New Zealand bombers with 100 ops

[Dave Homewood]

Another possibility regarding interesting colour schemes of NZ-connected Lancasters is perhaps you could get Hong Kong Models to sponsor the NZBCA with a number of their new 1/32 scale kitsets (or Tamiya with their 1/48 kit) and make up a display of various bombers with special nose arts and histories connected to the NZBCA - such as all the 100+ op Lancs which had kiwi crew members, and Taipo, and NE148 that Noel Stokes crashed in (with Donald Duck artwork), and Les Munro's Lancasters, and the special ops No. 101 Squadron Lancaster currently depicted, etc.

That way you would have maybe 15 Lancasters lined up in a display, that would really capture the imagination of younger folk and show the public the varying roles and squadrons, and each tells its own unique and amazing story. Just a thought.

[pjw4118]

Now thats a thought.We are about to upgrade the current "empty " display cabinets and really want to refresh the diorama with some expert help ...hint .
There is quite a lot of floor space still available and ideas so far are ,, a display nav table with charts etc , radio sets with live feed on demand and temporary displays or art/photo exhibitions.
They all need to fit in with the rules and our ability to obtain funding.

[tonywest]

Re PB150 CF-V I believe that the Kiwi nose-art was probably added by the first crew led by P/O Trevor G Wilson who completed a tour in it. The next crew was a mixture of RAF and RAAF, the pilot being Ted Twynam from NSW. My uncle Archie was the mid-upper gunner. As bad luck would have it they were rested for a mission to Bochum on November 3rd, and CF-V was assigned to another crew. The mission was put off a day because of bad weather, and 5 extra crews were needed. They took CF-Y (PB-154) and were lost over the target.
This is a photo of CF-V probably taken in October by the pilot. Archie is on the left of the four crew members.

I wish I had a copy of "Watch the Down Wind" written by Jeanette Adams, a Leicestershire girl who married F/L Rod Hoffman from Invercargill who was the bomb aimer in the crew of George Reynolds, their regular aircraft being CF-L. After the war they returned to New Zealand.
 J N Harvey was the youngest RAAF pilot to complete a tour, and flew with 625. He survived the war and was the original founder of "Harvey's World Travel"

[pinuche0706]

Jan 7, 2013 13:30:08 GMT 12 Glen T said:

Hi guys, Thanks for your msgs. I'll see if Mel will let me post a picc of his print of NE181 asap. He has done so much great artwork for me, all the ties, scarves, lapelpins and the banner/flag all have his aircraft artwork, and will also be doing one of the Mosquito for Gerry Yagen.. and Gerry was very interested about this at Ardmore 'that day'.

Re Ballingall above.

Two brothers.... (from Colin Hanson's Sqn Nominal Roll).

Alexander Stewart Ballingall. NZ 2286. Sqn Ldr, Pilot and Flt Commander. 75(NZ)Sqn, 8May to 21 Jul 1945. RAF Mepal. DOD unknown.

Barry Gordon Ballingall. NZ4215138. W/O, WOAG. 75(NZ)Sqn 17Jul to 5Oct 1945, RAF Spilsby. Tiger Force. Lives in Wanganui. c/w O.J.T. Hodgson (as W/Op), who lives in Whangamata.

So it was Alexander Stewart who would have flown NE181.
Seems Alex and Barry only met up at Luffenham briefly, and maybe at Mepal for a day or so.
I'll give Barry a call and see if he remembers anything of NE181 or has Alex's logbooks!

For 514 Squadron RAF history, I am looking for relatives, photos, log book scans, documents about Barry Gordon Ballingall and his Hodgson crew, as follows.
RNZAF airmen of the crew while at 514 Sqn, whom flew both 514 Sqn (at least 3 sorties from May to July 1945) and 75(NZ)Sqn, were:
- NZ4213260 P/O Oliver Joseph Tate Hodgson (Pilot)
- NZ438691 F/S John Gower Hughes (Navigator)
- NZ4212790 F/S Vivian Francis Dufty (Bomb Aimer)
- NZ4215138 F/S Barry Gordon Ballingall (WOP)
- NZ423107 F/S Roy Newling Spence (Mid Upper Gunner)
- NZ427034 F/S P. Turner (Rear Gunner) - unknown spelling for the firstname.

[errolmartyn]

Nov 24, 2016 7:26:41 GMT 12 pinuche0706 said:

- NZ427034 F/S P. Turner (Rear Gunner) - unknown spelling for the firstname.

Patrick Michael Turner.

Errol

[pinuche0706]

Thank you Errol

[pjw4118]

Roger, I have copies of both Oliver Hodgsons (died this year) and John Hughes albums and a copy of Olivers logbook. They are part of the NZBCA Archives. Here are a couple of shots

[pjw4118]

That's Barry Ballingall above

[pinuche0706]

Peter, thank you for your post
- Any identification on the Oliver Hodgson's crew photo?

I know from left, the ranks below being those recorded in ORBs on 12/07/1944,
1st: NZ4215138 F/S Barry Gordon Ballingall (WOP/AG)
2nd: NZ438691 F/S John Gower Hughes (Navigator)
4th: NZ4213260 P/O Oliver Joseph Tate Hodgson (Pilot)
5th: 1397533 F/S MS "Jock" Jenner (F/Engineer) RAFVR
the three others of the crew being in unknown order:
maybe 3rd: NZ4212790 F/S Vivian Francis "Viv" Dufty (Bomb Aimer)
and, NZ427034 F/S Patrick Michael Turner (Mid Upper Gunner)
NZ423107 F/S Roy Newling Spence (Rear Gunner)

- Another crew having used the same A/C ME535 JI-G on 25/06/1945, I have to cross-check data of that day. Do you have the page right side of Hodgson's logbook, and left and right page of John Hughes logbook?
I am looking for hours of take-off, landing and flight.

