Dion
Sergeant
Posts: 11 
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Post by Dion on Feb 19, 2016 20:18:04 GMT 12
I've been going through my Grandfather's wartime photos and scanned a bunch of them that hopefully you will find interesting. The captions are what was written on the back of some photos. A lot of the men are unknown so please add names if you recognise anyone. My Grandfather was F/Lt Alexander Rowe RNZAF, 75NZ Sqn, 218 Gold Coast Sqn, and in NZ Gunnery Leader 2 BR Sqn. I can email through large versions of the first 3 photos for those who want a closer look at the faces - just PM me Dion  Air Training School, Levin, 1940  GTS Personel, Ohakea, early 1945  24 Course Central Gunnery School, Castle Kennedy, Sept 11 to Oct 15 1941  Air Training School, Levin - Yoricks & Mascot Anyone know the story behind the mascot...??  Air Training School, Levin - Gunners  Air Training School, Levin - Napoleons All  Ohakea - 1944 The next 2 photos continue on from those in this post.  F/O Graham Noel Parker & P/O John Adam Breckell - Crew of Wellington AA-H, 75NZ Sqn  F/O Graham Noel Parker & Sgt Douglas George Banks (Wireless Op) of AA-H Fastinating air raid account here written by Sgt Banks.
P/O John Adam Breckell & F/O Graham Noel Parker
unknown aircrew - F/S Alexander Rowe back right
unknown aircrew
Sgt Jack Peters
Back row - P/O T.P. Scanlan DFC, P/O A.T. Rowe, front - P/O W.R.B McCarthy DFC - 218 Sqn
F/S G.R. Heywood & F/S Rowe at Bath
Sgt jack Coombes
Sgt Jack Coombes
75 or 218 Sqn?
on board Rangitane
on board Rangitane
on board Rangitane
Gunnery Training School, Ohakea, Wings Presentation Parade 15-9-44, F/L Alexander Rowe on right
Gunnery Training School, Ohakea, Wings Presentation Parade 15-9-44
Duke of Kent, June 1941 visit to Feltwell.
From the ORB, Form 540:
“On the evening of 24th of June a visit was paid to the RAF Station Feltwell by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. During the evening His Highness met a number of New Zealand aircrews and afterwards watched them take off on operations”
Thanks to Chris for providing the info and helping id the photo
See more here at the bottom of the page.
Souvenirs... 218 sqn?
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Post by oj on Feb 19, 2016 21:00:15 GMT 12
These are marvellous Dion. It will be great for some of today's families if any of the unnamed chaps can be identified.
Everything is so clear.
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Post by davidd on Feb 20, 2016 15:12:49 GMT 12
Yes,
We do not often see photos of the Gunnery Training School at Ohakea featured on this site! Matthew O'Sullivan has been printing up most of the surviving course photographs of this school, but many of the negatives have been lost or broken, and most have no names of the course members, just date and class number. These gunners were all trained to man the Ventura and Catalina squadrons for Pacific service. The wireless operator air gunners for these squadrons were mostly Canadian trained.
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 21, 2016 7:45:24 GMT 12
Fantastic photos Dion, many thanks for posting these.
Where was Castle Kennedy? I assume in England?
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Post by delticman on Feb 21, 2016 8:06:53 GMT 12
Found a Scottish website. It's now one grass strip and not far east of Stranraer
RAF Castle Kennedy first used by RFC in 1913. Much later in August 1941, RAF Gunnery School moved there from Dorset.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 21, 2016 10:33:22 GMT 12
Thanks Ray.
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Post by fwx on Feb 24, 2016 11:58:37 GMT 12
Thanks for these Dion, they are fantastic!
Could you please email me at chrisATfoodworksDOTcoDOTnz as I may be able to help with more information about the Parker crew.
Cheers,
Chris
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Post by fwx on Jun 28, 2016 21:44:57 GMT 12
The Ohakea Gunnery Training School was a full turn of the circle for Alec Rowe - he had enlisted and trained at ITW in Levin in May 1940, and then did an Air Gunners Course at Ohakea training on Vincents, qualifying as an Air Gunner (Lewis) on 27 June 1940 with only 5:35 flying hrs logged! This was prior to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, so there was no Canadian training, and he sailed direct to England and straight into OTU.
His logbook names the Ohakea unit as No. 1 A.D.S.. Presumably this was the same unit that ran the first air gunners course that Dave's Wings Over Cambridge site mentions, commencing 20th of November 1939. But I can't find what the A.D.S. stands for, or any other reference to that unit. Can anyone help?
By the time Alec returned to Ohakea as an instructor in 1944, the unit operating as the G.T.S., must have been a completely different organisation, as the original Air Gunners & Observers course was closed down in 1940?
