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Post by baz62 on Oct 6, 2012 13:00:54 GMT 12
You've done it now Jim! ;D Nice to have a family member find more about their father's service, yet another great thing about your site Dave, there is so much on here. Have you considered advertising the site in magazines like Aeroplane, Classic Wings etc? Might pick up some interesting people, put a few forum meet photos so they can see what we get up to as well.
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Post by shamus on Oct 6, 2012 16:36:37 GMT 12
Sorry Dave, a senior moment. Of course I mean't thread just couldn't think of the word at the time.
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Post by davidd on Nov 2, 2019 8:09:54 GMT 12
Edit - I have moved the Hawker Hind discussion out of the Buried Mil Hinds thread to here, Carry on, Admin
And there was me thinking they might be Hawker Hinds (on reading the Thread title!) Remember, the RNZAF shipped four superfluous Hinds to the RAAF in about April 1942, at request of RAAF, presumably as a spares source for the surviving Audax's on that side of the Tasman. David D
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Post by versuch on Nov 2, 2019 11:11:21 GMT 12
Firstly sorry for the thread drift....
Audax or Demon ? Some RAAF Demons were converted to Army Co Op.
The Hind story is one I have heard before,but again there is no record (Australian Archive etc )or mention of NZ Hinds being requested or sent.
Is there a record of the identities and where they were sent ?
Cheers Mike
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Post by davidd on Nov 2, 2019 11:45:01 GMT 12
versuch, Yes, the RAAF did operate Demons (which were supposed to be 2-seat fighters) rather than Audax's (my bad for not checking!), but there is no doubt that the RAAF requested that, if we had any Hinds which could be spared, could we ship them over; we offered four, which we then shipped. They were ferried down to Wigram from Ohakea, and were shipped out through Lyttelton; they were NZ1511, 1521, 1522, and 1538, and all shipped "April 1942", although exact dates, ship name (or names) and port of destination unknown. I actually talked to one of the pilots who ferried down one of the Hinds, he had recently graduated from his "Wings" course, and had never flown a Hind before. Official fate for these four aircraft was that they were supplied to RAAF "for spares". David D
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Post by versuch on Nov 2, 2019 12:12:38 GMT 12
Hi David I have learnt more about this exchange in the last 20 minutes than the last 10 years .Many Thanks !
I am guessing that they either went to Richmond or Laverton, so I will check the 1942 details.
Cheers Mike
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Post by davidd on Nov 4, 2019 8:45:49 GMT 12
Versuch, My information on this transfer is extremely sketchy, practically non-existent, although am not aware of any "exchange" material received by RNZAF for these four aircraft. It is possible that these four Hinds were some of our worst examples (that is, not likely to be suitable for flying operations without a major overhaul), but probably semi-complete and with most of their original equipment still installed. It is also possible that we also supplied a proportion of our own general spares for this aircraft type that were good for any generic Hind/Demon/Audax type (and regularly damaged and/or worn out in service), such as undercarriage/brake parts, propellers, ailerons, rudders, struts, spare engines. The RNZAF did receive twenty brand new Tiger Moths diverted from RAAF orders in 1942 (which were of great assistance at this time), and also about 84 sets of beam-gun mountings suitable for our Hudson fleet in late 1942 (about September), just in time to equip these aircraft prior to be their being despatched to Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal. David D
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Post by versuch on Nov 4, 2019 16:51:44 GMT 12
davidd, your information is good! I have found evidence in the Australian Archive, in the RAAF Movements and Shipping Office Sydney file, as follows 27/4/42 Waipori ex New Zealand.Four Hinds aircraft discharged and transfered to No 9 Wharf pending disposal. So they DID arrive, but after checking through the various Aircraft Depot,RSU etc files , there is no trace. But...No.1 AD Laverton is in the archive but not open (Yet) it can be for a mere $230+ dollars . So we will have to wait....... but I suspect that they were sent by sea,rail or road to Melbourne. I have also included a page from 1 SFTS Point Cook showing how bad Demon serviceability was, being outshone by the ageing Wapiti ! The Hudson turrets were a problem as there are numerous photos of RAAF Hudsons with turret cavities faired over, awaiting conversion. Cheers Mike This is my RAAF Demon panel.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 4, 2019 17:04:02 GMT 12
The RNZAF also had a shortage of Hudson turrets.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 5, 2022 14:10:04 GMT 12
Mark McGuire found this article and sent it to me, as it is worth adding here to add to the history. It comes from The Press, dated 5th of April 1971:
Plane wreck found
(N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, March 4.
An aircraft which crashed in the Tararuas 30 years ago and has since been sought by numerous search parties was found on Saturday.
It is in steep country about eight miles east of Waikanae.
The single-engined light bomber, a Hawker Hind, was discovered by Mr Guy Nuku, of Petone, when he briefly lost the rest of his party. Thirteen trampers and members of the Wellington branch of the Aviation Historical Society made up the group, which camped out on Friday night. They had searched about seven hours when Mr Nuku stumbled on the wreck. He stayed with it until four of the men found him.
“You could stray within feet of the wreck and miss it,” the secretary of the Wellington branch of the Aviation Historical Society and organiser of the search (Mr M. Lovett) said today. The rare Rolls-Royce Kestrel engine was in excellent condition, the undercarriage, wheels and tyres were well preserved, and the tanks still contained oil.
The five men made an inventory of these and other details. The society will notify the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland. There was not enough in the bush to assembled a complete aircraft, Mr Lovett said. But with other parts from throughout the country, it would be possible to assemble the second complete Hawker Hind in the world. There is one in England, which also boasts possession of two Hawker Harts, similar models to the one found.
It is ironic that the Hawker remains are in such good repair. After the crash in 1941, an investigating Air Force party decided that the aircraft was not worth salvaging. An officer attempted to destroy it by breaking open a tank and igniting the fuel with a Verey cartridge. But much of the metal frame construction withstood damage. The location of the aircraft was later lost. The Hawker Hind crashed while on routine training out of Ohakea and its pilot, Leading Aircraftsman G. C. Stewart, walked away to continue a full, operational career. Today, he is living at Henderson, near Auckland.
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