RNZAF Te Rapa

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone have photos of RNZAF Station/Base Te Rapa from during or after WWII up till its demise? I have not seen many photos of the place and I'm finding it hard to recall what was there except lots of big sheds and a main gate. Plus as a kid they had the "bumblebee" Avenger we used to look out for if we went past.

Are there any aerial photos of the base?

[Deleted]

Hey there Dave, there's a black and white aerial photo in my barracks (Te Rapa block) of Te Rapa that's dated around 1945? Is that like something you want?

Cheers Jamie

[komata]

Dave

If you haven't already done so, I would strongly suggest that you contact the Hamilton Public Library's Reference Team, located on the Third Floor of the Central Library in Garden Place, Hamilton. The specific person you would want to speak to is Perry Rice (who also contributes a photographic column in each Monday's Waikato Times-you may have seen them). Perry is the Photographic Librarian for the team and if he doesn't have any images immediately to hand, will probably be able to at least direct you as to where they might be found.

As well, (and if you haven't already done so), I seem to recall that Stu Rogerson wrote a book about the Te Rapa Airfield (located on Sandwich Rd BTW), some years ago. Although not strictly about Base Te Rapa, he might have some information / photographs which could be of use. Unfortunately, I haven't spoken to Stu for several years, so don't know if he is still around, but he could be worth while contacting. A check of the Electoral Roll or White Pages in the 'phone book could be useful and would at least give you an address.

Hope this helps; happy searching.

[Dave Homewood]

Hi Jamie, yeah sounds good, can you take a digital snap of it perhaps please?

I'm just generally interested to see what's out there Komata. But if i get the chance and the urge I might follow up on those leads, cheers.

[Deleted]

Opps I was wrong its dated for 1962, oh well... How handy that it's labelled though! These were taken on my phone, as it's more or less the only way I can get them up. So sorry if the picture quality is a little to be desired..

[suthg]

Avenger gate guardian appears to be there... well a plane anyway Great pics BTW. Well done Mr. Orion!!

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Jamie, excellent work!

[Dave Homewood]

So the block are you living in at Woodbourne is called Te Rapa Block. Is that one of the old wartime blocks? I think when I was at Woodbourne back 25 years ago the blocks just had letters, E Block, F Block, etc, from memory. The 4TTS barracks were bloody terrible. Cold and draughty and completely infested by rats, and the Govt refused to pay anything to have them fixed up, so we were told. They obviously only saw its troops as statistics, not people.

[Deleted]

No worries, glad it was of some help yes I currently reside in Te Rapa block, there's also Shelly bay, Rongotai, and a 4th block which I can't remember its name. No I don't think they are quite WW2, they are old but too modern to be ww2 I think. However I could be wrong haha. The recruits barracks over at CRTS (command and recruit training squadron) I think are the old ww2 ones possibly? They are numbered (eg. Block 10) and the dorms are lettered (e . dorm C,D,E and F). Both the recruits and trainees barracks are more then comfortable enough to live in, plenty warm. Definitely not the Hilton, but hey a night in the Hilton would probably pay for a month in the barracks

[Dave Homewood]

So are the blocks with the base names H-blocks like at CRTS (or GSTS in my day)? Are they the blocks on the eastern side of the CRTS parade ground?

All the H-blocks were wartime there. If that is the same set of barrack blocks, they must have done them up considerably. They were shite in my time. Two men to a room with no room to swing a cat, and no cats to chase the mice!

[Sarge]

Te Rapa looks much like I remember it in the late 70's. The burger shop over the road is not there yet and the the corporals club and wet canteen had been combined as a JR's Club behind the YMCA. The Avenger would almost be sitting on wet concrete in 1962 as it was only withdrawn from use in 1959. The vertical is earlier than the oblique as the Avenger is not present anywhere on the base. Great memories and best base I served on

[Deleted]

OK nope maybe you are talking about the trainee's barracks. As we are on the eastern side of the parade square. They must have done them up then. They definitely aren't new but I would never have picked them to be that old. In the double room (I'm lucky enough to get a double room to myself!!) We have two single beds, a big desk, two wardrobes, couple of shelves running the length of the bed, a big panel heater and a vantiy/sink and mirror. Pretty comfy to live in, you're own little place to chill out after course.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes, same place Jamie. Sounds like the same layout too. is it all timber? Or have they been refitted. The rooms and corridors had those horrible 1970's nylon felt tiles for flooring, the kind that used to be in classrooms too, that gave you carpet burns if your bare skin came in contact. I really don't know what people saw in those carpet tiles, they were rubbish.

All those barracks were built when Woodbourne was home to No. 2 Service Flying Training School, where pilots learned to fly the Vildebeest and Oxford and later the Harvard. Lots of courses going on so lots of H-block barracks. Some H-blocks were re-clad in fibrelight or similar at some stage, replacing the original timber exterior but I don't recall if this was the case at Woodbourne. I do recall being told one full block and later half a blocks had burned down in two separate fires in the 1980's, and they'd been rebuilt at some stage. Maybe you're in the replacement sections if they look newer?

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a screengrab from Google Maps looking down on the old No. 4TTS Barracks.



You can actually see clearly the block (top left) and half block (bottom left) of the H-Blocks where they were replaced in the 1980's after fire has destroyed the old barracks, as they have light coloured roofs - as does the Barrack Wardens and Taylors Shop to the left again. (I assume that building still houses those?)

One barrack fire was caused by an iron I seem to recall. Not sure about the other, a smoker maybe. I recall the 4TTS instructors drumming into us about getting insurance as the blocks burned very well once lit.

I lived in the bottom right H-Block. And I was in the middle of the dorm on the bottom-right of the H. My room, shared with Ross Mockford (S&S like me but he remustered during 4TTS to Aircraft Mech) faced towards Woodbourne for some while but then we had a switch around mid-course and I moved across the hall to share with Glen Harcus (Aircraft Mech). Across the hall from me was 'Ev' Evison, who went to town one Friday night and bought a mouse trap. By Saturday morning he'd trapped 21 mice in his wardrobe! This kill rate remained constant for the rest of our time there and there never seemed to be any less mice around. They had tunnels everywhere and got into your drawers all the time. Filthy things.

[pjw4118]

Dave here are two shots from the PWD Aerodrome Branch

[flyinkiwi]

Oct 27, 2014 11:54:32 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Plus as a kid they had the "bumblebee" Avenger we used to look out for if we went past.

I thought they had a Vampire out front?

[Dave Homewood]

It was an Avenger in the target tug striped scheme, and it went to the RNZAF museum in 1978 or so.

[baz62]

Fairly certain the Vampire replaced the Avenger, For some reason the Avenger was painted all over silver, then Shorty and tbf2504 on here got permission to paint her back into her target tug black and yellow stripes and silver (which is the colours you would have seen Dave.)

[Peter Lewis]

The Vampire was FB5 NZ5765, the one now on loan to Wanaka.

Te Rapa, March 1982




The Avenger departed from Te Rapa in November 1978 and he Vampire went there in June 1980 so there would have been a gap.

I only ever saw the Avenger NZ2504 in silver.

Te Rapa 25Mar73

[Dave Homewood]

I don't ever recall seeing a Vampire there, but I probably did and it was much less significant as it wasn't brightly coloured.

great photos there Peter, by the way.Hamilton has changed soooo much since that last photo was taken. I wonder what that is opposite the main gate, the round looking thing. That's where Countdown is now.