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Post by grgrimmer on Oct 15, 2013 15:42:27 GMT 12
Gavin, The RNZAF crash file for NZ 5544 is 25/2/2156. If you got that file from NZ archives it would state if the aircraft was found. The crash file index confirms the date as 15.4.45 ex Ardmore. File description: Missing training flight 1 Dead. The fact that it states 1 dead would seem to indicate that the aircraft was found. Hi Curtiss, Yes, I have file 25/2/2156 and it does not show any record of it being found. This is why I'm checking all sources of reports of it being found, as I thought that if it had been, then someone has forgotten to update it! The assumption of all these missing aircraft is that if it has not been found within a certain time-frame, then the people on board must be dead, hence the reason to state "1 dead". It has nothing to do with if the body (or aircraft) has been found or not. |
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Post by sheppydotcom on Oct 19, 2015 17:51:24 GMT 12
Hi - I saw this thread after searching for further info online for Corsair NZ5320. I know it's an old thread now but it was great to see the comments and I thought, despite the age of the thread, I had to say a bit.
Pilot Officer Pete Sheppard (correct spelling) was my dad so the thread had special meaning for me. He used to tell us about this crash when we were young. It was interesting to read the comments and see how they compared to Dad's "facts", as relates to the cause and the fate of the wreck. As one member commented, there's a story and photos in one of Brian Cox's books, I think it was "Too Young To Die" - a great read! Lately I uncovered amongst Dad's photos, some more pictures of the Corsair after the crash, that I'd never seen before. I will try to throw them on here soon.
Dad recounted stories of crazy antics that I associate loosely with boy-racer type situations. He told of how, during the war and flying at Green Island or Guadalcanal, they'd be flying routine patrols along the beaches when they'd spot hundreds of 'yanks' swimming and enjoying the sun and surf. So he and his wingman would drop to low level and go for the beach! They'd laugh later at how the Americans would turn to see the pair of Corsairs screaming in at them at full sped and drop, flat onto the sand. Well, it's karma isn't it? This is how he crashed in the swamp.
He told us of how they used to compete to see how low they could fly and, on this day, he won. The report mentioned something about the plane clipping a tree; but it was a swamp. Luckily dad was able to climb from the Corsair uninjured, only to find that part of the swamp had caught fire; it was flax or grass. He took off his flying jacket and beat the flames until his offsider flew back around and dropped him a fire extinguisher. Later he was dropped some rations and a bottle of beer. He never mentioned if he got into trouble for crashing. I don't know about the airframe, but he told me that by the time the air force got in to retrieve the plane it had been stripped of all it's good parts by the locals. Dad did two tours in the islands and later in life he became the secretary of the NZ Fighter Pilots Association. He died in 2002.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 19, 2015 18:25:17 GMT 12
Welcome to the forum Sheppy. We would love to see those photos!!
I know they were not the only kiwi Corsair pilots who liked to show off to the Yanks on the beach like that, haha.
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Post by mattw on Jul 31, 2017 19:22:11 GMT 12
The story of the Corsair sitting in the swamp ready to be found comes around every couple of years. i talked to 2 guys earlier this year who were off to find it. the fact is, its not there. a friend of mine has stood on the spot were it crashed. he picked up handfuls of aircraft nuts and bolts and some Cowling bits.My theory is after the Air force removed what they could, the locals removed the rest for scrap which would have been illegal at the time. and thats why the locals want to keep it quiet. if in fact any of them are left. Some photos to give you an idea of the terrain they had to Cross to get to the Corsair. There must have been only one willow tree in the middle of the swamp. (bugger) Did you really find aircraft nuts and bolts in the swamp?, Ive been out to where it supposedly crashed and found nothing |
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kiwiwreckdiver
Squadron Leader
Still military and aviation history mad
Posts: 123
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Post by kiwiwreckdiver on Mar 6, 2019 22:25:44 GMT 12
NZ5544 was certainly found, crashed near Pokeno on night training flight ex-Ardmore 15Apr45. The Corsair crashes ex-Ardmore (as distinct from at Ardmore) listed are: NZ5320 - W/off after f/l into Piako swamp 28Sep44 ex-Ardmore. Pilot P/O Peter C Shepard (as discussed) NZ5353 - LWT night flying ex-Ardmore 15Apr45. Pilot Flt.Sgt. Mortimer (probably the one mentioned above as NZ5544) NZ5515 - Cr into ground Waiuku golf course during unauthorized low flying ex-Ardmore 16Aug44. Pilot Sgt.Barney P Warbrick NZ5536 - Cr into sea near Waiheke Island 3Mar45 ex-Ardmore. Pilot F/O A P Fogerty NZ5544 - Cr near Pokeno on night training flight ex-Ardmore 15Apr45. Pilot Flt.Sgt. S C Ferrick NZ5551 - Cr on beach near Mangere & exploded 23Mar45 ex-Ardmore. Pilot Flt.Sgt. J Dempsey Hello Peter would you know anyone who has been to the crash sites of Dempsey @ Manere and Ferrick @ Pokeno ?? (assume this is the Mt Workman site) |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Mar 7, 2019 21:51:05 GMT 12
Possibly Ross Jowitt would be your best bet.
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kiwiwreckdiver
Squadron Leader
Still military and aviation history mad
Posts: 123
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Post by kiwiwreckdiver on Mar 10, 2019 21:34:58 GMT 12
does he still have the shop at Ardmore  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 10, 2019 21:47:46 GMT 12
No
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Post by bwellington on Apr 25, 2019 18:41:03 GMT 12
My grandad was one of the pilots from 22 squadron in the four corsairs when Sefton Ferrick went missing. He was the last person to speak to him when he radioed back to Sefton informing him of the cloud base.