BTW, going by the badges in the "Yorick" photos above, I would say these were taken at No. 1 A.D.S Ohakea, rather than at ITW Levin?
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Post by errolmartyn on Jun 28, 2016 22:01:47 GMT 12
The Ohakea Gunnery Training School was a full turn of the circle for Alec Rowe - he had enlisted and trained at ITW in Levin in May 1940, and then did an Air Gunners Course at Ohakea training on Vincents, qualifying as an Air Gunner (Lewis) on 27 June 1940 with only 5:35 flying hrs logged! This was prior to the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, so there was no Canadian training, and he sailed direct to England and straight into OTU. His logbook names the Ohakea unit as No. 1 A.D.S.. Presumably this was the same unit that ran the first air gunners course that Dave's Wings Over Cambridge site mentions, commencing 20th of November 1939. But I can't find what the A.D.S. stands for, or any other reference to that unit. Can anyone help? By the time Alec returned to Ohakea as an instructor in 1944, the unit operating as the G.T.S., must have been a completely different organisation, as the original Air Gunners & Observers course was closed down in 1940? BTW, going by the badges in the "Yorick" photos above, I would say these were taken at No. 1 A.D.S Ohakea, rather than at ITW Levin? ADS is actually AOS - Air Observers School, at which observer and air gunnery training were undertaken. Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 28, 2016 22:24:55 GMT 12
Chris, can you please link to where you saw that on my site, have I got an error that needs correcting?
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Post by fwx on Jun 29, 2016 10:45:46 GMT 12
Thanks Errol, yes, a hand-written entry in the front of the logbook; the "O" looked like a "D". All clear now! Hi Dave, not an error, it mentions "The first Air Gunners course" without naming the school/unit. www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/rnzaf%20timeline.htm#1939 > 20th November 1939. Thanks, Chris |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 29, 2016 12:25:32 GMT 12
Cheers Chris.
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Post by berriman on Dec 7, 2020 23:26:58 GMT 12
I've been going through my Grandfather's wartime photos and scanned a bunch of them that hopefully you will find interesting. The captions are what was written on the back of some photos. A lot of the men are unknown so please add names if you recognise anyone. My Grandfather was F/Lt Alexander Rowe RNZAF, 75NZ Sqn, 218 Gold Coast Sqn, and in NZ Gunnery Leader 2 BR Sqn. I can email through large versions of the first 3 photos for those who want a closer look at the faces - just PM me Dion Air Training School, Levin, 1940 GTS Personel, Ohakea, early 1945 24 Course Central Gunnery School, Castle Kennedy, Sept 11 to Oct 15 1941 Air Training School, Levin - Yoricks & Mascot Anyone know the story behind the mascot...?? Air Training School, Levin - Gunners Air Training School, Levin - Napoleons All Ohakea - 1944 The next 2 photos continue on from those in this post. F/O Graham Noel Parker & P/O John Adam Breckell - Crew of Wellington AA-H, 75NZ Sqn F/O Graham Noel Parker & Sgt Douglas George Banks (Wireless Op) of AA-H Fastinating air raid account here written by Sgt Banks.
P/O John Adam Breckell & F/O Graham Noel Parker
unknown aircrew - F/S Alexander Rowe back right
unknown aircrew
Sgt Jack Peters
Back row - P/O T.P. Scanlan DFC, P/O A.T. Rowe, front - P/O W.R.B McCarthy DFC - 218 Sqn
F/S G.R. Heywood & F/S Rowe at Bath
Sgt jack Coombes
Sgt Jack Coombes
75 or 218 Sqn?
on board Rangitane
on board Rangitane
on board Rangitane
Gunnery Training School, Ohakea, Wings Presentation Parade 15-9-44, F/L Alexander Rowe on right
Gunnery Training School, Ohakea, Wings Presentation Parade 15-9-44
Duke of Kent, June 1941 visit to Feltwell.
From the ORB, Form 540:
“On the evening of 24th of June a visit was paid to the RAF Station Feltwell by His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. During the evening His Highness met a number of New Zealand aircrews and afterwards watched them take off on operations”
Thanks to Chris for providing the info and helping id the photo
See more here at the bottom of the page.
Souvenirs... 218 sqn?
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Post by berriman on Dec 7, 2020 23:49:20 GMT 12
Hi Dion, Selwyn Morgan Here. I have written the book I told you about "Going Up Camborne Hill". It's now on Amazon Books. Your Grandfather and his amazing good fortune in missing Willaim McCarthy's last flight is featured within it. Altough the book is based on fact, it is a work of fiction. I have tried to use as many facts I know of Alex's life during that time, but please excuse me for the inaccuracies (I can correct some on the second edition).
Best regards
Selwyn Morgan
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