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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2010 14:10:48 GMT 12
Nah, Wigram was THE place in my opinion. Ohakea was a damp, cold, windy hole and everyone was plain serious and boring, no fun at all. Maybe they resented the happy fun-loving crowd from Wigram being forced upon them?
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Post by 14liney on Jan 26, 2010 10:56:42 GMT 12
"I didn't participate the year these photos were taken (1970?) but the following year 2 of us "modified" a double wardrobe 'liberated" from an empty barrack room to use as our vessel 14liney should recognise the scene!"
I have some hazy memories of those events and by some miracle nobody ever drowned. Shorty is right, Ohakea was the place to be back then, great days and the best part of my time in uniform with 3 Sdn coming a close second.
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Post by John L on Jan 27, 2010 16:25:04 GMT 12
Jeez - sounds as hairy as the Auckland University Harbour Race! 1970 - my mates from Engineering school won with a sheet metal raft powered with a flathead Ford V8 engine and a couple of fire pumps to "dissuade" anyone else from coming to close or attempting to overtake......
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Post by shorty on Jan 27, 2010 19:15:04 GMT 12
Seeing as how the last non aircraft RNZAF photos were fairly well received here are some more. These are from Exercise "Townhouse" at Tindal in 1969. The secenario was that the Canberras (RNZAF, RAAF, and RAF) were the attackers, Darwin was the target and the defenders were Mirages and Lightnings (based at Darwin) The aim was to try and have a Canberra over target every 20 mins for 24 hours. These are the barracks we we allocated, no windows, just big shutters, and a strong resemblance to chicken sheds. Tindal 3 by Neville Mines, on Flickr The luxurious interior. Tindal 2 by Neville Mines, on Flickr Three of us checking out an ant hill. From the left, Eddie (Hun) Trysellar who was an armourer, Shorty Cullen who was a tweety trade, I think air radio, and me, a framey Note the tailor made, but very short uniforms. The Pom Provosts at Tengah were not enamoured with how short the Kiwis shorts were (either uniform or civvies) The sport that developed with the ant hills was to try and knock them over with the Clarktor tugs., The Aussies were not impressed if you got their tugs bogged down. Tindal 1 by Neville Mines, on Flickr
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Post by 14liney on Jan 28, 2010 8:21:16 GMT 12
"These are the barracks we we allocated, no windows, just big shutters, and a strong resemblance to chicken sheds"
The same barracks we were allocated in Oct or Nov 1967 don't remember which month it was now. The airfield had been completed not long before we went there by 5 Airfield Construction Squadron if I remember correctly.
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Post by shorty on Jan 28, 2010 8:36:09 GMT 12
5 ACS were still there in June 69 when I took those photos. After a piss up on our final night this was "commandeered" by (I think) Foxy Hill and Wally Nash as transport back to the barracks. , where I shot this pic of it just before the Aussies reclaimed it in the morning. Tindal 4 by Neville Mines, on Flickr
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Post by phil82 on Jan 28, 2010 12:54:36 GMT 12
"These are the barracks we we allocated, no windows, just big shutters, and a strong resemblance to chicken sheds" The same barracks we were allocated in Oct or Nov 1967 don't remember which month it was now. The airfield had been completed not long before we went there by 5 Airfield Construction Squadron if I remember correctly. I spent but a very short time in those chicken sheds in 1967, because I had just stepped off the Herc and was whisked away to Katherine Hospital with our Sqn WO, [Keith?]an RAAF Doctor, and a civvy police Sgt. It turned out that the Aus Army had been involved in a major traffic accident; Driver killed, and passenger in Katherine Hospital [it was actually only two rooms!], and I was the only B-Negative blood donor within a few hundred miles or so.
I was asked if I would donate, but then you do what you must do, and as the hospital was air-conditioned I told them to go for it, and stayed overnight! Next day I was collected by the RAAF Doc, who told me "for you, the war is over, and you're going to Darwin for the duration. Drink lots of fluids". So the Skippies flew me to Darwin in a Dak carrying the coffin of the late recipient of my blood, he hadn't made it poor bugger,and as word had got about, I never bought a beer all the time I was there!
