Crewing Up

[hornetsquadron]

Sorry if this has been asked before, but did RNZAF Pacific Bomber Crews have a similar crewing up process to their European Theatre companions?
Often you read about Bomber Command aircrew at OTU's being assembled in a large hangar and being told to sort themselves out into crews. Did RNZAF Ventura, Avenger and Dauntless crews have a smiliar method or was it more of the American method and go where you are told?

[Dave Homewood]

With the Hudson crews it initially happened on the squadron as they converted from Vildebeests/Vincents to Hudsons and was just a matter of being put into a crew by the squadron I believe, not selecting your own. The Hudson had initially a crew of just three, just like the V-bombers had, that increased to four and then five.

However later as more crews were being trained the pilots, navigators and wireless operator-air gunners would come off their courses and assemble at No. 1 (Bomber) Operational Training Unit, and yes the same process happened of all being put into a room and you mingled till you found a crew you liked. With the RNZAF and NZ being so small it was often they found people they previously knew from training, or the recruiting phase or even from school, etc, to become a crew with. This applied to later new Hudson and also Ventura crews. The Hudsons had a second pilot in the crew and after their first tour they would be sent to the School of General Reconnaissance for an advanced course, then they would crew up again - either on squadron or at the OTU, it depended per person it seems, and become the captain. Venturas only had one pilot in the crew. Often on a second tour they'd go with essentially the same crew but maybe some changes due to postings and illness.

The Avenger and Dauntless squadrons didn't seem to have a formal OTU, they crewed up on squadron I believe. I don't know if they were directed into a crew or if they chose their crewmates.