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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 2, 2020 23:08:42 GMT 12
In my search for photographs of 1920s civilian-operated aircraft I have come across the Hawkes Bay Knowledge Bank. There are are number of interesting aviation photographs there (unfortunately some are mis-titled). Among the gems are two showing an Avro 504. The title information given is: "Dudley Newbigin’s Avro 504 on the beach at Waimarama Dudley held the 31st licence for New Zealand" A bit of photo processing of the first image reveals that the underwing serial is H5240. This particular Avro one of the Imperial Gift aircraft, and was issued to the NZ Flying School Ltd., Kohimaramara, in 1920. It flew as a floatplane in their service and became G-NZAB (but never wore that registration). By December 1921 it was being flown (again on wheels) in Hawkes Bay by NZ Aerial Transport Co. Ltd., Longlands, Hastings. Presumably it was then that these two photographs were taken. In late 1923 Les Brake was operating it, trading as East Coast Air Services, also based in Hastings. It was eventually terminally storm damaged while picketed out at Waihi 26May1924. So the question is: who was Dudley Newbigin and what was his aviation background and involvement with NZAT - which I have always assumed was Lyall Tatton's company?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 3, 2020 11:01:09 GMT 12
69 hits for "Dudley Newbigin" on Papers Past. Mostly social notes, he must have been a socialite.
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Post by errolmartyn on Jan 3, 2020 11:12:10 GMT 12
Dudley Hamood Newbigin was born at Hastings on 31 Oct 1902 and died there on 10 Jun 1964 He learned to fly with the Hawke's Bay Aero Club and was granted 'A' Pilot's Licence No. 81 (not No. 31) on 19 Nov 29. New Zealand Wings of Feb 1934 mentions that there was a Newbigin Cup - presumably donated by the son or father, or both. The 1928 Electoral Roll for Hastings records his occupation that of brewer (ditto his father, Edward).
Errol
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jan 5, 2020 17:36:30 GMT 12
I have come across the following 1964 obituary for Dudley:
Obviously, the son of a fairly wealthy family, which would have given him the resources to pursue both expensive recreational activities and an active social life.
Being born in 1902 he would have been too young for WW1 and too old for any operational role in WW2.
The 1947 Whites Directory entry for the Hawkes bay & East Coast AC makes no mention of him in any exec role, so presumably he had retired from flying by then.
As I expected, the "Dudley Newbigin’s Avro 504" tag is misleading - presumably he came across the Avro at the beach at some stage in 1921 - 1924 when it was being operated by either Tatton or Brake, and may well have flown in it as a passenger, but to claim it was his aircraft is incorrect. Note the usual journalistic error in describing any Moth as a 'Tiger Moth' - his race win must have been in a DH60 as the first Tigers did not fly here until early 1938.
Such are the myths circulated by the uninformed.
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Post by planewriting on Jan 5, 2020 21:44:58 GMT 12
Quoting from the above newspaper cutting "and in 1929-30 won the first triangular course run from Mangere, Auckland in a Tiger Moth". Hmmm New Zealand didn't get its first Tiger Moths until 1938 so it was probably a Gipsy Moth in which he flew. 1960s version of the same ol' story (all small planes are Cessnas...).
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Post by davidd on Jan 6, 2020 11:03:06 GMT 12
I knew an English chap who served with RAF during WW2 (including a spell in Russia with the RAF Hurricane Wing, although I gather he was actually a Radar tradesman, included teaching Russians how to operate British sets). He also served in Malaya postwar, as Nav (W) on Bristol Brigands, then to NZ where he had a longish career as an air traffic controller at Christchurch International Airport. As I kid I talked with him a little about aviation, and noticed that he referred to all high-wing light aircraft as ...... wait for it! AUSTERS!!!!!! David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 6, 2020 11:09:30 GMT 12
Not another Auster nutter...
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Post by baz62 on Jan 6, 2020 13:20:56 GMT 12
Obviously a man of class and distinction......
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Post by madmax on Jan 10, 2020 9:59:33 GMT 12
Dudley Newbigin was a founding member of Hawkes Bay and East Coast Aero Club, I have a photograph retrieved from a rubbish bin, of Dudley posing with Charles Kingsford Smith in front of the Southern Cross during its visit to Bridge Pa in I think, but unable to check now, 1933. During the 1980 when i lived in Hawkes Bay their was a liquor wholesaler/retailer named Newbigins still in business there.
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