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Post by shamus on Jul 25, 2011 11:24:57 GMT 12
More Hinds. This Hind trainer is possibly NZ1540. The picture is out of a 'Contact' magazine and shows the pupil under the blind flying hood. This is a line of Hinds of No20 AC Sqn. at Onerahi. A well known RNZAF Museum photo of Hinds at the RNZAF Display at Nelson 1944. A photo of UY-M NZ1529 of No21 AC Sqn. undergoing maintenance at Milson. A close-up of a Hind, poss. NZ1548. A fine shot of ZG-F of No20 AC Sqn. banking somewhere over Northland.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 25, 2011 11:50:38 GMT 12
Jim, on my own list I had NZ1517 as ZG-F. I cannot recall where I got that reference from and on seeing your list I changed it to I. But maybe I should change it back. I obviously saw it somewhere in a photo or written as ZG-F.
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Post by shamus on Jul 25, 2011 11:59:08 GMT 12
Dave, my list also gives it NZ1517 as ZG-F and it definitely was that. It is just possible that it was also ZG-I at one stage, but I am beginning to doubt that now.
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Post by shamus on Jul 25, 2011 12:20:19 GMT 12
In the last shot of my earlier post today, I said the shot of ZG-F was over Northland. However the scenery looks more like the Canterbury plains and was probably taken while this Squadron was on detached flight at Norwood.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 25, 2011 12:22:57 GMT 12
Those latest shots are wonderful. I really like the "flightline" shot at Onerahi, and the maintenance shot at Milson too.
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Post by shamus on Jul 27, 2011 14:19:52 GMT 12
And a few more. NZ1519 of No3SFTS, with its camo. top. A hangar in which there are four Hinds and an Oxford. These two next photos show the remains of a Hind that survived until after the war. Seen here at Hobsonville beside a row of Dauntless SBDs and a Catalina awaiting disposal. Anyone thats knows anything about this Hind, I would be pleased to hear. A photo of NZ1556, UY-B with some of the aircrew in front. Centre leaning back against aircraft, is Barclay Glanville, and far right is Pat Molloy. A photo of ZG-K of No 20 AC Sqn., at Onerahi.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 27, 2011 14:56:52 GMT 12
In that shot of NZ1556 it looks to be one, possibly two Americans with the kiwi pilots?
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Post by buffnut453 on Jul 27, 2011 15:14:13 GMT 12
Interesting that none of the pics of camouflaged Hinds seem to show the shadow compensation scheme (with lighter-toned shades applied to the upper surfaces of the lower wings). Any ideas why the RNZAF differed from RAF practice in this regard?
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Post by pjw4118 on Jul 27, 2011 15:39:15 GMT 12
Back after a deep snow experience in CHCH and a 5 hour drive to Blenheim to catch another flight, photos to come when fingers are thawed. Now that Hind at Hobsonville may be the one detailed in the Lost Airfields kumeu thread as it matches the " wingless fuselage" described by Derry Faulder. If so the remains were salvaged and went to Subritskys I think.
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Post by shamus on Jul 27, 2011 16:50:11 GMT 12
pjw4118, yes it definitely is the one that went to Kumeu, that much we do know and it went to Don Subritzky. Or should I say part of it did, but thats about all we know. Was it an Instructional at Hobsonville or what. Did it have a Serial or Inst.Number.
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Post by shamus on Jul 27, 2011 18:26:57 GMT 12
buffnut453. I don't no the answer to that one. Maybe Shorty might.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 27, 2011 18:56:09 GMT 12
I do know there was a dire shortage of aircrfat paint in NZ during the war. Some was made here but they found it hard to get the pigment so most cae from Australia, but it was not always easy to get, I'm told. So maybe the RNZAF kept the paint orders to a minimum of shades to make the orders more efficient?
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Post by shamus on Jul 27, 2011 22:42:37 GMT 12
Because of the lack of uniformity in the colours of the Hinds in the No 3 SFTS, for instance, all-over silver and Training yellow or silver undersurfaces with camouflaged tops I believe the Hinds we are seeing, (All-over camouflage as in the Army co-op Squadrons excepted), were inducted straight into the training role in the colours they arrived in from the RAF. Some had a fin flash on and some did not. So the paint on them was no doubt British.
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Post by shorty on Jul 28, 2011 22:15:03 GMT 12
To the best of my knowledge the Hind at Hobsonville was NZ 1535/ INST 45
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Post by shamus on Jul 29, 2011 10:28:45 GMT 12
Hinds again. NZ1531 after it turned over on landing at Ohakea. in June 1941. Notice, all grass and no sealed runways. Also note, the black edging to the code number 14 . A photo of the cockpit and gunring of a Hind with pilot Bob Cameron. The inside of an RNZAF Hind cockpit. NZ1543 after it force-landed between Onerahi and Keri Keri. NZ1530 minus its top wing being used as a prop for the No20 AC Sqn. ball at the Whangarei Town Hall. UY-N of the No 21 Army Co-op Sqn,
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2011 10:38:44 GMT 12
It is great to see that cockpit shot, such photos of RNZAF aeroplanes seem to be few and far between.
I love the lengths they went to in decorating halls for dances back then too.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 29, 2011 11:04:43 GMT 12
"NZ1543 after it force-landed between Onerahi and Keri Keri."
In case anyone is wondering: this 20 Sqn accident took place at 1410 on 4 Mar 1943. The 'fuselage was written off.'
Fg Off Gray Hunter was 'commended for landing in difficult country' following engine failure at 5000 feet.
Gray had earlier completed an Army Co-op course at Canberra. Three months after the accident he went to the USA for a conversion course on Avengers.
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 29, 2011 11:29:53 GMT 12
And the flight was an unauthorised one. They were dashing back to Onerahi to pick up beer and gramophone records because everyone was bored shitless at the Keri Keri detachment. Tim Murray was in the back seat of that one too but being unauthorised he chose not to log it in his logbook.
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Post by shamus on Jul 29, 2011 12:37:45 GMT 12
Errol and Dave, thanks for that info on the forced landing. An interesting photo i will post showing a truck(s) salvaging the Hind after the incident has a piece on it saying 'from Whakapara'. If it was Whakapara he was off-course quite a bit.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 29, 2011 12:37:47 GMT 12
And the flight was an unauthorised one. They were dashing back to Onerahi to pick up beer and gramophone records because everyone was bored shitless at the Keri Keri detachment. Tim Murray was in the back seat of that one too but being unauthorised he chose not to log it in his logbook. Interesting to note that there is no mention on the accident card of anyone apart from Hunter on being board. Did someone look the other way when compiling the accident report? Dave, I wonder if you have the correct first name. There was no Tim (Timothy?) Murray in the WWII RNZAF that I am aware of. Errol
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