ArchivesNZ have been busy!!

[rayo]

Some Clips have been in the Public Domain for a while but others are new to me at least!!

N.Z. SQUADRONS STRIKE FROM BOUGAINVILLE - Weekly Review 152 (1944)




AUCKLANDERS SEE AIRCRAFT-CARRIER - Weekly Review 213 (1945)




R.N.Z.A.F.... TORPEDO BOMBERS OVER RABAUL - Weekly Review 144 (1944)




Nissan Island Airstrip Construction - Weekly Review 139 (1944)




PACIFIC AIR BASE.... R.N.Z.A.F. GROUND CREW - Weekly Review 120 (1943)

[Dave Homewood]

That footage of the RNZAF Avengers aboard the Empire Lagan is great to see. She was a merchant ship that had been converted into a carrier. She was part of the Blue Funnel Line and arrived in Auckland's Western Wharf on the 7th of September 1945. The Auckland Star newspaper wrote that same day:

CONVERTED CARRIER

SHIP DUE AT AUCKLAND

A merchant ship converted as an auxiliary aircraft carrier, the Empire Lagan, is due to arrive at Auckland this afternoon. The ship, which comes from Brisbane, carries 28 Service personnel, and will load aircraft at this port.

The vessel is one of a number of similar ships operated by the commercial owners for the British Government, and is the first aircraft-carrying vessel to visit the Dominion. She is to berth at the Western Wharf. Owned by the Blue Funnel Line, her Auckland agents are Henderson and Macfarlane, Ltd.

On the 8th of September the NZ Herald had these photos:

And the caption: "FIRST FLAT-TOPPED SHIP TO VISIT NEW ZEALAND.—Upper: The auxiliary aircraft-carrier Empire Lagan, which arrived at Auckland late yesterday afternoon. Lower: Some of the R.N.Z.N.V.R. (A) personnel who returned in the ship.

In the same issue the Herald wrote:

NAVAL CARRIER



ARRIVAL AT AUCKLAND

CONVERTED MERCHANTMAN

The first "flat-topped" ship to visit Auckland arrived in the harbour late yesterday afternoon from Brisbane and is expected to leave today for Sydney. She is the Empire Lagan, a Blue Funnel Line ship converted during the war for use as an auxiliary aircraft-carrier, and she brought a number of naval air arm personnel who have been on service with the British Pacific Fleet.

Of a type familiar to users of the Western Ocean and other dangerous waters when the Battle of the Atlantic was at its height, the Empire Lagan is one of many merchantmen converted to carry a few aircraft for the purpose of helping to defend convoys against submarine and aerial attack.

A number of escort and auxiliary carriers are attached to the British Pacific Fleet, but they have been used almost exclusively for ferrying aircraft to bases and to the fleet at sea. The difference between the auxiliary and escort carriers chiefly lies these days in the fact that the former were built as merchantmen and converted to carriers by having a light flight deck added to them, whereas the latter were designed as "baby" carriers.

The Empire Lagan, whose conversion as an auxiliary carrier is obvious even to lay eves, is of the type used by the British Pacific Fleet only for ferrying aircraft between bases. Escort carriers also did this duty, but they were used as well for taking replenishment aircraft and spare parts out to the fleet at sea. They were also represented at the attack on Truk in June.

The main reason for the Empire Lagan's visit to Auckland is to take nine Avenger torpedo-bombers and two Walrus amphibian reconnaissance machines on board for delivery to the fleet. Avengers were regularly used by the British Pacific Fleet for bombing Japanese targets and Walrus amphibians were used for the rescue of pilots who had been forced down at sea. New Zealand has maintained both types of machine, Avengers at one time being used by' the R.N.Z.A.F. in the Solomons. Photographs are on page four.

And a photo from the Auckland Star on the 8th of September 1945:


The caption read:
"LOOKING DOWN ON THE FLIGHT DECK of the Empire Lagan, the first auxiliary aircraft-carrier, a converted merchantman, to arrive in Auckland. This morning planes were being loaded on to the deck for delivery to the fleet."

