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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2021 15:47:04 GMT 12
I am curious about a set of photos that show F/Lt B. Lockie in and with Forward Air Control Harvard NZ1056. He has the US Airborne patch on his flying jacket. Was that an entitlement from previous service with the US Airborne forces? LINKLINK
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Post by tbf2504 on Mar 4, 2021 16:06:37 GMT 12
Seems highly unlikely as the 82nd Airborne (Screaming Eagles) were a paratrooper force, which would be out of the norm for an RNZAF officer to have been engaged with. Brian Lockie is not listed as being an RNZAF Skyhawk pilot unlike the others who served in Vietnam. In the lower picture he is sporting a 14 Squadron patch. I would suspect that the "Screaming Eagle" patch was a souvenir.
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Post by 30sqnatc on Mar 4, 2021 16:48:52 GMT 12
161 Battery, NZ Army artillery supporting 173 Airborne Brigade in Vietnam was entitled to wear the brigade patch on their left sleeve. He is listed is a FAC in Vietnam so possibly supported the 82nd. See rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/15166/rnzaf-vietnam
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 4, 2021 17:16:23 GMT 12
That makes sense if it was the parent unit in Vietnam.
Is Brian Lockie still around these days?
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Post by McFly on Mar 4, 2021 17:29:42 GMT 12
This is his AM 'Online Cenotaph" record " Here" (which I gather he filled in himself last Feb [2020]...), and on there he lists the units he was with in Vietnam.
- Forward Air Controller (FAC) attached to US 19th Tactical Air Support Squadron at Bien Hoa, 5 to 25 October 1970. (20 missions, 39 hrs.)
- FAC attached US 20TASS Hue Phu Bai, 19Nov 1970-10Mar 1971. (65 missions, 135 hrs.)
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Post by tbf2504 on Mar 5, 2021 9:44:44 GMT 12
Yep looking at that it makes sense. I was only looking at the pilots that later served on 2/14/75 squadrons as A4 pilots. I wonder why he never went on to become an A4 jock?
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Post by shorty on Mar 5, 2021 12:15:32 GMT 12
I was in the ATC with Brian Lockie (along with Mick Murray and Rick Bulger)in the early 60s in Auckland
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 7, 2021 20:01:34 GMT 12
I am still not fully understanding here, were those units mentioned in Vietnam actually part of the 82nd Airborne forces?
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Post by shorty on Mar 7, 2021 20:39:07 GMT 12
Yep looking at that it makes sense. I was only looking at the pilots that later served on 2/14/75 squadrons as A4 pilots. I wonder why he never went on tobecome an A4 jock? Brian was in a bad car accident where the Ohakea Rd meets SH1 at the Bulls Bridge, maybe that affected his medical grading? Don't know the date but think it was in his Vampire days..There was quite a lot of Vampire jocks in the car. I came across Mick Murray again when he was a Canberra Nav and I was a chock jockey on 14 Squadron.
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Post by tbf2504 on Mar 8, 2021 7:57:13 GMT 12
Hi Shorty, thanks for that there was something in the back of my mind that indicated he did something that prevented him from moving onto A4's
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2021 10:12:23 GMT 12
Surely these guys, or most of them, would be GSH's, rather than LAC's? I do not see any LAC prop symbols. WgG655-76 "Some of the longest serving LACs on Base at the opening of the Airmen's Club Beer Garden. RNZAF Base Wigram. L-R: Leading Aircraftman Finlayson, Leading Aircraftman Burns, Leading Aircraftman Guiney, Leading Aircraftman Read, Leading Aircraftman Knapp, Leading Aircraftman Richards." LINK HERE
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Post by baronbeeza on Mar 17, 2021 10:22:03 GMT 12
Knew many of them. That is Joe Burns and they would have been GSH.
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Post by xbaggy on Mar 17, 2021 11:56:19 GMT 12
Dave for some reason we did not wear LAC props on the khaki jersey.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2021 12:19:39 GMT 12
Oh right. That's odd.
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Post by baronbeeza on Mar 17, 2021 13:46:02 GMT 12
Joe wore a green jersey.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 17, 2021 15:10:20 GMT 12
The Joe Wagon seemed to be well stocked back in 1956! But unlike the 1990's when I served, I cannot see a pie warmer! WgG6735-56 "Birdlings Flat publicity. Personnel shopping(?) in the back of a van, number plate 'Govt8.53?'. Birdlings Flat Aerodrome." LINK HEREIt looks like they have Griffins Sparkles, Griffins Milko Bar, Griffins After Dinner Mint, Griffins Toasties, Court Chocolate Fish, Crunchie bars, Wrigleys Spearmint gum, Griffin Liquorice All Sorts, Crisppy Wafers, buns and tea.
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Post by davidd on Mar 18, 2021 10:35:40 GMT 12
Not seen many photographs taken at Birdlings Flat, yet it was a busy place up until late 1950s (58/59 I think when flying from there stopped). David D
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Post by tbf2504 on Mar 18, 2021 10:39:03 GMT 12
David, in the background of the Birdlings Flat pic is a substantial building. I wonder how many buildings there were at Birdlings Flat in its busy days?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 18, 2021 10:46:19 GMT 12
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Post by davidd on Mar 21, 2021 9:34:07 GMT 12
It is possible that from 20 to 30 Oxfords at a time could have used Birdlings Flat (also known as the "spit", or "lake", but nothing to do with Spitfires in case anybody's heart missed a beat on reading this!) when WW2 was in full flight. These would have been aircraft of the Advanced Training Squadron of No. 1 SFTS, mostly undertaking armament training and the like, taking advantage of the ranges out here. This was also the main activity when FTS Harvards were out there in the 1950s. I have never heard of Devons flying from the "spit", but I guess it may have been possible. Not certain when the NZPAF/NZAF first used this area, but certainly by early 1930s (Bristol Fighters, later Vildebeests). David D
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