|
Post by Bruce on Oct 23, 2019 17:58:27 GMT 12
One question I have about this film is there's a chunk missing at the top of the frame and seems to be a constant tear all the way through. How does this happen? I cannot fathom how a tear at the top of the film is constant throughout the whole clip. Any ideas? Its likely to be dust or lint hanging on the film gate in the projector - or the camera.
|
|
|
Post by hardyakka on Oct 23, 2019 18:46:40 GMT 12
Definitely not a model that good, or fast, or big in the 1950's. Was there a bit of a dip in the airfield there that we cannot see? Or perhaps he'd simply gotten unintentionally too low and was lucky not to lose it completely? I have looked at the footage frame by frame while zoomed in. My bet is that it is an optical illusion about how low the aircraft is. The light beige area that seems to be the "crash site" is actually a lot further away than you think. The aircraft is probably actually over the green-grey area of the runway and still about 50-100 ft in the air. I suspect this clip was taken from a tower and the viewing angle from that height has added to the illusion. I was hoping to see a clear shadow to help determine where the aircraft actually is. If an aircraft is close to the ground it should "meet" its own shadow. The fact that the film looks like it was taken in mid-to-late afternoon sun means the shadow is out of shot and therefore the aircraft is probably still reasonably well above ground level. Also, here is another theory about that black smudge at the top center of most of the video. It disappears at the 6:43 mark and returns at about the 9:05 minute mark. Now any physical damage to the original film would probably not be as steady as this mark is. Depending on how the film was stored, you would it expect it to "flicker" as it would only be on every 24th or 48th (for example) frame depending on how tightly wound the film was in its storage canister. However the mark is on every frame - when it is visible. Now the next clue is the colour and clarity of the film. When the mark is visible, the colours are a bit more washed out and the picture is a bit more fuzzy compared to the parts when the mark is not visible. This leads me to think that the original film has been copied using a telecine machine. The film is projected on to a surface and a synchronised camera photographs each frame in turn onto a new piece of film to make the copy. What I suspect has happened is that there was a bit of schmutz in the gate of either the projector or camera part of the telecine that was not seen by the operator until after the reel was processed. That's why it is on every frame. Also, an optical copy will never be as crisp and clear as the original which also fits the case. If you watch a few movies about film-making in earlier days of cinema, after the director calls "Cut", you'll hear the call "Check the gate!". This is why. It's to make sure that there isn't any muck/dust/hair in the way spoiling the shot. So when the mark isn't there, the video transfer has been done from original film. When the mark is there, the video transfer has been done from a telecine copy. Back in the day, you probably didn't just bin a copy because of a bit of dirt in the gate and so the "damaged" reel survived. Film (and processing) was probably relatively expensive. Waste not, want not etc. I could be wildly wrong of course, but it seems to fit.
|
|
|
Post by oj on Oct 23, 2019 19:24:02 GMT 12
That is likely just a bit of fluff in the camera or in the gate mechanism of the film-to-digital conversion optical interface. Sorry, I did not scroll enough. I see others have already answered this. Duh!
|
|
|
Post by Damon on Oct 24, 2019 7:49:51 GMT 12
I find the drogue attachment for target towing a little intriguing. Does anyone have a picture of this drogue attachment at all on the P-51? Thanks.
|
|
|
Post by shorty on Oct 24, 2019 9:53:10 GMT 12
I have a colour photo (ex Wings magazine) of 2423 fitted with it on the RH side bomb carrier. Painted with red/white stripes
|
|
|
Post by rayo on Oct 24, 2019 10:21:56 GMT 12
That is likely just a bit of fluff in the camera or in the gate mechanism of the film-to-digital conversion optical interface. Sorry, I did not scroll enough. I see others have already answered this. Duh! I also agree with the above. For my 2 cents worth if you watch closely you will notice when it disappears at 6:42 you then see a Film start indicator which suggests it was cleared when a new film was loaded. I am pretty sure you would find this blemish is on the original film so it was probably cleared from the camera shutter gate unknowingly and not discovered til after processing. P.S it is still a fabulous piece of history well recorded. I am always amazed after all this time when new/old footage surfaces.
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2019 13:10:08 GMT 12
It would be nice to see the footage properly restored digitally to remove that dust blemish.
|
|
|
Post by shorty on Oct 24, 2019 15:15:01 GMT 12
Love the mixture of clothing, blues, KDs and civvies. Anyone enlighten me as to the badge on the LH sleeve at 1:50? Reminds me of tented camps (Wise Owls) that we did with the CT-4s,lots of lounging around working on our sun tans
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2019 15:30:29 GMT 12
Anyone enlighten me as to the badge on the LH sleeve at 1:50?
