The All New December 05 RNZAF Quiz

[Dave Homewood]

We haven't had a quiz in some time, so here goes:

1) Which two seat aircraft type did No. 2 (GR) Squadron use as the squadron communications aircraft whilst operating Hudsons from RNZAF Station Nelson?

2) Name five aircraft types used by No. 1 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit

3) Who was the first women to reach the rank of Warrant Officer in the WAAF?

4) Who was New Zealand's first qualified military pilot?

5) What was an ADU in the RNZAF?

6) What was the nature of the nose art applied the General Reconnaissance School's Ansons? It had a common theme. Can you name each artwork known?

7) In which year did the RNZAF's Harvard display team become officially known as The Red Checkers?

8) Which company made the top turrets fitted to the RNZAF Hudsons?

9) Which company made the top turrets fitted to the RNZAF Venturas?

10) Who was the RNZAF's only female pilot during WWII?

[corsair67]

Yay, another quiz. here are some stabs in the dark.

5. Aircraft Development Unit?

7. 1967?

9 Martin?

[Dave Homewood]

5) Incorrect

7) Correct - the team gained its name and famous checkers on the cowl in late 1967.

9) Correct

[Bruce]

O.K - as always Dave, your quizzes are really tough - here goes:
1. Hawker Tomtit?
2. Anson, Hudson, ventura, Mosquito, Canberra
5. Aerodrome Defence Unit
6. Walt Disney cartoons - Ferdinand the Bull?
8. Fraser - Nash (such a draggy turret had to be British!)

[Dave Homewood]

1. Incorrect

2. Two correct - Hudson and Ventura (No. 1 (B) OTU wasn't still going after the war, was it? I refer only to WWII by the way. Sorry if i have confused the issue)

5. Correct - these were units made from new recruits brought into the RNZAF before their flying training course commenced. Basically they were given army uniforms and RNZAF hats, and their major function was to act as a sort of Home Guard for the RNZAF. They gaurded aircraft from sabotage, and other facilities on bases. Some also had anti-aircraft guns. Whilst not on this duty they would do drill, work in the class room getting prepared and up to skill in theory for their flying training course, and also do menial stuff like sweeping hangars. Some also helped ground trades out sometimes when needed with mechanical or clerical work. An interesting part of RNZAF life now largely forgotten. From about 1942 onwards almost all aircrew passed through an ADU on their way to training, till the war's end.

6. Yes, they were Disney film characters. Ferdinand the Bull was one, on NZ403. Can anyone name the others? I know of several more.

8. No, incorrect.

[corsair67]

Another (small) bite of the pie:

8. Boulton Paul?

[Dave Homewood]

8. Correct Craig

[Bruce]

Another crack at #2...
Hawker Hind, Airspeed Oxford, Vickers Vildebeeste?

I think after the war, there was just THE BOTU (which used mossies and Canberras at some stage)

[corsair67]

Here's another stab in the dark.....

10. Jean Batten?

[Dave Homewood]

Bruce - Yes for Oxford and I'll concede Vincent rather than Vilde (they may have had Vilde's too), but I don't know of the unit using Hind. There's one other type they did use for sure. It has one engine.

Craig - Sorry, no. She was living in the UK by then.

[Dave Homewood]

As no-one else is having a punt, here are the answers to the unanswered questions

1) Which two seat aircraft type did No. 2 (GR) Squadron use as the squadron communications aircraft whilst operating Hudsons from RNZAF Station Nelson?

A de Havilland Moth Minor (you can see it in a photo of a 2GR Hudson in Brendon Deere's book 'Military Wings Volume 2'. It actually looks to be in a dark scheme, maybe black, but it may just be the photo and it may be in camouflage I guess.

2) Name five aircraft types used by No. 1 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit

Hudson
Ventura
Oxford
Vincent
and
Harvard (target tug)

3) Who was the first women to reach the rank of Warrant Officer in the WAAF?

W/O Frances Briars (a WAAF barrack block was named after her at Wigram but it has now been demolished I believe

4) Who was New Zealand's first qualified military pilot?

I had hoped this one might spark some interesting debate but I guess it's too obscure. The first member of the the New Zealand Defence Force to qualify as a pilot was 2nd Lt. W.W.J. Burn. He qualified on the 14th of February 1914.

So, I wonder what status Joe Hammond held, was he simply a civilian Government employee, and not a military pilot?

6) What was the nature of the nose art applied the General Reconnaissance School's Ansons? It had a common theme. Can you name each artwork known?

Other artworks seen on Ansons include:
- Mickey Mouse as the Wizard's Apprecice from Fantasia swinging his axe on NZ412
- Dopey the Donkey on NZ404
- Dumbo the Elephant on NZ413
- Ben Ali Gator on unknown Anson

Do you know of others?


10) Who was the RNZAF's only female pilot during WWII?

June Howden - who later married Bob Gummer and is now Mrs June Gummer. She was a pilot before the war and volunteered for RNZAF service during WWII. She worked in the capacity of a pilot doing ground duties such as air traffic contrrol, but the RNZAF refused to let her fly, which was a shame. She decided eventually to leave the RNZAF and went to Britain to join the ATA, where she was one of four NZ women who flew for the service during WWII, delivering aircraft to stations, etc. The other three women were Jane Winstone, Betty Black and Trevor Hunter.

Trevor (yes, it is a girls name too apparently) is mentioned on my site by the way, having flown with Teddy Harvie on the first North Calpe to Bluff flight. Jane Winstone was killed on the 10th of Feb 1944 when the Spitfire she was flying had engine failure shortly after take off.

From what I've read the other three girls didn't serve with the RNZAF.

[steve]

Question...how many qualified pilots are currently in the RNZAF and how many are female?

[Dave Homewood]

Hmmm, interesting one Steve. Anyone know?

RNZAFHusband - any idea? Sean?

[SEAN]

Without being to specific for obvious reasons, it is around the 200 mark (TRADE = PILOT), with Qty 8 being woman, and Qty 2 woman currently under training. As for "current" pilots, I could not tell you.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Sean. That's not too many women pilots since i was in the mob. I remember one strike pilot then, one helo pilot (Angie someone I think) and another girl who was training that was on a course I taught survival to. Not a huge jump in 12 years.

[SEAN]

Yer there were a few more than this when we had the ACF, but I guess they moved on to other Air Forces. It was interesting to not that the most senior was a FLTLT.

[Dave Homewood]

I remember female engineering tradespeople were few and far between too in my day. There was one LAC Aircraft Tech on Tech Sqn at Wigram when i was there, i forget her name. And Tech Sqn's last Engineering Officer was Flt Lt Teresa Cunningham, who from memory was originally Avionics. She also worked as E/O to the Red Checkers. I don't remmeber any other female techies throughout my career.

Have the numbers on that front increased?

[steve]

Thanks Sean...I'm really surprised I would have thought 20% female pilots...i wonder how that compares with our allies/friends?? I underatnd that in the New Zealand armed forces there is NO restricions now on any females serving in any comat role inc..infantry,tanks air combat (if we had any!) Naval warfare and even the SAS ... I believe the aussies us and uk still have limitations on their positions??