Avro Anson

[kiwithrottlejockey]

[Gavin Conroy]

Some photos taken in the last couple of days, video link below.



















And some from a couple of weeks back.

[saratoga]

Excellents pics, Though I don't rate the Ansons chances against the Focke Wulf..or is he just playing cat and mouse...

[Dave Homewood]

Fantastic photos Gavin. I really like the one of it just lifting off, or is it touching down, taken from behind.

[ngatimozart]

Magic, real magic Gavin.

[DragonflyDH90]

That's taking off Dave, didn't realise I used that much rudder

[ErrolC]

I've been enjoying these over the last few days as Facebook auto-posts to Twitter, great stuff.

Is the runway at Omaka normally one of a couple of bearings, or does it vary to more closely match the wind direction?

[DragonflyDH90]

There are multiple vectors (three) at Omaka so you can be into wind for takeoff or landing 99% of the time. One is quite a bit shorter than the other two.

For the airshow one is removed to allow the public area.

If it really got knarly at Omaka you can take off and land just about anywhere on the field, as is sometimes the case with the WWI machines.

[ErrolC]

Thanks Ryan.
I wonder how many bottles of Wither Hills you have to buy for them to let you go down their road

[rogersharpe]

Sept 30, 2012 22:32:18 GMT 12 harrysone said:

looking mighty fine in her element up at Ardmore yesterday...

[rogersharpe]

Beautiful pictures of the Anson!! Hello from CANADA. I'm writing a book about No. 5 Service Flying Training School in Canada. They trained on Ansons there. I'm looking for some good pictures of the Anson and was wondering if I could publish several of your pictures in my book. Regards. Roger Sharpe

[rogersharpe]

Beautiful pictures of the Anson!! Hello from CANADA. I'm writing a book about No. 5 Service Flying Training School in Canada. They trained on Ansons there. I'm looking for some good pictures of the Anson and was wondering if I could publish several of your pictures in my book. Regards. Roger Sharpe

[Peter Lewis]

Roger, it's probably best if you send a PM to the person you wish to contact and carry out your negotiations about reproduction in your book away from the public eye.

[Dave Homewood]

Oct 22, 2012 12:04:31 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Some people here are no doubt aware of the significance of the markings that this aircraft wears - the aircraft K6183 VX-B was being flown by New Zealander P/O Laurie Edwards on the 5th of September 1939 over the North Sea when he and his crew spotted a German U-boat on the surface and went in to look closer. They were attacked by a Heinkel He115 and the two aircraft had a dogfight in which the Anson was shot down into the sea. The Germans in the Heinkel floatplane alighted and rescued the only survivor of the crash, kiwi Laurie Edwards. They took him to a German hospital and he became NZ's first ever POW of the war, and the first Allied officer captured by the Germans. So really historic and a great scheme to choose.

Some interesting newspaper articles about Laurie Edwards' capture. This first couple from the Press (Christchurch), 16 September 1939

N.Z. PILOT IN BERLIN

Reported Broadcast From Hospital

MAN WHO WAS POSTED AS MISSING

(PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.)

HAWERA. September 15

According to a shortwave message from a German broadcasting station at 12.10 pm. to-day. Flying Officer L. H. Edwards, of Patea. who was posted as missing after a raid on Wilhelmshavcn and Kiel on the first day of the war is now an inmate of a German hospital suffering from burns on the face and minor injuries. Two of his companions in the bomber are also said to be in the same hospital. The broadcast was picked up by several people.

All rescued men were said to have spoken a few words in English during an interview with a German announcer in hospital. The message of Edwards described how he was shot down and, with his two companions, rescued by the crew of a German aeroplane. “It is hard to remember exactly what happened,” he said. “It was all so sudden. We were shot down and thrown into the water, and my face was badly burned."

Other members of the crew of the bomber, a flight sergeant from Yorkshire, and a man from County Tipperary, Ireland, were also reported to be injured, one receiving a broken jaw. and the other an injury to a foot.

Upon reaching the water the three men began to swim, and the German aeroplane descended and rescued all of them. They were at onffe admitted to hospital, from where the broadcast was made.

