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Post by shorty on Sept 17, 2013 8:59:37 GMT 12
I'm looking for further information on the sole DH 6 that came to NZ. I have read the short treatise by Warren Russell that appeared in the AHSNZ journal and the references to it in the book on George Bolt.
Some of the queries are what was it's ID? Who was it that imported it originally? What markings did it carry? Warren Russell says it was blue/grey with just the words "Walsh Brothers" in a small panel on the rear fuselage. Blue/grey seems an unusual colour for a ex British machine, I would have thought PC 10 to be more likely.
Photos of it are fairly scarce, I have only seen about a dozen, a lot of which have people standing around and obscuring any places that may have been logical positions for markings (i.e. rear fuselage, fin and rudder)
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 17, 2013 10:42:42 GMT 12
The DH6 was purchased in the UK by 'a returning NZ soldier' and shipped privately by him to NZ. Further research has revealed that this was Stan Hatten, who originally came from Ormond, near Gisborne. The Hatten family at that time ran the bus service between the Ormond settlement and Gisborne town. My understanding is that he bought the aircraft new from surplus stocks, so it may never have had a serial number painted on - though presumably one would have been allocated at the build stage. Tracing the serial would thus be a paper-work tracing exercise.
Question - was Hatten actually a pilot? Maybe Errol would know. Maybe he was just trying to add an aerial arm to the Hatten family transport empire.
Anyway, apparently the DH6 went to Auckland (possibly directly on its arrival from the UK) and was assembled at the Walsh school for Hatten, and was first flown there 22Feb1920.
For whatever reason, it does not appear to have gone to Gisborne at that stage, and was bought by the Walsh establishment in March 1920 for 400 pounds, so for whatever reason Stan Hatten gave up on the project pretty smartly.
Soon afterwards, the DH6 carried out the first ever Auckland to Hamilton flight 9Apr1920, pilot Jimmy Woods.
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Post by kiwithrottlejockey on Sept 17, 2013 12:20:14 GMT 12
Richard Waugh's book, Early Risers - The pioneering story of Gisborne and Hawke's Bay aviation (published in 1997) has a photograph of the DH6 just after takeoff from Makaraka Racecourse at Gisborne in 1920. It's on page nine in the book. On the following page (p.10) is an aerial photograph of Gisborne taken from the DH6, and a photograph showing the DH6's engine being worked on at Makaraka Racecourse.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2013 15:42:59 GMT 12
Papers Past is our friend:
New Zealand Herald, Volume LVII, Issue 17401, 23 February 1920, Page 4
NEW AEROPLANE TRIAL.
FLIGHTS PROM KOHIMARAMA.
FIRST LAND MACHINE.
SATISFACTORY RESULTS.
The first trials of the De H. 6 aeroplane recently imported from England by the proprietors of the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimarama were held yesterday, and at this it the first land machine imported by the school considerable interest was taken in the trials.
The aeroplane, which if fitted with a 90-horsepower R.A.F. engine, gave complete satisfaction. Four flights were made, the starting and landing place being in the school grounds. The machine was piloted on three of the trips by Lieutenant J. Woods, a former pupil of the school, who recently returned from active service.
Captain J. Seabrook, who was on a visit to the school, acted as pilot on the other trip. The passengers who were taken up singly on the trips were Messrs. Leo. A. Walsh, of the Flying School; T. S. Hatten, of Gisborne; N. C. Fawcett, 'of Auckland, and R. J. Johnson, of Kohimarama. One of the trials was I made Over the city and suburbs.
*****************
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 15152, 26 February 1920, Page 6
TOWN EDITION. During the first trials of the De H6 aeroplane at Kohimarama a few days ago, T. S. Hatten, of Gisborne. was a passenger.
******************
Interestingly the National Archive of New Zealand has a probate for Thomas Stanley Hatten of Gisborne, but no WWI personnel file. Perhaps he did not become a soldier till after the Armistice?
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Post by errolmartyn on Sept 17, 2013 17:38:30 GMT 12
Thomas Stanley Hatten is reported as wounded in 1918:
Evening Post 22 Jun 1918. WELLINGTON DISTRICT. DIED AT SEA, EN ROUTE TO NEW ZEALAND. . . . WOUNDED, ADMITTED HOSPITAL. . . . Hatten, T. S., 57223, C.I.R. (W. Hatten, Ormond, f.) . . .
'C.I.R.' will be Canterbury Infantry Regiment.
Hatten arrived back in New Zealand (Wellington) on the Rimutaka on 4 Jan 1920.
Dave is correct in that there appears to be no WWI record for him held by Archives NZ. Either it has been lost, incorrectly catalogued or, perhaps more likely, he served again between the wars or during WWII, records for which have not yet been released into the public domain.
Hatten had no aviation experience to the best of my knowledge.
I note that the 23 Feb 1920 NZ Herald item states that the DH6 was imported by the NZFS, not Hatten, though it is intriguing to note that Hatten is one of the first passengers to be taken up for a flight.
Peter, your info about Hatten is new to me. Where was that sourced from?
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2013 18:13:53 GMT 12
I am wondering if someone at NZFS knew Hatten, knew he was coming home, and asked him to oversee bringing their aeroplane to NZ, perhaps?
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Post by Peter Lewis on Sept 17, 2013 20:34:17 GMT 12
All resources that I have seen over many years have reported that the DH6 was imported by a private individual, e.g. Ewing & Macpherson's History of New Zealand Aviation page 62. (There is a good clear side view photo of the fuselage of the DH6 in May 1920 on page 63. There are no visible markings applied to it).
There is certainly the possibility that Hatten was acting on behalf of NZFS in bringing the machine in, as the Hatten family may well have been known to either the Walshes or Reuben Dexter through their business.
According to Ewing & Williams' Walsh book, the DH6 purchase included two spare engines and a full range of spare parts.
I stmbled across Stan Hatten's name fairly recently - can't remember where - and when I was in Gisborne last year nosed around to find the Hatten business history.
The Gisborne appearance of the aircraft in May 1920 was at the request of the local Waikare Beach Society. After the third flight at Gisborne, a forced landing was made and repairs were required.
Following further joyride activity the DH6 then flew south, ending up at Welington. It was damaged in a gale while tied down at Hutt Park, Wellington, overnight 25/26Aug20. Transported back to Kohimaramara it was never repaired. Stored until sold as part of the Government takeover 30Aug24, it was burnt on Kohimaramara Beach Jan25.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 17, 2013 20:49:34 GMT 12
Would the owner's details be on the shipping manifest?
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