Just reward I would have thought!
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Post by phil82 on Jan 28, 2010 12:59:45 GMT 12
Nah, Wigram was THE place in my opinion. Ohakea was a damp, cold, windy hole and everyone was plain serious and boring, no fun at all. Maybe they resented the happy fun-loving crowd from Wigram being forced upon them? Wash out you mouf! Wigram was a Training Establishment, and reflected in the small-minded people with pointy heads who ran it! I, fortunately, was never there other than for two Trade course and my OCS. I was never at Whenuapai either come to that, except for my Command and Staff course , but it was another weird Base, typically deserving of its unofficial title of the Royal Auckland Air Force!
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Post by shorty on Mar 13, 2010 21:01:50 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 13, 2010 21:41:54 GMT 12
Neat shots Shorty. It can't have been easy to photograph Lightnings with a 1960's technology camera I guess.
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Post by shorty on Mar 13, 2010 21:45:37 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Mar 14, 2010 13:11:54 GMT 12
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Post by corsair67 on Mar 14, 2010 20:14:54 GMT 12
Great photos, Shorty.
The Mirage was a lovely looking jet. Hopefully the rumours over here are correct, and we might get to see A3-42 flying again someday.
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Post by shorty on Mar 14, 2010 21:23:20 GMT 12
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Post by shorty on Mar 17, 2010 10:02:26 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2010 10:07:54 GMT 12
Neat stuff Shorty. Where were the Victor shots taken? Is that in Singapore?
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Post by shorty on Mar 17, 2010 10:10:06 GMT 12
Yep, at Tengah, two different occasions, note that the line is on different sides of our Canberra's line.1968/69/
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Post by shorty on Mar 19, 2010 14:35:41 GMT 12
Staying at RAF Tengah, but this time, instead of the RAF or RAAF aircraft we have some from the RSAF. First up is the first aircraft operated by the fledging RSAF, I am led to believe that it was leased from the Singapore Flying Club. A coulple of Vanguards later we were there for the arrival of the RSAF'S first Strikemaster. (This was before we got ours)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 19, 2010 14:48:30 GMT 12
I guess the Blunty must have seemed all new and exciting back then. By the time I joined the RNZAF they were largely thought of as tired, tatty and obsolete, which is a shame. I now look back on them with fond memories, especially of the Friday practice display at Wanaka 1992 where the pilot flew the pants off the thing (and nearly the wings) right in front of the beer tent where we RNZAF lot were refreshing ourselves. That was the most amazing Blunty flight ever I think.
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Post by shorty on Mar 22, 2010 9:13:53 GMT 12
Strikemasters tired and tatty? I suppose you get that when you rely on S & S to keep them pretty! Staying with military types but this time something less aggresive. One of the units based at Tengah with the RAF was No 20 (F) Squadron flying Hunter FGA 9s but also on their charge was a Scottish Aviation Pioneer for FAC work and this was slightly unusual in that, as a Fighter Command aircraft, it was painted in Fighter colours, complete with Squadron markings either side of the roundels. 14 Sqdn and 20 Sqdn were allocated the range at Asahan (near Malacca) for a week and I was part of the Kiwi contribution to the range party for the week. One of the tasks was to refuel the Pioneer (from 4 gallon flimsies) when it landed on the dirt strip there as part of the FAC duties. 20 Sqn Pioneer Asahan by Neville Mines, The Pioneer was a suprisingly large aircraft as can be seen here with a handsome LA (in his issue jungle greens) leaning against it, admittedly he's not the tallest guy in the air force but the bottom of the door is only just level with his head. The picture is also included to show the strips surface and the chocks in use! Asahan Range 1969 by Neville Mines, on Flickr STOL performance was pretty impressive and the aircraft was sort of a latter day Lysander.
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