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Oct 24, 2019 17:53:04 GMT 12
That is the lowest of the Non-commissioned flying badges (for Pilots, Navs, Signallers, etc) used by RNZAF from about 1948 till 1953, at which point it was hit on the head and banned for all time. However there was one exception, the Master Aircrew badge (which possibly survives to this day), but it is no longer used by pilots, as all pilots trained since mid-1950s (or thereabouts) have been officers, or officer cadets of various kinds. The badge was a laurel wreath, with all but the Master badge "closed" at top by a metal "gold" eagle. If the badge contained no stars, this indicated that the wearer was an Aircrew cadet, although it did NOT indicate the category of the cadet (that is, Pilot, Nav, etc); if one star appeared within wreath, this indicated (Aircrew) 4 (ostensibly equivalent to LAC), two stars for (Aircrew) 3 (Cpl), three stars for (Aircrew) 2 (Sgt), and three stars, but with a metal "gold" crown OVER the wreath (Aircrew) 1 (F/Sgt). Master (Aircrew) (equivalent to Warrant Officer) was indicated by having the gold eagle WITHIN the wreath, and the Royal Coat of Arms "closing" wreath at top. Incidentally this badge was introduced in RAF immediately postwar (about 1946, but was abandoned by them about 1950. This also raises another question about this film - I think it is older than we think. Although title says this was shot in "1955" I have been unable to find any mention of an Ashburton camp in that year, and so far I have only managed to get evidence that three such camps were held - in November 1953, April 1954, and November 1954. I have further details of each of these camps, and at least one was frequented by TWO Territorial squadrons simultaneously, No. 3, and No. 4 (Otago), so they had about 8 Mustangs and possibly some Harvards on that one, so I don't think that camp is the one shown in this film. Anyway, that style of non-commissioned aircrew badge would seem to indicate that perhaps the Nov 1953 camp is the one on the film. However I will have to carry out a bit more scratching in the 3 Squadron Unit History (my main source of information so far, including Press cuttings) but somewhere there exist complete unit histories for all our TAF squadrons, which also include large numbers of photographs of squadron personnel, usually named, as well as all postings in and out. David D
|
|
|
Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2019 18:10:57 GMT 12
Great info David, thanks.
|
|
|
Post by shorty on Oct 25, 2019 7:35:35 GMT 12
That was something I wasn't aware of. Perhaps it would be a good subject to start a thread on-badges awards and uniforms from back when we wore real battledress uniforms up to the wannabee Rambo ones?
|
|
|
Post by oj on Oct 25, 2019 19:25:09 GMT 12
Yes David, well done. We want to keep you on.
|
|
|
Post by NZ1009 on Oct 25, 2019 20:39:07 GMT 12
The 9 aircraft formation at the end of the movie seems to be 9 Mustangs so could well be the camp attended by both No. 3 and No.4 TAF squadrons?
|
|
|
Post by tbf25o4 on Oct 26, 2019 7:56:44 GMT 12
Two Mustang and Harvard flying camps were held by 3 TAF at Ashburton, the first 28-29 November 1953, the second in April 1954. For the early exercise air-to-air firing was carried out off the coast. The presence of a target towing Mustang, and the loading of live ammunition (as indicated in the footage) supports that activity. On the Sunday formation flying was carried out over the airfield for the enjoyment of the local population. All of this seems to support the footage being from this camp. Extacts from SEEK AND DESTROY pages 50/51
|
|
|
Post by davidd on Oct 27, 2019 12:32:33 GMT 12
Have just been browsing through a series of photocopied newspaper clippings (plus one or two official releases) relating to the three Ashburton camps that we know about, Nov 53, April 54 and late October 1954 (and NOT November as originally stated by me) and have decided to give a little more information on each one. Have a funny idea that the TAF Mustangs and "Regular AF" Vampires had a simulated air battle in South Island in 1955, but do not know if this connected with Ashburton (possibly not!) As Paul has added some information already will build around his contribution. In the three camps covered below, the CO of 3 TAF Sqdn was S/L R J N (Ray) Archibald, DFC, whose family operated Archibald Motors in Christchurch, by the Avon, which of course had the Jaguar franchise for ChCh (if not the South Island). And this reminds me that in the film, a sports model Jaguar appears, and I imagined that Ray would be driving this car, but it does not look entirely like him - can anybody offer an opinion on this identification? Ray was a rather striking looking chap, the personification of a fighter squadron leader, tall and strong, although still rather slim (and fairly bald by this stage).
Camp 1, 28 - 29/11/53; Five P-51s and at least one Harvard (latter provided for drogue towing), with 11 vehicles departing Wigram in early Saturday, with 3,000 Imp gallons of aviation fuel as part of their supplies, plus Coles crane, crash tender and ambulance, but I seem not to have the number of personnel involved. However these are available at Wigram, will have to do a bit more work!
Camp 2, 3 - 4/4/54, four Mustangs (one equipped for banner towing) and four Harvards (latter mostly used for formation practice). Number of flying hours chalked up by the 8 aircraft over 2 days was 58, with 3,500 rounds of .5" ammunition expended. Total number of men on this camp was 55, and "special guests" over the weekend included members of No. 24 Squadron, Air Training Corps (presume the local squadron!) who turned up on the Sunday, to be shown over the Mustangs of course, with 4 lucky cadets scoring rides in the Harvards! Flying Officer Loach, equipment officer, was in charge of ground activities.
Camp 3, 23 - 25/10/54, nine Mustangs (5 from Canterbury Sqdn, 4 from Otago Sqdn) plus seven Harvards (from both squadrons), with 112 officers and men (and boys, including ATC Cadets from Christchurch and Ashburton squadrons). Total amount of fuel taken south this time was 8,000 gallons, with "more than 15 vehicles". However another mention states that just 15 aircraft were at Ashburton - perhaps one of the Harvards did not make it. It is also mentioned that all nine Mustangs of the combined squadrons flew in formation over Christchurch on the Monday (Labour weekend) at 1700 hours, so this may be the formation shown at end of the film. Incidentally 2 Devons assisted in bringing up members of the Otago squadron from Dunedin (Taieri). Some members of this squadron (having real, full-time jobs jobs) had to work late on the Friday night, and were gathered together and loaded onto a truck convoy scheduled to leave for Ashburton at midnight - you had to be keen to join the TAF!
I have also failed (so far) to locate the date that those "NCO Aircrew" badges were phased out - looks as though they were still in use in October 1954! Something else to get to the bottom of. Incidentally the newspaper cuttings, etc, give an awful lot more information on the running of these camps than given here, the above is simply intended as a very quick once over and a few pertinent details. David D
|
|
|
Post by Mustang51 on Oct 28, 2019 12:59:39 GMT 12
FANTASTIC !!!!! You can never have too many Mustangs !
|
|