book and she was very supportive. She was going to have a look and see what she could find among their collection of unnofficial paperwork that may help. I must chase that up.
So no, I didn't get to delve into the wartime stations side of things. However I have been finding lots of info which will eventually go up, and hopefully more will continue to roll in.
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Post by SEAN on Jun 15, 2006 12:27:13 GMT 12
Dave
The site looks really good, pat yourself on the back. Well done. I had a look into some of the questions you posed, and mostly came up with nothing.
One thing I did find out was the RNZAF built a Radar Station at the mouth of the Wairau (not quite the Wairau Valley), and Radar Unit 34 was housed there for a very short time. More or less built, and then closed down. Source "Radar Stories from the RNZAF 1939-45". There were also a heck of a lot of Army units based in and around the Wairau, so some confusion might have come from this.
I found nothing on Dillions Point, but you have got my interest, so I will keep looking.
Also I have found a lot of details re COs of the Delta, where do you want this info posted ?
Sean
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2006 13:01:26 GMT 12
Ah, it must be the radar station then that I need to pinpoint. As of yet I have not even attempted to add the many radar stations to the site, that's a future project.
Dillons point is mentioned in Arthur Bradshaw's excellent book, as he was the officer who selected it. I have never heard anything else about it, apart from after the war the currently-Ferrymead Hudson was owned by a farmer there, which is an interesting connection.
Please add the CO details here. That'd be excellent, thanks.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 15, 2006 15:47:26 GMT 12
The Nelson and Marlborough pages are now officially online, linked through a new regions page when you click from the main RNZAF Stations page. The other regions will eventually go online as and when I get the time.
As I'm currently laid up with a stuffed ankle, resting on doctors orders, I might get a bit done on the site. Just a bit...
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Post by SEAN on Jun 16, 2006 10:30:15 GMT 12
RNZAF Station Delta - Commanding Officers
“Station Masters” 07 Jun 43 SQNLDR McGregor-Turnbull 03 Nov 43 WGCDR FA Swoffer MBE WGCDR SL Gilkison WGCDR IE Rawnsley MBE
CO “Ashford Wing” (Opened 24 Oct 43 – Closed 01 Dec 44) RNZAF Hospital commanded by STR (Sister) KS Williams – whole period
CO “Bedford Wing” (Opened 01 Jul 43 – Closed Sep 44) Not listed. Bedford seemed to house a number of “medical units”, so could have also come under the command of STR (Sister) KS Williams
CO “Cheshire Wing” (Opened 01 Jul 43 – Closed Sep 44) 01 Jul 43 FGOFF WR Caton Nov 43 WGCDR EG Gedge MC Apr 44 SQNLDR A George DFC DFM Jun 44 FGOFF J Baker SQNLDR WB Cowan DFC – Until Cheshire wing closed (Sep 44)
CO “Dorset Wing” (Opened Sep 43 – Closed 26 Apr 44) Sep 43 SQNLDR SN Wiltshire GM Jan 44 SQNLDR A George DFC DFM
CO “Evesham Wing” (Opened Aug 43 – Closed 31 Jan 45) Aug 43 SQNLDR McGregor-Turnbull 01 May 44 SQNLDR C Weinstein SQNLDR LW Garrard Until Evesham wing closed 31 Jan 45
CO “Fareham Wing” (Opened 16 Oct 43 – Closed 11 Nov 44) SQNLDR Clare SQNLDR WB Cowan DFC Sep 44 SQNLDR J Joll DFC DFM *(Commanded Guernsey at the same time) SQNLDR HH Blackwell
CO “Guernsey Wing” (Opened Feb 44 – Closed 16 Dec 44) Feb 44 WGCDR VGH Gee RAF 15 Feb 44 SQNLDR JT Davison GM Sep 44 SQNLDR J Joll DFC DFM *(Commanded Fareham at the same time) SQNLDR MD Nairn – Until Guernsey wing closed 16 Dec 44
[glow=red,2,300]Another RNZAF Unit found in the Marlborough area which was administered by the Delta from Apr 44 until control passed to RNZAF Woodbourne on 01 Nov 44 until it closed in Apr 45, was No 2 Convalescent Depot. The camp was established on the west point of East Bay, near Dieffenbach, “Curious Cove”. The camp was to provide an ideal environment for men recovering from sickness or injury.[/glow]
Source – The Delta, Military Camp – RNZAF Station by Robert E Montgomery
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Post by Bruce on Jun 16, 2006 11:34:48 GMT 12
There is a kids Holiday camp at Curious Cove nowdays - I wonder if that is on the site of the convalescent depot? I know a lot of former military buildings became youth camps etc postwar.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 16, 2006 14:34:47 GMT 12
Thanks very much Sean, that'll be really helpful.
Yes, the Narrows Camp on the Waikato River was an RNZAF camp too for men working at Rukuhia. I know of another RNZAF convalescent hospital, possibly No. 1, which was at Rotorua.
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Post by SEAN on Aug 11, 2006 14:21:44 GMT 12
Dave Found some more, this time for RNZAF Station Taieri: Officially opened 20 Oct 1939 SQNLDR GL Stedman 20 Oct 39 - 22 Jan 44 WGCDR RJ Sinclair 23 Jan 42 - 30 Apr 42 SQNLDR AC Parson 01 May 42 - 17 Jul 42 SQNLDR Gilkison 17 Jul 42 - 20 Aug 43 SQNLDR PA Matheson 24 Aug 43 - 25 Sep 44 SQNLDR KB Robinson 26 Sep 44 06 Nov 44 WGCDR WR Kofoed 04 Nov 44 - Source - RNZAF Station Taieri - Station History, Published by RNZAF Station Taieri 194?.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 11, 2006 23:10:19 GMT 12
Brill, cheers mate!
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