Harvard trainers

[Dave Homewood]

Here are some photos from Graeme Ronayne's collection of Harvards from when he was training as a pilot. They include some air to air shots which must be rare to see.

I wondered at first if these were OTU aircraft or even squadron aircraft as they are camoulaged.

However looking just now more closely they probably have the yellow side panels of SFTS aircraft I think, and especially one shot where there's a long beach below there looks to be a lake next to it, and I wonder if that's Lake Grassmere? If so, they're probably No. 2 SFTS aircraft from Woodbourne.

Anyway, i hope you like them. There are a few others but they're so fuzzy they're not that great. Rememebr these are from tiny box brownie snaps that would have been hand developed by the user, so they're not top quality prints sadly.






Above is the one where I wondered if it is Lake Grassmere below.




Above - that looks like practice bombs in the chap's hands


This one is a crashed example, and it seems from other photos that a Vincent or Vilde may have been involved too, as it is seen sans wheels sitting on its belly. A reminder, the wheels don't retract on the V-bombers

[Dave Homewood]

As for the Harvards in these photos, I don't know the identities of those in the first photo.

Photo Two the numbers 45 and I think 82 can be seen on their sides, and I think the serial number for "45" is NZ945.

Photo Three has the number "41" on the side. Maybe NZ941

Photo Four is obviously 74. Maybe NZ974

Photo Five is "53" but I don't know if this is NZ953 or maybe, just maybe Simon's NZ1053? I think probably the former, as it looks to my untrained eye like a Mk II. They all do.

Photo Six - unknown

Photo Seven - unknown.

Do the hills look like those around Woodbourne?

[flyjoe180]

Dave, awesome photos of Harvards in their original environments. The identities are dificult to tell, but the terrain does look like the Marlborough region to me.

[Bruce]

The aircraft are early Mark IIs possibly still with wooden rear fuselages (the damage on the crashed aircraft looks more like splintered wood than buckled metal, In the picture with the guy holding the bombs, the luggage bay door normally seen on metal fuse Harvards doesnt seem to be apparent). That would definitely give them "900" series serials. They are very early in modification status - note the rear canopy framing, long exhausts, venturis on the fuselage sides, absence of cowl gun fairings, and offset pitot heads. Pictures of these early harvards are not common, so its great to see these. They do have bomb racks, antenna masts and ring and bead gunsights, which suggests they are operating as advanced trainers. The scenery is difficult to make out, but does look like Marlborough.

[Damon]

Here are some photos from Graeme Ronayne's collection of Harvards !!!

Dave ,where are the rest! Some very nice pictures .Can you post the rest ,eventhough they are not the greatest they will be very welcome.

Damon

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Bruce, that's what I was thinking and had it confirmd offline by another member that they're Mk II's.

Damon, did you see the other thread of Graeme's photos here?
rnzaf.proboards43.com/index.cgi?board=Wartime&action=display&thread=1180500236

I'll sort the less good Harvard shots out soon

[Damon]

Yes Dave, I saw the other photos of Graeme's .The F4U pictures .I really enjoyed those ones.

I managed to get to see John Smiths Collection earlier this year.It was fantastic to see the Harvards he had there exp. the MkII's .
One almost complete the other in many many peices.Like going back into a time warp.
The Mk II's are in many ways my favourites of the RNZAF Harvard's

[Dave Homewood]

Here are the others

[Dave Homewood]

And one of the photos of the downed Vincent or Vildebeest (most of the photos of this are terrible and are less than two inches across, so hard to get detail, but one shows that wrecked Harvard is near the bellied in Vincent)

[Damon]

Dave wrote.. And one of the photos of the downed Vincent or Vildebeest (most of the photos of this are terrible and are less than two inches across, so hard to get detail, but one shows that wrecked Harvard is near the bellied in Vincent)

Was'nt a good day That Day to be flying !

The pictures may lack details ,but are certainly priceless. What a snapshot in time.

Thanks for sharing them with us Dave!

[Dave Homewood]

Whoops that Vincent photo didn't quite load right but you get the idea.

This incident could be Vincent NZ344 the collided with Harvard II NZ972 at Lake Grassmere landing strip on the 11th of March 1944.

[Dave Homewood]

Another of the Vincent

[hvd1041]

Hello

Here's a photo I have of NZ1041 while serving on 2 OTU at Ohakea in 1944- obviously a bit of an 'oops' but nice shot showing the OD-4 codes etc...I think the Sqn codes and forward cowl are red...which is what the P-40s had I believe. I understand the OTU had Qty 4 Harvards on strength..the rest being P-40s.

Does anyone have any OTU Harvard photos ...or perhaps some additional info ?

rgds
John.

uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/jds_ilfc/detail?.dir=33ebre2&.dnm=dcb9re2.jpg&.src=ph

[Dave Homewood]

This No. 1 OTU Harvard comes from Brendon Deere's 'Military wings Volume Two'



This is a postwar Harvard from the same book, you have to wonder how it ended up in a Woodbourne tank trap! Must have been a taxiing instructional airframe.

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a nice sideshot of the Harvard that was restored to Wartime OTU colours at Ohakea, from NZ Wings Dec 1978-Jan 1979 issue

[flyjoe180]

That would be the same colour scheme worn by ZK-WAR, NZ1092.

[Dave Homewood]

Pretty much, yes.

[tbf25o4]

The harvard in the ditch was being used as a "recovery" exercise by the airframe trainees at Woodbourne