- In your album of "Les Adams (30)", is this Adams NZ414255 (or NZ414225) F/O Leslie Arthur "Les" Adams? Recorded in 514 Sqn ORBs NZ414255 and in Cenotaph NZ414225. He flew at 514 Sqn from March 1945 until 30 July, and possibly till Squadron disbanded 22 August 1945.

[pjw4118]

In Olivers logbook he records the flight of 25/6 as 5.25 hours day and 1.50 hours night , no take off or landings time. I don't have John Hughes logbook just his album.
The crew photo from left
Ballingal,Hughes,Spence,Hodgson ,Jenner,Turner, Dufty.

The Les Adams album I have records his service in the Pacific as a ground engineer , he did not serve in Europe.

[errolmartyn]

Nov 27, 2016 4:08:27 GMT 12 pinuche0706 said:

- In your album of "Les Adams (30)", is this Adams NZ414255 (or NZ414225) F/O Leslie Arthur "Les" Adams? Recorded in 514 Sqn ORBs NZ414255 and in Cenotaph NZ414225. He flew at 514 Sqn from March 1945 until 30 July, and possibly till Squadron disbanded 22 August 1945.

NZ414225 is correct for Adams. NZ414255 belongs to Walter Ross Craig.

Errol

[pinuche0706]

Thank you, Peter and Errol

[redsix1]

Hello from the new guy. 

In re:  Lancaster III, EE129,  on page 17 of his book for 1944, Chorley gives its loss date as  1 - 2 January 1944, on a mission to Berlin, with a Kiwi pilot, F/L L C Kingsbury RNZAF.  All 7 aircrew became POWs.

Clearly needs a reconciliation.

Cheers,

G.

[errolmartyn]

May 20, 2012 14:50:01 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

According to Garbett and Goulding in "Lancaster" they could only trace a total of 28 Lancasters that did make the 100 mark and beyond. It explains how there is almost always doubt in the count and discrepancies often between the bomb talley marks on the nose and the ORB and other records.

However of the 28 they found they detail and have photos of:

. . .

Lancaster BIII EE129 BQ-B Phantom of the Ruhr 121 ops, scrapped 1946

/quote]

Should read EE139.

Errol

[brendon]

Hi and thanks for accepting me into the group. My Grandfather Eric Ian Waters (Rex)NZ422445 had Kiwi connections to a 100 op Lanc. He flew EE136 spirit of Russia 5th October 1944 in one of his ops with 9 squadron. Also with him was Ernest Frederick French NZ416809 who i believe was the crews Engineer. These two flew in quite a few of my Grandfathers 22 ops together. I have the crews picture with 9 squadrons LM220-Y (getting younger everyday). If any of Ernests family are out there id love to see if they can identify which one/if he is also in the pic.Thanks!

[Dave Homewood]

May 29, 2012 11:27:19 GMT 12 pjw4118 said:

With Mossies there certainly were a few especially on the OBOE equipped 105 and 109 Sq aircraft that would do two trips in one night ( with different crews ) . On 109 Sq there were 10 NZ pilots , one aircraft they flew HS P The Grim Reaper flew over 140 operations.

Here are three photos posted today by Matthew O'Sullivan on the Air Force Museum of New Zealand's photo site from the collection of Wallis George Finlay of No. 109 Squadron 100-op Mossies. Very interesting to see these as it is usually the Grim Reaper seen but these ones also have great artworks.


ALB1307612052 - Image from the Wallis George Finlay personal collection.
No. 109 Squadron ground crew in front of Mosquito HS-H at RAF Station Little Staughton.
Nose art of 101 mission markers and a knight riding a rampant horse.
Handwritten on the album page under the print "Little Staughton 1944."


ALB1307612048 Image from the Wallis George Finlay personal collection.
No. 109 Squadron air- and ground crew in front of Mosquito HS-B at RAF Station Little Staughton.
Nose art of 100 mission markers and a shamrock with "Semper Paratus." [Always ready]
Handwritten on the album page beside the print "109 Squadron Little Staughton Hunts. 1944."


This one has 140 op markings!
2013-076.59 Image from the Wallis George Finlay personal collection.
Group. 'A' Flight of No. 109 Squadron at RAF Station Little Staughton.
L-R: Back; Jackson, Finlay, Pritchard, Garratt, Davy, Powell, Creswell, Curtis, Palmer, Bramfeld, Skitch, Lambert, Carpenter, Locatelli, Fellowes, Simpson.
Middle; Pizan, Franklin, Dean, Morgan, Bowley, Dray, Falkinder, Williamson, Lendon, Dennant, Law, Burt, Douglas, Bond, Rostron, Mountain, Wright, Sanders, Fraser, Trenerry, Hofgartner.
Front; Burnett, Cox, Angood, Greenhill, Garner, Powles, Parkin, Funnell, Beardsall, Gilmore, Laing, Brown, Rowley, Marriott, Henderson.