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Post by spitfirebob on Jan 29, 2017 5:19:24 GMT 12
Hi all
I have acquired a pair of ww2 36 pattern flying boots
They have been stamped with the following service number
NZ426553 12/41
I can find a reference to a pilot named Francis Clarke Thomson who served in no3 Squadron and involved in a couple of incidents! One being a heavy landing in Lockheed Hudson NZ2087 on 7/9/44 when aircraft burst a tyre on landing at Henderson Field Guadalcanal after a test flight
I cannot find any more details about him,so was hoping someone could help please
Would be great to have the history behind the boots
Regards
Bob
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Post by errolmartyn on Jan 29, 2017 9:31:28 GMT 12
Hi all I have acquired a pair of ww2 36 pattern flying boots They have been stamped with the following service number NZ426553 12/41 I can find a reference to a pilot named Francis Clarke Thomson who served in no3 Squadron and involved in a couple of incidents! One being a heavy landing in Lockheed Hudson NZ2087 on 7/9/44 when aircraft burst a tyre on landing at Henderson Field Guadalcanal after a test flight I cannot find any more details about him,so was hoping someone could help please Would be great to have the history behind the boots Regards Bob Francis Clarke Thomson's number was actually NZ4 16553. (NZ426553 belonged to Bevan Brewin, who enlisted as an equipment assistant in July 1943.) FCT enlisted at Levin as an Airman Pilot under training on 21 Dec 40. He had attained the rank of flying officer by 22 September 1945 when posted to the Reserve. You could request a free copy of his RNZAF service record from Personnel Archives, NZDF. Errol |
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Post by spitfirebob on Jan 29, 2017 11:55:21 GMT 12
Hi Erroll
Sorry , my mistake! I meant to type NZ416553
I am in the UK so how do I go about obtaining files from personnel archives?
Bob
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Post by errolmartyn on Jan 29, 2017 12:01:55 GMT 12
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Post by spitfirebob on Jan 29, 2017 21:19:35 GMT 12
Thanks Erroll
Will get in contact with them
Bob
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Post by lifeboatadam on Jan 30, 2017 9:52:24 GMT 12
I used this service last year. Free, and I got sent a really comprehensive set of documents. The UK National Archives could learn a thing or two from NZDF! |
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ifly4u
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 4
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Post by ifly4u on Sept 4, 2022 17:07:14 GMT 12
Hi Bob,
I would be interested to see what you got from Personnel Archives, NZDF, please. I have a flying helmet that was owned by Francis Clark Thomson NZ416553. It is a 1941 B type helmet with holes for Gosport speaking tubes. What has me stumped is the helmet has "LS90 ANTARCTICA" written in large white letters across the front. I cannot find any link to Thomson ever having been involved in the Antarctic or with the RNZAF Antarctic Flight.
Cheers
Chris
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Post by davidd on Sept 5, 2022 10:09:51 GMT 12
Remember that in the days of old, all types of flying equipment issued on loan to aircrew remained the property of the Crown, and must therefore be returned to store when the loanee leaves the service (or is removed from flying duties), and that would almost certainly be similar to procedures in force today, probably more so considering the cost of modern equipment. Despite this, quite a number of the wartime flying helmets at RNZAF Museum (and other flying items) seem to have been retained by their "loanees" at the end of WW2 (often in rather scruffy condition) and ended up with their surviving family members when they died. I also remember being told by John Wright (best known as a Safe-Air captain on Bristol Freighters and Argosies) that when he was a young fellow "hanging around at the Marlborough Aero Club" in late 1940s, that a large carton of ex RNZAF flying helmets (mostly the NZ-pattern tropical helmets with crown "cut-outs") arrived at the club with one of the members. All in earshot were told, "help yourselves, the air force is chucking out all these old wartime things, doesn't want them anymore", and I am pretty certain that John got one for himself, as you would.
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