ryan54
Leading Aircraftman
Posts: 2 
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Post by ryan54 on Mar 13, 2017 16:37:20 GMT 12
Hi All, I've stumbled across this photo dated from 1945, and am having a hard time placing which control tower this could be. Does anyone have any ideas or other photos from this time period? The aircraft apears to be an Airspeed Oxford or Avro Anson if that helps any?  Thanks |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 13, 2017 17:06:46 GMT 12
The aeroplane is definitely an Airspeed Oxford. I am not sure on the tower.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Mar 13, 2017 17:20:50 GMT 12
Given the proximity of the low hills behind I will start with RNZAF Rongotai
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Post by davidd on Mar 13, 2017 18:49:13 GMT 12
Paraparaumu perhaps?
David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 13, 2017 20:47:42 GMT 12
I'll bet that top room was a scorcher to sit in on a sunny day.
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Post by Bruce on Mar 13, 2017 22:12:12 GMT 12
The contrasting weatherboarding is pretty trendy! the kind of thing you see on modern houses... Nothing new! the vehicle behind the Oxford looks to be an engine test stand truck - at least there is something tall and bulky on the back. Where would you find Oxfords and Engine overhaul facilities? I wondered about Woodbourne, but I dont think it is. No Hangars visible, just those low "huts" with fairly distinctive bracing.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 0:11:18 GMT 12
Perhaps Harewood? They had No. 3 Repair Depot in Christchurch which the test bed truck may belong to. And they have hills.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 1:05:33 GMT 12
Nope, not Harewood, here is Harewood's tower in 1948  And same in 1947  Here is Rongotai's tower in 1938 (Geez that must have been a windy position!)  And Rongotai's tower in 1959 after it was blown up!  "View of unidentified army soldiers examining their work after blowing up a concrete control tower, Wellington Region" Looking at the mystery photo the tower looks remarkably similar to Whenuapai's wartime tower, seen here in Oct 1945, but the buildings and hill don't fit  |
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Post by suthg on Mar 14, 2017 7:21:10 GMT 12
Is Rotorua out of question? Tauranga? Ardmore?
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Post by TS on Mar 14, 2017 7:30:53 GMT 12
You beat me to it I'm thinking Ardmore.  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 14:13:02 GMT 12
Was that building seen at Whenuapai in the photo I posted shifted to Ardmore when they built the more permanent concrete building perhaps?
I can't find a photo of the Ardmore tower before it was renovated in the 1980's or 90's, but I know there must be some shots of it around.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 14:20:48 GMT 12
Hang on, Ardmore's tower was not there in the time of Airspeed Oxfords  This one is dated 22 Feb 1965 (Whites Aviation Collection, NZ National Library) And not even there by 1976  Dated 21 Sep 1976 (Whites Aviation Collection, NZ National Library) |
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Post by TS on Mar 14, 2017 14:25:58 GMT 12
Maybe the tower from the war was pulled down and a new one built where it stands today. That last photo looks to have a tower between the second and third hangar looking from the left. I think the original tower was over the other side.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 14:29:20 GMT 12
Here is the Whenuapai tower again on 13 Sep 1947 with Fairey Firefly fighter bombers from the carrier HMS Theseus passing overhead (Whites Aviation Collection, NZ National Library)  It's very similar but in the original shot I am not sure of the other buildings and the hill match. And I note in this photo there's no door on the corner of the building where there is in the original photo, there's a window instead. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 14:49:28 GMT 12
What is odd is I have several aerial photos of Whenuapai during WWII, you can see Vildebeests and Tiger Moths in one so it's pre-1943, but I cannot see that wooden tower in any of them. But the current concrete tower is in all of them. This perplexes me. Where was the wooden tower at Whenuapai?
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Post by delticman on Mar 14, 2017 15:22:48 GMT 12
Hang on, Ardmore's tower was not there in the time of Airspeed Oxfords This one is dated 22 Feb 1965 (Whites Aviation Collection, NZ National Library) And not even there by 1976 Dated 21 Sep 1976 (Whites Aviation Collection, NZ National Library) The three hangars shown in the top picture are still there, the middle airfield hangars are just out of shot. The bottom picture shows the tower between the three hangars in the middle of the field. These were demolished in the 1990's I think. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 16:16:17 GMT 12
I think you're right Ray, my mistake. I was just sent these shots by TS who says: "Hi Dave. Sorry to send this to you like this but I’m frickin useless at getting photos on a Thread. But if you are able to enlarge these at all there appears to be a tower in the centre right of the first pic and centre left in the second. I search on Google. Cheers TS"   |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 16:19:57 GMT 12
Also Paul Sheehan has sent this photo of the Whenuapai tower in 1947:  He says, "My guess is that your shot is Whenuapai. The window frames are the same, the weatherboards the same and look at the top glassed in room, it looks the same as well with a further addition on the very top." |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 14, 2017 16:26:31 GMT 12
Of course there's also the possibility that this is not even in NZ. The Aussies used Oxfords, as did the RAAF and others. Have you any context you can provide Ryan? Did this come from a collection of photos?
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Post by rone on Mar 14, 2017 16:58:48 GMT 12
Now my 10cents worth. What about Rukuhia. The wartime tower was close to Ohaupo road boundary, there is a hill of sorts across the road and the old sheds are still standing. The suggested Whenuapai tower does not have the door at lower right corner, there is a window there instead. And engine test runs were done at Rukuhia. Over.
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