The Auckland Star's report that day was thus:

"FLAT-TOP'S" VISIT



THE EMPIRE LAGAN



KEEN INTEREST IN VESSEL



Unrestricted access to the aircraft-carrier Empire Lagan was given to the public to-day, when hundreds of Auckland youngsters swarmed over her from flight deck to the depths of the hangars. The vessel will be open for inspection until sailing time on Tuesday next.



Lying at the Western wharf, she was well within view from the Western Viaduct, and it did not take long for boys on their daily rambles round the wharves to find out that they were allowed aboard. The officers were extremely tolerant and, with a word to the young visitors not to "touch anything," they kept watch over a stream of children scrambling up the steep gangway from early morning onwards.



The Empire Lagan, the first "fiat-top" to visit Auckland, is a Blue Funnel Line steamer which was converted to an aircraft-carrier during the war. She was in the process of building in America in 1940 as the U.S.S. Mormacland, a cargo ship, but, when half finished, was modified and fitted with a flight deck. She was later handed over to the Royal Navy and served as H.M.S. Archer, an auxiliary aircraft-carrier.



Escort Work in Convoys



Her main job was escort work. in convoys, her few aircraft being maintained solely for the protection of the accompanying ships in the event of attack. The auxiliary carriers have also been used extensively for ferrying aircraft to bases and to the fleet at sea.



The Empire Lagan is in Auckland for the purpose of taking to Sydney nine Avenger torpedo-bombers and two Walrus amphibians for delivery to the British Pacific Fleet.



The carrier is commanded by Captain G. R. Cheetham, of Birmingham, who, before the Empire Lagan was taken over by her present owners in April last, commanded the S.S. Samoa, a British Liberty ship. After leaving Belfast the ship was inspected at Liverpool, her home port, by the owners and proceeded to the United States to load 45 Avenger and Corsair aircraft for Brisbane and Sydney. Her destination was Norfolk, Virginia, and on the trip across she carried a number of the latest exhibition model Seafire fighters for inspection by the United States authorities.



She went to Brisbane and Sydney and returned to Brisbane before crossing the Tasman for Auckland. She carried 40 Fleet Air Arm ratings and two Air Arm officers. The Empire Lagan's crew comprises all Blue Funnel employees, and all the officers have also served in the company's ships. As is the practice in ships of the Blue Funnel Line, all the deck crew and stewards are Chinese. Before the war, practically all the company's trade was between the United Kingdom, China and Japan, with an occasional trip to Australia.



Behaves Exceptionally Well


The officers agree that the ship behaves exceptionally well in a seaway, and that the huge flight deck, 60 feet above the water, makes little or no difference to her stability, as she is loaded with 3000 tons of solid ballast.



Aucklanders will not see any aircraft taking off or landing from the deck of the Empire Lagan, as she will never again operate as a working air base. Before she was taken over by her present owners a special bridge was built across the for'ard end of the flight deck, and the vessel will be used purely to transport planes from one base to another. Among the amenities on the carrier is a fully-equipped eight-berth sick-bay and a complete surgery, providing all the equipment necessary for any major operation. It is in charge of the ship's surgeon, Dr. Bishwa Nath. Another feature is an elaborately-fitted soda fountain.



The third officer, Mr. Peter Jackson, of Grimsby, was in the Blue Funnel vessel Glenstrae before joining the Empire Lagan. In 1942 the ship in which he was then serving, the Mentor, was torpedoed in the Gulf of Mexico. After spending a week in a lifeboat the survivors were picked up by another Blue Funnel ship, the Antilochus. The second mate of the rescuing vessel, Mr, K. G. Coslett, of Barry, South Wales, is now chief officer of the Empire Lagan.

The Empire Lagan, whose New Zealand agents are Henderson and Macfarlane, is expected to leave for Sydney next Tuesday.

And in the New Zealand Herald on the 10th of September 1945 another article:

SHIP OVER-RUN



VISITORS TO CARRIER

SCENE AT WESTERN WHARF

The visiting auxiliary aircraft-carrier Empire Lagan was over-run yesterday by thousands of Aucklanders. Members of the crew were prepared to receive hundreds of visitors and were faced instead by multitudes.

Nothing stranger has been seen on the waterfront for six years. A week ago it would have been incredible. For the first time since September, 1939, the public was free to go on a city wharf and for the first time also in that period they were able to board a ship without let or hindrance.

