Ron Rimmer's Photos

[Dave Homewood]

Today I met Heather Bongers, who is the widow of the late RNZAF WWII Flight Mechanic Ron Rimmer, who lived in Cambridge after the war and up till his death in 1995. Heather has loaned me Ron's photos to scan. Not a lot but some interesting topics.


This is Avro 10 VH-UXX "Faith In Australia" which visited New Zealand on several occasions. I do not know where or when these two shots were taken. The one above seems badly watermarked but it has created a neat affect so I have not attempted to clean the photo up. It looks like a piece of art, some sort of sketch.



This is a postcard showing DH84 Dragon 'Huia' over Napier


Below is a DH89 Dominie. It's too hard to see for sure but I think it is ZK-AKY

[Dave Homewood]

I really like this photo, taken at Nelson and obviously must be from when Ron was doing his senior training course so I guess in 1944 or early 1945. Seven Hinds and an Oxford (INST23, formerly NZ253, one of the original Oxfords from the 1938 purchase)



In 1945 Ron was posted to the Aircraft Storage Unit at RNZAF Station Rukuhia and I am sure this is from then


Fairchild Argus ZK-ASZ and Beech 17 Staggerwing ZK-AJS, not sure where or when, maybe Rukuhia again



Mosquitoes NZ2337 (YC-F) of No. 75 Squadron RNZAF at what may be RNZAF Station Rukuhia

[Dave Homewood]

This is RNZAF Gloster Meteor III NZ6001, possibly at Rukuhia during what must be an open day. The Mossie above may have been at the same event perhaps.
 
Note the P-40 on the right


Note the Avenger in the background


Note the Corsair in postwar markings, may be one that went to Japan later


As well as the Corsair on the right there's a load of P-40's behind this, so has to be Rukuhia

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone know the date that DH89 ZK-AKU returned to the air after its restoration at Ardmore? These photos are that event when it had its first flight again, according to a note on the back of one.

[Dave Homewood]

A visiting Catalina at Ardmore





And a James Aviation DC-3 Topdresser - does anyone recognise the place?




That's it. You can learn a little bit more about Ron Rimmer on my website here:
www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Ron_Rimmer.html

[Bruce]

The Meteor and Mosquito pics are definitely at Rukuhia (the RNZAf / James / PAC apron) and the DC-3 is ZK-AZL at the Mystery Creek Fieldays site, sometime not long after its initial "restoration" in the mid 1980s at a guess.

[Dave Homewood]

Ah, so it is AZL. It is lacking the rego at the time of the photos.

[Peter Lewis]

Jan 19, 2016 21:44:02 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Does anyone know the date that DH89 ZK-AKU returned to the air after its restoration at Ardmore?

Not to the day, but it was WFU in April 1992 and restored in October 1994.

[scrooge]

Looking at the postcard of ADR- it looks like the shot was taken from another Dragon, or was it a shot taken from ADR with another picture of ADR 'photoshopped' into it?

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Peter. Judging from the cars I was thinking 1970's, haha.

A good point about the photoship Andrew, I guess it was probably the sister-ship Dragon "Tui"

[Bruce]

Jan 20, 2016 7:33:46 GMT 12 Peter Lewis said:

Jan 19, 2016 21:44:02 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Does anyone know the date that DH89 ZK-AKU returned to the air after its restoration at Ardmore?

Not to the day, but it was WFU in April 1992 and restored in October 1994.

I think these photos show an earlier restoration - 1970s. The centre airfield Hangars at Ardmore are visible in the pics, and these were long gone by the 1990s.

[komata]

Dave H:

Thank you for posting these images, especially those of the Meteor and Faith in Australia, as, although I am familiar with them (for reasons which will become evident), they had been lost for several years.

Faith in Australia: I m told that these were taken in the Manawahe district (behind Lake Rotoma, Rotorua area), and was part of a 'Joy riding' tour that the aircraft made during its time in New Zealand. I understand that, due to the cost (a large amount in Depression-era NZ), the photographer (my father) did not go for a flight in this aircraft, but rather visited it to see what a such a 'giant and modern' aircraft looked like. It was, understandably, the wonder of the day, for the small farming settlement.

Dragon / Dominie images: I regret to advise that I cannot give any further information on these, although I would suggest that Dominie photo was taken in the South Island.

The Oxford / Hinds: Taken at Nelson as you correctly state. FWIW, the Hinds later had their propellers removed so that the props could be sent to India to keep the RAF / IAF Hart-family aircraft operational. The 'Indian' machines were being used for both MR and Border-patrol work.

The Ventura: Taken at Rukuhia as you state, although why that specific aircraft was photographed is not known.