INTERVIEW WITH ANNOUNCER

GERMANS THANKED FOR GOOD TREATMENT

WELLINGTON. September 15. The broadcast by Flying Officer Edwards from the German shortwave station was in the form of question and answer. Those taking part were Flying Officer Edwards, Sergeant Flattery, of Tipperary, Ireland, and Aircraftsman George Booth, of Yorksnire, with a German announcer. The questions were asked and answered, then re-spoken by the announcer in the German language. Sergeant Flattery, who has an injured jaw, and Aircraftsman Booth, whose foot was broken in the crash into the sea, spoke, apparently from hospital of the good treatment they were receiving, and thanked their rescuers for the risks they had run in picking them up.

The broadcast did not give any indication of the date or place of the crash into the sea, nor of their place of detention. The authorities in Wellington have no cabled information of the rescue of Flying Officer Edwards; though under international custom the names and state of prisoners of war are to be notified with little delay. However, the lists may be delayed for days and even weeks or months. There is reason for the highest hope that Flying Officer Edwards and his companions are safe. Edwards is a son of Mr and Mrs C. A. Edwards, of Patea. They have been advised of the broadcast from Germany.

REPORT FROM NEW YORK

AMERICAN’S INTERVIEW WITH EDWARDS

NEW YORK. September 14.
Flying Officer L. Edwards, the New Zealander who was captured on September 4 when he was shot down in the Royal Air Force raid on Wilhelmshaven, has three, worries. The first is when he can get pay so that he can buy cigarettes, the second whether he can engage in sports while he is a prisoner, and the third how long it will take him to learn German. This was reported by a National Broadcasting Company commentator broadcasting to America from Berlin, who said that he had talked to Edwards and his fellow-prisoners. Sergeant Booth and Aircraftsman Slattery. He said that Edwards still seemed dazed and afraid to speak for fear of giving away something which the British Air Ministry did not want known. All said that they were well treated, getting the best medical care for the injuries they received when their aeroplane crashed into the sea. The three seemed surprised at the friendly treatment, and the Germans expressed surprise that they expected any other treatment.

[Dave Homewood]

And this from the AUCKLAND STAR, 16 SEPTEMBER 1939

WAS EDWARDS' RADIO BROADCAST A FAKE?

PRESS REPORT.

Grave Nature Of Possible Offence.

ANTI-BRITISH PROPAGANDA.

United Press Association. Copyright. (Received 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, September 15.

The "Evening News" states that L. H. Edwards, previously reported missing and later a prisoner of war in Germany, was an equipment officer in the R.A.F. Volunteer Reserve and his home is at Patea, Taranaki.

It adds that the broadcast was obviously a typical German fake.

Actually it was a recorded conversation, probably recorded without the airmen's knowledge, while they thought they were answering a few general inquiries from the airmen who brought them down.

Sir John Anderson, Minister of Civil Defence, stated that British subjects employed as for anti-British radio propaganda may have to meet charges of the most grave character after the war.

A New York cable says that Pilot-Officer Edwards, who was captured on September 4 when his machine was shot down in the Royal Air Force raid on Wilhelmshaven, has three worries. Firstly, when he will get his pay so he can buy cigarettes; secondly, whether he can engage in sports or aviation while a prisoner, and, thirdly, how long it will take him to learn German. This was revealed by a National Broadcasting Company commentator broadcasting to the United States from Berlin.

The commentator said he had talked with Pilot-Officer Edwards and his fellow prisoners, Sergeant George Booth and Aircraftsman F. Slattery.

Airman Dazed,
"Edwards still seemed dazed and afraid to speak for fear of giving away something the British Air Ministry did not want known," he added.

All the prisoners said they were well treated and were getting the best medical carc for the injuries they received when their machine crashed into the sea. The three seemed surprised at their friendly treatment, while the Germans expressed surprise that they expected any other treatment.

The Columbia Broadcasting System has reported picking up an actual interview with Pilot-Officer Edwards and his companions from a German station, the interviewer being the pilot of the German machine which shot down the bomber. The German interview revealed that Aircraftsman Slattery had dislocated a jaw and Sergeant Booth suffered a broken foot.

An Independent Cable Service message from London says that Pilot-Officer Edwards was the first official British casualty of the war. He was promoted to the rank of pilot-officer on April 12. He was officially posted as missing, and his next of kin in New Zealand notified.

[Dave Homewood]

I wonder if the recordings of these broadcasts still exist.

[pvsjetstar]

I can't imagine captors being so gentlemanly in today's warfare climate!!