All day long a stream of motor-cars and pedestrians went to Western Wharf. The one gangway giving access to the ship was in use until well after 5 p.m. A request for all visitors to leave was broadcast over the ship's loud-speaking system at about 4.15, but it took almost an hour to usher the last of the reluctant children and adults to the wharf. Even then, many people did not reach the ship.

Small boys had a field day. They clung to almost every projecting part of the vessel, ascended and descended practically every ladder, ranged the guns and climbed into the cockpits of the aircraft. Adults were nearly as enthusiastic in their explorations, and in the tramcars which later took both children and adults to their homes practically the only conversation was of the strange things they had seen.

There were some other interesting visitors also at the Western Wharf at the same time - a NZ Herald photo from 10th of Sept 45

The caption read: "UNITED STATES SUBMARINES VISIT AUCKLAND: The submarines Cabrilla (left) and Bluefish moored at Western Wharf after arriving from Fremantle yesterday afternoon. In the background is the auxiliary carrier Empire Lagan."

And a final article from the Evening Post on the 11th of September 1945:

FOOD STOLEN FROM LIFEBOATS



P.A. AUCKLAND, Sepember 10.

A few of the 20.000 Aucklanders who visited the merchant ship aircraft-carrier Empire Lagan at Western Wharf during the weekend stole a quantity of chocolate, beef extract, biscuits, and tinned milk from the ship's lifeboats. The food was in tins which could be opened with a key attached to the side. When an inspection was made it was found a number of tins had been opened and the contents taken. Linen and glasses were also unlawfully removed. All day again today there were streams of visitors to the ship.

[Dave Homewood]

I love the footage of the Avengers in action too, I'd never seen that one before. Really interesting to see the RNZAF used batsmen to dispatch the aircraft, like carrier operations.

[Dave Homewood]

The film about the construction of the base and airstrip on Green Island is brilliant too. All that in just 16 days, amazing.

[Dave Homewood]

Gosh and that ground crew film is another gem!! Wonderful.

I note the one with '8' on the cowl has '9' on the wing. I wonder if it had a donor wing?

[rayo]

I knew you would love these Dave.
Maybe they are working on a theme at archivesnz at the moment there were other War films as well. I will keep a watch out.

[davidd]

Just a quick note to say that although the EMPIRE LAGAN was the first flat-top to visit Auckland, it was certainly not the first to visit New Zealand. In fact, TWO British flat-tops (admittedly American-built escort carriers) visited Wellington in February and March 1944, engaged in aircraft ferrying duties between USA and India. One of these carriers was HMS PATROLLER, the other was RANEE. However there are good aerial photographs of both these ships in New Zealand waters (naturally taken by RNZAF) as they approached or departed Wellington, published in a small and rather curious NZ book titled "Aircraft Carriers and Aircraft-carrying Cruisers" by Michael Burgess, published by Burgess Media Services in 1980, 64 pages. The two carriers in question are illustrated on pages 19 to 22, showing that the PATROLLER was en route to the USA more or less empty, while RANEE (page 22) was en route to India groaning under a deck-load of P-40s (fore-part of ship), and P-51s aft. However I would like to see a clearer picture of this ship as there could be between 40 or 50 aircraft aboard.
Incidentally this is the first that I knew of the presence of the two US submarines at Auckland in September 1945, although these were not the first US subs to visit, and the British sub VOX had also visited NZ prior to this.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

In the film with the Aerodrome Construction Squadron, if you go back to the beginning there are RNZAF airmen being measured and kitted out for tropical service. I had never seen an RNZAF issue Sou'wester hat before!!

[Deleted]

It's amazing that even after 70 years "new" stuff can still come out of the woodwork! I bet it's a real boon to historians like Dave!

[johnnyfalcon]

Mar 7, 2017 18:38:12 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

In the film with the Aerodrome Construction Squadron, if you go back to the beginning there are RNZAF airmen being measured and kitted out for tropical service. I had never seen an RNZAF issue Sou'wester hat before!!

In the first film, at the beginning it seems that none of the men were kitted out at all!