Argus / Staggerwing. Taken at Rukuhia, in front of the control tower. The 'reduntant' aircraft lines are visible to the right.

The Mosquito: Taken at Rukuhia as well. The image was probably taken after 1946, when dad was demobbed, and will therefore be from the 1947-1950 period, and at an airshow held during that time. No doubt someone will be able to provide the date this / these occurred.

The Meteor: I am advised that the images of the Meteor F.3 were taken on the occasion of the Meteor F.3's visit to Rukuhia base; the first time it had done so. As can be seen the war was over, and the 'surplus' aircraft were all around. The image of the P-40 taxiing is of interest, as 'popular legend' has it that no P-40's were 'operational' at the time. I believe that that image was taken shortly after a mixed P-40, F4U and Meteor' flypast had occurred, in which case a date can be assigned to the set of images. Hopefully someone can provide the date of the airshow and so-complete the details.

Now, to correct a misapprehension: Please note that the colour photographs were in fact taken by myself, rather than by Ron Rimmer (my father), at a time when I was living in the vicinity of Ardmore airfield, and when dad had minimal interest in aviation.

On that basis, the following might be of interest:

ZK-AKU: Taken at Ardmore, as you noted. From memory, these images were taken in the September - December period 1972. In respect of the 'First Flight' notes on the reverse of the image; these are what I was told at the time, and as such I have no reason to doubt what I wrote. BTW, obtaining the take-off image was, for me personally, a somewhat fraught occurrence involving 'aircraft drift'  and a very close (and sudden) encounter with the grass on my part ('nuff said).

N68740 (PBY-5A 'clipper nose' conversion). This Image taken at Ardmore in July 1978 (exact date un-recalled). The aircraft was owned by an American on a round-the-world trip, and was the first 'Cat to fly in NZ since the demise of the RNZAF's PB2B1's. It was also, I believe, the first PBY-5A to visit this country, and the first 'civi' 'Cat to visit to NZ. The aircraft was fully furnished and fitted-out with a wood-panel interior. Access was via rear under-hull air-stairs which folded back up under the lower section of the hull when not in use. The people in lower image of the aircraft are, respectively, myself and three family members. The photo BTW, was taken by the American pilot. The aircraft styed at Ardmore for a week (from memory) then flew towards Tahiti and, eventually, the USA.  I have no idea if it still exists. 

Douglas C-47 (ZK-HZL?) Highland Duster'. The origins, location and provenance of these two images is not known with certainty.  

Trusting that these notes are of interest. Again, thank you for posting the pics.

[starr]

The photos of AZL were not taken when it was first retired. It had a set of yellow Fieldair wings on it at the time. Also those photos are not taken any where near the old James hangar. I think they were taken after the repaint job recently before being taken back to Mystery Creek. Tail wheel assembly and exhaust systems are missing.

[komata]

Starr

Thank you.  Although I had believed that the images were ones I had taken , your comment has raised doubts about their provenance.  I have therefore amended my comments  to reflect this. 

Again, thanks.  

[Dave Homewood]

Hi Komata, aha, at last I know who you are Thanks for filling in those details and confirming many of the assumptions, that helps a lot.

Dave, the Dakota AZL shots are definitely old prints, they look to be from the 1970's-80's.

[Peter Lewis]

Jan 20, 2016 13:44:16 GMT 12 komata said:

N68740 (PBY-5A 'clipper nose' conversion). This Image taken at Ardmore in July 1978 (exact date un-recalled). The aircraft was owned by an American on a round-the-world trip, and was the first 'Cat to fly in NZ since the demise of the RNZAF's PB2B1's. It was also, I believe, the first PBY-5A to visit this country, and the first 'civi' 'Cat to visit to NZ.

Probably not.

I recollect that some time ago Marcus posted photos of French civil Catalinas that came down from New Caledonia to Whenuapai for maintenance in the late 40s and 50s.

I have photos of a TRAPAS LandCat F-BCJG that visited Paraparaumu in 1947 and F-OAYD at Whenuapai in 1958.

[Dave Homewood]

rnzaf.proboards.com/post/176346/thread

rnzaf.proboards.com/post/176571/thread

[starr]

Dave, looking at the photos of AZL again, I stand corrected. Bruce is right saying they were taken at Mistery Creek. I never saw it in those colours there, only after Redvale Lime Co had painted it in there colours. Before it went to Mistery Creek it looked to be in a sad state.

[sailorsid]

The Dommine looks like it is at Queenstown Frankton airport

[starr]

Dominie could be Queenstown. Shot of AKU taking off is taken towards the house I was bought up in at Ardmore