Post by planewriting on Apr 17, 2024 10:25:22 GMT 12
On reading the above, I checked to see how often the letters AVM have appeared on page 1. There were three. None of them are in reference to the Widgeon involved in the open sea rescue of Flying Officer Millward. I covered the incident on page 82 of "Taking off - Pioneering small airlines of New Zealand 1945 -1970", co-authored in 2003,with Richard Waugh, Graeme McConnell and Bruce Gavin. Briefly, Millward was on board NZ1094, enroute Ohakea to Whenuapai, which caught fire off the Taranaki Coast. An emergency call was put out and a Bristol Freighter and a Devon searched in the failing light. By chance, Dakota NZ3551 was airborne bound for Ohakea and on hearing the call, began searching. On board were AVM I G Morrison and Wing Commander Kevin Fennessy and his wife. Millward made use of a supply of flares and Mrs Fennessy spotted Millward's orange dinghy off Taharoa Point near Kawhia, so NZ3551 maintained overhead surveillance throughout. In pre-daylight saving days it was too late to despatch a Sunderland for an open sea landing so the Search and Rescue co-ordinator Flt Lt Ray Hartstonge rang Bruce Packer at Tourist Air Travel who promptly contacted Dick Grimes flying a Widgeon from Taupo to Auckland. He diverted but couldn't trace the dinghy so he landed at Mechanics Bay where he and Packer immediately took off in Widgeon ZK-AVM with a full fuel load and found the dinghy. They landed at 7.35pm in darkness. Packer had never made a night landing in a Widgeon. Millward, swam from his dinghy to the Widgeon's port float from where Grimes helped him get on board and take off for Whenuapai. They had no idea of wind direction. The wheels were beach tyres, not suitable for a sealed runway, so Grimes did the landing at Whenuapai where there was a special message from AVM Morrison "I have just witnessed a skillful pick up of one of my pilots from the open sea. Bless you and thank you".
I saw that incident that as a message from "the military AVM to the civil AVM!".
I remember the day very well as I too was in the air about the time the Harvard departed Ohakea. I was with my parents and sister on board NAC Viscount ZK-BRE flying from Palmerston North to Whenuapai. I have often wondered what chance there may have been had the Viscount been asked to join the search. Probably not, but it would have made for an interesting occasion, particularly for a teenaged, aviation mad, boy!
I saw that incident that as a message from "the military AVM to the civil AVM!".
I remember the day very well as I too was in the air about the time the Harvard departed Ohakea. I was with my parents and sister on board NAC Viscount ZK-BRE flying from Palmerston North to Whenuapai. I have often wondered what chance there may have been had the Viscount been asked to join the search. Probably not, but it would have made for an interesting occasion, particularly for a teenaged, aviation mad, boy!
