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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2011 15:15:19 GMT 12
Based on the info supplied here, and some details from By Such Deeds by Colin Hanson, I have compiled this list of the Meteor pilots. If anyone can add in full names, service numbers and other pilots I'd appreciate it.  |
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 18, 2011 15:37:31 GMT 12
Based on the info supplied here, and some details from By Such Deeds by Colin Hanson, I have compiled this list of the Meteor pilots. If anyone can add in full names, service numbers and other pilots I'd appreciate it. Dave, NZ425685 Frank Stewart Adeane NZ1065 George Robert Brabyn (also appears in BSD) NZ424526 Maxwell Scannell (no middle name) Errol |
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 18, 2011 15:46:32 GMT 12
The R.Bush at Ardmore is probably Roy Bush who flew Hurricanes in the B. of B. with 242 Squadron under the command of Douglas Bader, and was killed when his Oxford broke up in flight over the Ruahines in '47. It could also have been Flt Lt Ronald George Bush who was a P-40 and Corsair pilot and served till 8th of October 1946 according to By Such Deeds by Colin Hanson. Roy Bush was probably already a Sqn Ldr by the time he transferred to the RNZAF in march 1946, I'd have thought, as he was a Flt Lt in 1941. R G Bush was a flight lieutenant throughout 1946 until transferred to the reserve in October of that year. Roy Bush was transferred from the RAF to the RNZAF on 31 March 1946 as flight lieutenant (acting squadron leader). He reverted to flight lieutenant on 15 May 1946. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2011 16:31:32 GMT 12
Thanks Errol, so it could have been either Roy Bush or Ronald Bush. Hmm.
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Post by shorty on Jul 18, 2011 17:19:59 GMT 12
F/L H.M. Eccersall had a motor sieze on Corsair NZ5328 and the prop flew off during flight to New Zealand. Put aircraft on a reef of Guadalcanal 19-9-45. On retirement he settled in Blenhiem. Got to know him in the early 80s
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Post by McFly on Jul 18, 2011 17:53:27 GMT 12
Here's a few from the Air Force Museum collection.  Commanding Officers inspection of Number 75 Squadron. Personnel in front of Meteor NZ6001 at Royal New Zealand Air Force Station Ohakea - 20 Feb 1948. (OhOG4464~48)  Gloster Meteor NZ6001 landing at Paraparaumu airfield - Circa 1946. (MUS031023)  Formerly EE395, NZ6001 was the Royal new Zealand Air Force's first jet aircraft - Feb 1946. (pr8257)  "At Wigram 1946". Two Chance Vought Corsairs and Gloster Meteor NZ6001 fly over Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram - Circa 1946. (ALB922955013)  Image from the Woolhouse personal album collection. Gloster Meteor NZ6001 shown here at the end of its flying service when it became instructional airframe INST147 at the Technical Training School, Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Hobsonville - Circa 1950's. (ALB990574063)  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2011 18:04:37 GMT 12
Wow, the sound of two Corsairs and those two Derwents must have been something else!