No transmission was ever recieved back. I also spoke with Seftons sons wife (sefton never met his son who was born several months after his crash) today. I was passing on a message from my grandad to her saying that 22
Squadron still remembers Sefton.
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Post by planewriting on Apr 25, 2019 19:52:40 GMT 12
NZ5544 was certainly found, crashed near Pokeno on night training flight ex-Ardmore 15Apr45. Hello Peter would you know anyone who has been to the crash sites of Dempsey @ Manere and Ferrick @ Pokeno ?? (assume this is the Mt Workman site)I find the Ferrick reference very interesting having worked for several years this century with one of his relatives. We discussed his disappearance several times and he was adamant Corsair NZ5544 and pilot have never been found. What clear evidence do we have proving that the aircraft has been found? |
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Post by bwellington on Aug 10, 2020 20:39:05 GMT 12
I find the Ferrick reference very interesting having worked for several years this century with one of his relatives. We discussed his disappearance several times and he was adamant Corsair NZ5544 and pilot have never been found. What clear evidence do we have proving that the aircraft has been found? There doesn’t appear to be any evidence of it being found. My grandad told me tonight that he thought that Ferrick was possibly flying with Mortimer towards helensville and crashed on returning. |
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Post by stephanwind on Sept 2, 2020 13:37:05 GMT 12
Does anyone know of any reported sightings of nz5544, i heard there were a few sightings in quite a wide area around Auckland. Also does anyone know what the conditions were like on that fateful night.
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Post by stephanwind on Sept 3, 2020 3:56:23 GMT 12
I just had a quick flick through Chris Rudge's book "Missing" for NZ5544, in there it has it based at Ardmore, with it flying out of Whenuapai on the night it was lost with Ferrick, and still missing. There are some interesting witness sightings of it over a huge area - Onehunga, Rangitoto, Tiri, Howick, Milford, Riverhead forest (x2), Waihehe. Must have been a nightmare coordinating the search, compounded with the loss of NZ5353 on the same night. Interesting to see the variance in published accounts of the loss of NZ5544 as well. I was wondering if you could give more information on the witness sightings of NZ5544 from Chris Rudges book as i can not find any for sale. |
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 3, 2020 13:38:22 GMT 12
I was wondering if you could give more information on the witness sightings of NZ5544 from Chris Rudges book as i can not find any for sale.[/quote] There is a copy of 'Missing' advertised for sale at Bookfinder.com via ABE/Bay of Plenty Books. Errol |
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Post by skyhawkdon on Sept 3, 2020 13:43:21 GMT 12
I think Chris still has copies of his book available. He can be contacted at 0800733228 or 0274733228
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flymac
Pilot Officer
Posts: 45 
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Post by flymac on Sept 4, 2020 17:12:15 GMT 12
My late father's logbook records a search flight for F/S Mortimer and F/S Ferrick on 17th April.
He was on the Corsair conversion unit at Whenuapai. This course worked both Ardmore and Whenuapai due I believe to runway repairs.
There were a lot of flights between the two airfields including a passenger ride in a TBF.
He piloted Harvard 1036 with F/L Hoskin and searched the Waitakere Ranges for the missing aircraft on the 17th April.
His logbook states the following. "F/S Ferrick, F/S Mortimer, Missing Night flying. F/S Ferrick never found. F/S Mortimer killed at Thames".
Now it is clear he was out on the Mortimer crash location which was Pokeno.
My father did his night flying exercises; 2 hours for 3 landings and D/F homing on the 18th April.
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Post by stephanwind on Sept 5, 2020 14:26:35 GMT 12
I have some great news about nz5544, apparently someone has seen the wreck and described it as a fighter plane that was grey in color. This is most likely the corsair as it is a fighter plane. The color could be referring to tarnished aluminium which appears grey, it would make sense to have lost its paint as it has been 75 years. No aircraft has ever crashed in that area so all evidence points to it being the lost aircraft. I cannot say the location as i fear people will take parts off it so i am heading out tomorrow to see if it is indeed nz5544. If it is i will update the board and maybe bring a few people to see it before i assume ![]() it would be removed and put in a museum. update: unfortunately i am unable to have a look tomorrow. I am a student so my time is restricted to the weekend or the holidays. i will most likely check it out in the next few weeks and i will update on what i have found. Looking on aerial maps i have found what looks to be a crashed corsair. i can make out the main fuselage that looks to be in two pieces with the tail a few metres behind, there is a clear break right behind the wing and i think i can make out the gull shape of the wing and the engine seems to have separated a bit from the fuselage. |
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Post by planecrazy on Sept 6, 2020 8:29:43 GMT 12
Looking forward to this, wow sure is an exciting time for WW II aviation history
in New Zealand right now, Mosquito, Kittyhawks, Mustang, Harvard and others,
now possibly a Corsair?
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Post by baz62 on Sept 6, 2020 10:54:33 GMT 12
Certainly fantastic news.......if it is indeed a Corsair.
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Post by markrogers on Sept 6, 2020 13:11:42 GMT 12
On the Biggin Hill Historic Aircraft Centre RNZAF facebook page is a colourised photo of RNZAF squadron pilots in front of a Corsair taken in 1945 at Ardmore. Both Ferrick and Mortimer are in it.
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