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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2006 20:30:15 GMT 12
Here's a new quiz to ponder over:
1) Of all the operational RNZAF Squadrons in history, only two (that I can think of) have served on the same station/base that they were formed on, and have never moved to other stations/bases. Which ones, and where were they formed?
2) Before the RNZAF formed its own Transport Command in 1943, for air transport in and out of New Zealand the RNZAF and other military arms relied on which two US organisations?
3) Which member of the RNZAF was awarded the Ondonga Star, and why?
4) What was the Allied code word for Henderson Field on Guadalcanal?
5) What squadron identification codes were applied to aircraft of No's 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Fighter Squadrons while they were in New Zealand?
(ie. like the codes on a 485 Sqn Spitfire being OU)
6) How many people died in the RNZAF's worst single accident? And what was the aircraft type involved?
7) How many designated Army Co-operation Squadrons served in the wartime RNZAF? (they were not necessarily all at the same time)
8) Name the stations where the RNZAF's Central Flying School was based during WWII.
9) What was necessary for the RNZAF Dakotas to fly to Samoa?
10) What was the name of the special rest and recreation centre set up for NZ airmen in the Pacific?
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 23, 2006 20:32:39 GMT 12
I know no.4 - Cactus !!!
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2006 20:44:27 GMT 12
Correct
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 23, 2006 20:54:08 GMT 12
2. Naval Air Transport Service (NATS) and Services Command Air Transport (SCAT)?
6. 20. Hudson?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2006 21:03:35 GMT 12
2. Correct
6. Yes, 20 people (four crew, 16 passengers. Not a Hudson though.
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Post by corsair67 on Jan 23, 2006 21:12:14 GMT 12
1. Communications Flight (from 1943 -42 SQN) - Rongotai?
6. Dakota?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 23, 2006 21:34:27 GMT 12
1. No, I am only considering Squadrons, not Flights. As you say it became No. 42 Squadron, which has of course been based at Rongotai, Auckland and Ohakea. Also during the war 42 Sqn, and the Communications Flights, had aircraft based outside of Rongotai too.
6. Correct, Dakota NZ3526, lost between Espirito Santo and New Zealand
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 24, 2006 21:52:17 GMT 12
8. Well one of them has to be Wigram, taking a punt on any others,...Hobsonville maybe?
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 24, 2006 21:54:05 GMT 12
8. Actually I retract that, from memory Wigram didn't have the CFS til after the war so I would go with Hobsonville.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 24, 2006 22:08:20 GMT 12
8. Not Wigram, not Hobby. Sorry.
A clue, they have not been RNZAF bases since the war.
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 25, 2006 10:31:21 GMT 12
Wasn't there one up at Tauranga during the war ?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2006 10:43:38 GMT 12
8. Correct for Tauranga. But before it moved to Tauranga, the Central Flying School was formed on which large aerodrome?
Clue, it had quite a large aeroclub there, which effectively became CFS when men and machines were impressed in 1939.
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Post by turboNZ on Jan 25, 2006 11:52:53 GMT 12
hmm,...large aeroclub in 1939 up North, I would say probably Mangere (way before it became an Airport).
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2006 12:22:17 GMT 12
Indeed, RNZAF Station Mangere. The CFI of the Aeroclub became CO of the CFS automatically, and many other pilots from the club became instructors, who were there to train more instructors for the EFTS and SFTS system. The aeroclubs were of course largely Government sponsored in the late 1930's and those who gained licences were often made RNZAF Reserve. So when the war kicked off, into blue they went.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 25, 2006 12:25:23 GMT 12
Extra - When the CFS moved to Tauranga, the facilities of Mangere's CFS were turned into No. 1 Port Depot, where airmen arriving or departing by sea would await further orders. This later moved up closer to the waterfront at Remuera and Parnell, as discussed recently.
As for the quiz, 4 down, 6 to go.
A clue, most answers are in the late Alex Horn's excellent book 'Wings Over The Pacific'
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 27, 2006 21:32:26 GMT 12
Here are the answers to those not yet answered
1) Of all the operational RNZAF Squadrons in history, only two (that I can think of) have served on the same station/base that they were formed on, and have never moved to other stations/bases. Which ones, and where were they formed?
No. 40 Squadron - formed 1943 at Whenuapai, still there
No. 7 Squadron - formed at Waipapakauri, stayed there till disbandment.
3) Which member of the RNZAF was awarded the Ondonga Star, and why?
F/Lt Bill Burgess, a C-47 pilot with No. 40 Squadron who made 'history' whilst delivering a cargo of highly top secret US documents in the Pacific to Ondonga. At a point in the flight he radioed a coded signal, which was read by the receivers as "Am being attacked by enemy fighters".
He wasn't. He had signalled from the old codebook just seconds after the code change-over, and what he thought he was signalling was "Special courier flight. Important documents being carried." But the receivers using the new and correct code book feared the worst.
When he arrived back at Whenuapai he was greeted by the entire squadron on parade on the tarmac to rib him, and he was presented with a mock medal and parchment by the Adjutant and Flight Commander. Themedal was dubbed the Ondonga Star. See Alex Horn's 'Wings Over The Pacific' for this great story and photo of the presentation!
5) What squadron identification codes were applied to aircraft of No's 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 Fighter Squadrons while they were in New Zealand?
(ie. like the codes on a 485 Sqn Spitfire being OU)
14 Sqn = HQ
15 Sqn = JZ
16 Sqn = XO
17 Sqn = JZ
18 Sqn = XO
17 Sqn took over 15 Sqn's aircraft when 15 went to Tonga, and 18 took over 16 Sqn's planes at Fairhall when 16 went north too.
7) How many designated Army Co-operation Squadrons served in the wartime RNZAF? (they were not necessarily all at the same time)
There were five in all.
No. 5 AC Sqn Fiji (short term, Vincents and Singapores, between being a GR and a FB Sqn!)
No. 6 AC Sqn (Hinds, Milson)
No. 20 AC Sqn (Hinds, Onerahi)
No. 21 AC Sqn (Hinds, Ohakea, then Milson)
No. 22 AC Sqn (Hinds, Ohakea)
9) What was necessary for the RNZAF Dakotas to fly to Samoa?
An extra internal fuel tank carried in the fuselage cargo hold.
10) What was the name of the special rest and recreation centre set up for NZ airmen in the Pacific?
Camp Kiwi
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