Great photos there Marty. I'm interested to see the Meteor involved in a No. 75 Squadron inspection parade in 1948, this is during the time it was supposedly stored. Did they Squadron have custody of the jet at that stage? Or did it just happen to be hanging around in the background. I also love the fact that the CO is making an inspection in just shorts and rolled-sleeves. He can hardly criticise anyone else. ;D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2011 18:33:18 GMT 12
F/L H.M. Eccersall had a motor sieze on Corsair NZ5328 and the prop flew off during flight to New Zealand. Put aircraft on a reef of Guadalcanal 19-9-45. On retirement he settled in Blenhiem. Got to know him in the early 80s When I talked with Tony Pierard he told me about this as he was flying alongside Henry Eccersall when his prop flew off. He reckons the fact that a) Eccersall just happened to be over a coral reef and managed to get the aircraft down ok and b) the prop never hit anyone else in the formation, was a mircale. They had just set off from Guadalcanal on the leg to Espiritu Santo, and the reef was just off the coast of Guadalcanal. I had hoped to interview Henry Eccersall and contacted his family in Blenheim but discovered he died last year. As well as Corsairs and the Meteor he was in the RNZAF forest fire unit postwar too. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 18, 2011 18:45:36 GMT 12
Here's an update. So we have around 1/3 of the Meteor pilots.  Of course there would have been other RNZAF pilots who flew the No. 14 Squadron Meteors in Cyprus, and also with the RAF in WWII and on postwar exchange. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 19, 2011 20:13:21 GMT 12
Something else that interests me about the Meteor is that it wears a Wing Commander's pennant on the fuselage. The only Wing Commander we have on our list as having flown it is W/C Dick Webb (formerly of No. 485 (NZ) Squadron fame of course). Was this aircraft allocated to him or his unit? It seems a bit odd as the pilot usually associated with the aircraft is Sqn Ldr Bob McKay.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 19, 2011 22:53:38 GMT 12
Here is another photo I got from Peter Thomas's collection. It looks to be at Wigram but I have no further info at all. Peter flew Corsairs but not the Meteor.  |
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Post by shorty on Jul 20, 2011 8:22:49 GMT 12
Good to see everybody wearing the compulsory overcoats! (except that hardy soul in the front row), have him report to the boss front and centre!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 20, 2011 8:25:53 GMT 12
I think it's a gum shoe detective convention?
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Post by McFly on Jul 20, 2011 17:35:30 GMT 12
Something else that interests me about the Meteor is that it wears a Wing Commander's pennant on the fuselage. The only Wing Commander we have on our list as having flown it is W/C Dick Webb (formerly of No. 485 (NZ) Squadron fame of course). Was this aircraft allocated to him or his unit? It seems a bit odd as the pilot usually associated with the aircraft is Sqn Ldr Bob McKay. Some photos of W/C Dick Webb from both his No 485 (NZ) Sqn and Middle East Command time, which I believe was with No 1435 Sqn. (Sorry no Meteor but a Spitfire  ) Flight Lieutenant R. W. Baker (left) and Flying Officer Dick Webb standing in front of a 485 Squadron Supermarine Spitfire - 1942 (pr8942c). Webb was one of Baker's instructors while learning to fly at Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Wigram.  L-R: Wing Commander Schrader, Wing Commander Webb and Buller of Middle East Command. Brindisi, Italy - 1943. (PR10065)  Group of Middle East Command personnel with a Supermarine Spitfire. L-R: Flying Officer Harrison, Wing Commander Schrader and Wing Commander Webb. Brindisi, Italy - 1943 (PR8801b)  (RNZAF Official) A link here to Warren Schrader's Meteor. rnzaf.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Modelling&thread=3233&page=1#23475 |
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Post by tbf25o4 on Jul 26, 2011 14:55:08 GMT 12
I was talking to Fred Tucker at our six monthly luncheon for the "friends of the Air Force Museum" Kapiti branch. He says of his metor flight:
" I was at Ardmore when Jesse DeWilmoff who was scheduled to fly the meteor was suddenly called away. I was given the pilots manual and told to go fly it, but do not bend it.
On my return to Ardmore the aircraft was so fast that I went around the circut three times before I could slow down enough to lower the gear!"
Fred's one and only meteor flight
Paul
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 26, 2011 15:45:26 GMT 12
Great stuff Paul, thanks for that!
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Post by fwx on Aug 13, 2019 17:57:17 GMT 12
Gloster Meteor NZ6001 on display at Ohakea, 7 April 1946.   Pilot, S/L Bob McKay:  Bob McKay left, Mac Baigent right  This appears to be the car park that day, as people were leaving:  At least one of these photos is posted elsewhere on WONZ but I thought I should post these as a set. I was interested to find out that Mac Baigent was good friends with W/C Dick Webb, and I see from this thread that they were both based at Ohakea at the same time, probably where the friendship formed. From the “Mac” Baigent collection, by kind permission of his daughter Jan. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2019 18:06:05 GMT 12
Super photos!
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Aug 13, 2019 19:47:55 GMT 12
NZ6001 was scrapped yeah?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 13, 2019 20:22:26 GMT 12
Yes. Three of its engines survived. Not much else.
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