Sunderland WWII RAF Pilot ~ Malcolm James Conway-Ex ChCh NZ.

[malcolmconwayraf1942]

Greetings,
Re:- Sunderland WWII RAF Pilot ~ Malcolm James Conway- Ex ChCh NZ.

Born 1919 in Hornby Christchurch NZ.

Joined RAF 1942.
Flew a DH Tiger Moth trainer backwards over Harewood in Christchurch when flying into the teeth of a NorWester !!
Piloted Catalina & Sunderland flying boats.
nzjf.org.nz/free_issues/NZJF40_2_1995/4DE7E74B-6188-435C-A4DA-8A3EC4887C42.pdf

Based in Africa. Possibly served in RAF/ RNZAF 490 Squadron ?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._490_Squadron_RNZAF

Never spotted a U-Boat. Closest he got was to the one that torpedoed the ship taking him out to Africa !!

To celebrate the late Kiwi WW2 Short Sunderland Mk III flying boat skipper's 100th anniversary I'm requesting
some pointers as where I might find details of his wartime sevice.

I am a sometime builder of aircraft plastic model kitsets.
I intend to make a 1/72 scale model of the actual Sunderland he flew on his African WWII posting.
So I am after details of his aircraft's Serial Numbers & camouflage scheme.

He was a friend of my father. I can remember he stayed with us once. So I proudly produced my schoolboy's
attempt at a 1/72 Airfix Sunderland model kit build.
He very kindly told me a few yarns of his wartime service. Very much wish I had asked him more questions.......

Where do I start looking?

I am just old enough to remember RNZAF Sunderlands Mk V's doing touch & go landing off Rangitoto in about 1966.

Thank-you.

Fair winds & a following sea,

Nick Rogers
Papatoetoe
Auckland NZ.

[alanw]

I intend to make a 1/72 scale model of the actual Sunderland he flew on his African WWII posting.
So I am after details of his aircraft's Serial Numbers & camouflage scheme.
rt quote here

Hi Nick,

For starters, you could request a copy of his Service Records which would give
some information, but may not necessarily have aircraft information.

RNZAF Museum may have 490 Squadron records of aircrew/aircraft?

There were a few RAF Sunderland Squadrons in Africa (West) that flew with
New Zealander's, namely: 95 Sqn, 204 Sqn, 270 Sqn, 490 (NZ) Sqn.

The Mk III Sunderland your family friend would have flown (certainly with 95/270/490 Sqn's)
would have worn typical RAF Markings, (Code Letter Slate Grey) over the
Dark Sea Grey/White Scheme.
Most Mk III's were received roughly mid 1944, so would not necessarily have the
mid upper turret (270 & 490 Sqn Mk III's didn't)

Regards

Alan

[Dave Homewood]

May 6, 2019 18:21:07 GMT 12 alanw said:

For starters, you could request a copy of his Service Records which would give
some information, but may not necessarily have aircraft information.

Here's how to do that www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/accessing-military-service-records.htm

RNZAF Museum may have 490 Squadron records of aircrew/aircraft?

They do have a copy of the Squadron Operations Record book.

[feuer]

My father, Stan Walker, who is still alive and well at 97, was a Sunderland pilot with 490 Sqn. I don't recall him mentioning the name Malcolm Conway, certainly not as one of his crew. He may have been on one of the other Sunderlands in the Sqn. I will ask him if he remembers the name. By the way, 490 also had two Mk V's delivered to them at the closing stages of their time in West Africa.