[Dave Homewood]

Here's another excellent release. We have seen a little of this film before of the Fijians fighting, but this is the full film and shows some amazing action shots from Fijian and US soldiers and Marines, plus men of No. 25 Servicing Unit with their Dauntless bombers on Bougainville, and some great Piper Grasshopper footage too

[davidd]

Yes, Dave, some exciting front-line stuff here! One often reads accounts of how poor the standard Japanese small arms were in action, but this film shows that bullets are bullets, and that American and Fijian soldiers seemed to have a very healthy respect for any bullets flying their way! The poor old jungle was taking a real beating too. Not mentioned in the film that American (Marine and Navy) and RNZAF TBFs and SBDs were quite heavily employed in attacking Japanese positions in the jungle approaches to the Allied airstrips located in the Torokina area, and were often dropping their bombs more-or-less during a normal airfield circuit, although other strikes were further back in the rising country just north of the airstrips. And nice to catch a glimpse of "Halsey Field" near the end of the film, home to the Piper Cubs (presume US Army), and later to the RAAF Austers of 17 AOP Flight. The location of this small strip (also used as a sort of sports and athletics field) was not usually shown in maps of the area, and I still don't know where exactly it was situated in relation to the other main strips. Those mighty jungle trees, up to 150 feet high, were an instantly recognisable feature of the Piva airfield complex, and also obviously further inland too. The Torokina airfield was mostly built on an area originally occupied by a coconut plantation, but I think the eastern end had to be cleared of jungle.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Yes I have read accounts from No. 30 Squadron groundcrew members who would see their aircraft take off, then watch them bombing the Japanese within sight of the airfield and then land back on the strip without ever losing sight of their aeroplanes. They regularly had snipers' bullets whizzing through their camp too. It was all a little too close for comfort in my opinion.

I have heard from a few veterans that those Fijian soldiers were astoundingly good, the best soldiers in the Pacific. I may have mentioned it here before but when they arrived at Guadalcanal they asked if they could do an exercise with the US Marines, attempting to infiltrate their camp. The Yanks agreed, and set the time for 8pm. Some time after 8pm the Americans had seen and heard nothing so they called the Colonel in charge of the Fijians and asked if they'd cancelled. He said no, they'd been already, and if they cared to check the boots of all their sentries and most of their fuel drums they had chalk crosses on them. It was true, they were that stealthy they'd come and gone and not been seen or heard. Just amazing.

[hardyakka]

Mar 13, 2017 11:49:06 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I have heard from a few veterans that those Fijian soldiers were astoundingly good, the best soldiers in the Pacific. I may have mentioned it here before but when they arrived at Guadalcanal they asked if they could do an exercise with the US Marines, attempting to infiltrate their camp. The Yanks agreed, and set the time for 8pm. Some time after 8pm the Americans had seen and heard nothing so they called the Colonel in charge of the Fijians and asked if they'd cancelled. He said no, they'd been already, and if they cared to check the boots of all their sentries and most of their fuel drums they had chalk crosses on them. It was true, they were that stealthy they'd come and gone and not been seen or heard. Just amazing.

I heard this same story except it was Gurkhas in the jungle vs the British instead of Fijians on the islands vs the Marines, and the boots weren't chalked but instead the laces tied together. When the "blue" force called an end to the exercise, all the sentries fell over as they tried to walk away from their posts

[Dave Homewood]

Here's a photo from the Auckland Weekly News of Avenger NZ2513 being loaded aboard HMS Empire Lagan. Note the Avenger had a yellow tail indicating it was a target tug. From the 'Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19450919-26-2 '

[ErrolC]

Avengers serials at www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzavenger.htm
"Issued to British Fleet Air Arm at Hobsonville on 07 September 1945."

[davidd]

Some of the information appearing at adf serials with respect to RNZAF aircraft is overdue for a jolly good overhaul! However the shots of the three US Navy subs are all-new to me, so many thanks for the photo coverage Dave H.
David D

[camtech]

David, I am well aware that much information on ADF needs updating and am pulling bits together, but the more accurate info I can update with, the better.

[Dave Homewood]

Another photo just discovered in the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 10 SEPTEMBER 1945

[oj]

There is something odd in the photo.
The front centre aircraft has the prop blades at the wrong angular displacement, unless it is a four-blader.
There is also lack of continuity of the wooden structure in the foreground.
Maybe two shots were joined together but the camera position shifted for the second one?
Or the shots were joined with a mismatched overlap?