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Post by Bruce on Nov 17, 2005 6:30:31 GMT 12
Hi Guys,
I was chatting last night with Dave about digging up bits of old aircraft and I mentioned I would love to see a comprehensive survey / exploration of the old Waipapakauri airfield site near Kaitaia. I was up there in July and found a whole heap of photos in the Kaitaia Museum. The field had extensive earthworks and structures, and I cant beleive that there wont be anything left. Dave is interested as it would fit with his research into RNZAF GR squadrons.
I'm not sure how one goes about putting together such a trip, I think it would be good to get an aircraft up there to do some aerial photos (If we wait until summer 2007 I can get my plane up there) and some GPS surveying would be good. How would we approach landowners? Does anyone know a friendly lawyer who may be interested in keeping us legal (I know of all too many legal battles over "acheological surveys"). What research do we need to have sorted before we go?
Is there anyone else out there in Forum - land who is interested and ideally experienced at this sort of thing and wants to come along?
Sometime in the next few months the Kaitaia historical society will be publishing a book on the history of the Waipapakauri area, but no actual survey has been made on the site as far as I can tell - it would be good to do this before all evidence is ploughed up, pulled down built over etc.
What do you reckon?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 17, 2005 12:29:05 GMT 12
As I said last night I am certainly keen but it would be good to have others more experienced in the field of aviation archeaology with us.
It would be great just to visit the place, but if we can find and preserve some history that would be even better. So... I'm a starter
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 17, 2005 13:01:42 GMT 12
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 17, 2005 13:04:30 GMT 12
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Post by steve on Nov 17, 2005 23:06:40 GMT 12
Great idea ...a local kaitaia person with "Mana" shouldd be the first person on board...then keep it low key...with little or no distruption to the farmers...and some guest accomodation at low cost and i will be there digging! I have been there on three occasions and apart from exploring the concreate above ground command post...i have been reluctant to explore any further because of private land...I understand there is a decent memorial there to the station unveiled this year...Do we know of any crashes at the station.... i suppose there were...My only experience in this area was seraching the site near whenuapai of the B17 crash in ww2 and finding ammo casings and metal fragments some years ago..still very worth while and rewarding as others havn't the interest and the remains are left for another generation!
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Post by Bruce on Nov 18, 2005 12:00:38 GMT 12
There were a number of crashes on the airfield, including a Hudson with a full load of depth charges on board. The crumpled exhaust ring off this aircraft is on display in the Kaitaia Museum.
I have relatives in kaitaia with a big house, so if we get anything together, we have a HQ and accomodation.... maybe I need to investigate the project more seriously.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 18, 2005 20:12:26 GMT 12
We'll have to have a few drinks in the Waipapakauri Hotel - formerly the RNZAF Officers Mess and then the RNZAF Base Hospital before returning to a pub.
Does the old Grandstand still exist? The original runway was in the centre of the old racetrack and they had to use the Ambulance headlights to light the runway for night flying at the beginning before an expansion turned it into a proper station. In those early days the Grandstand was, I'm told, renovated to become a hangar. I dear say it's probably long gone.
Don't forget there was a detached flight from Waipapakauri at Kaitaia too. they operated out of there with Vincents for a while. So worth a visit I guess. I'd like to see a few other northland RNZAF airfields too like Onerahi, Kerikeri and Kaikohe if they're still there. Just a thought.
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Post by Bruce on Nov 19, 2005 7:12:48 GMT 12
All the other airfields you mentioned are still there, all of them current operational civilian airfields. there wasnt any grandstand type structure when I visited Waipapakauri in July, but very little remains with regards to structures.
Another place up there which is of significance is the Awanui wireless station, which dates back to 1912. one of my great great uncles served there for 6 months or so during WW1, before heading off to Europe and eventually detting killed at Paschendale. The Wireless station was part of the trans pacific network which included Awarua in Invercargill, Pennant hills in Australia and a station at Apia. The NZ invasion of Samoa in WW1 was primarily to remove the station from German control. I have a postcard my Uncle Alf sent to his Mum showing the wireless station, and when I went there in July virtually all the buildings were still there - one was even a very classy bed and Breakfast! Aparently the Kaitaia museum says there was also an early warning Radar (could have been sound locator) station even further north, somewhere near Spirits Bay, but very little info has come to light on this.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 19, 2005 13:02:43 GMT 12
Thanks for that Bruce, a fascinating piece of history.
There were several RNZAF Radar Staions around that area, I have eevn interviewed a Cambridge lady who served at one or two of them. there were loads of top secret radar stations around NZ all run by the RNZAF. See the excellent book by Ian Sexton on this (a copy is in the Hamilton Public Library reference section, green cover). A truly unknown history of important wartime work.
The Waipap grandstand-hangar may have been destroyed even as early as when the station was upgraded. I don't know if they built any proper hangars there, possibly.
I was told only last night that the Tin Hangar (No. 3 Hangar during WWII, ie the one not made of concrete) at Whenuapai was actually dismantled and shifted to Rukuhia for a period during the war, before being returned to it's orginal position where it still stands today. Amazing - it was the 1GR hangar, and I used to woork there without knowing it ever housed Vincents and Hudsons. I never knew it had been to Hamilton and back either - I wasn't aware they were so portable.
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Post by Bruce on Nov 19, 2005 16:48:59 GMT 12
Belfast truss hangars are surprisingly portable - I know that they were very "mobile" in the U.K, I didnt know that had happened here. That may explain some mysteries about the PAC site that had me thinking there was at least one other hangar there at some stage. It could have been to the south of the old wooden hangar, where a row of trees marks a long disused road. The distance would be about right for another Belfast truss hangar to fit in between the trees and the road alongside the existing hangar (PAC social club rooms are on the site now) the current taxiway / apron gate would be just outside the doors of the mystery hangar. The other possibility is on the other side, where the "newer" PAC hangar sits on a pad which somehow doesnt quite match the building, however this is an odd conglomeration of additions and throw togethers so this could be nothing - would love to have some pics of the complex during wartime.... (we are slightly off track now....)
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 19, 2005 17:00:18 GMT 12
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Post by Bruce on Nov 19, 2005 18:10:26 GMT 12
Ah ha! the nearer of the two hangars in photo three is the existing PAC Hangar, the other sits on the site of the current "new" complex, so the odd sized foundations are explained! most of the other buildings in the backgound at the end of the apron are still there, one is the power substation for the complex. The top photo showing the bow type hangar framing looks like it is being erected near the other site I suggested, but obviously after the aerial photo at the bottom. Cool pictures Dave - this is the sort of stuff that we available from the Kaitaia Museum for the Waipapakauri job.
P.S nice mix of aircraft in picture 3 as well....
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 19, 2005 20:11:31 GMT 12
Yep, I don't recall seeing an airshow that good at Rukuhia...
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