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Post by emron on Nov 17, 2021 11:44:51 GMT 12
Running along the side street to the left is the William Paul Hall and the roof of the Bledisloe Hall is also showing above the old building to the right. The top floor of the William Paul Hall was used by the Waikato Museum between 1965 and 1973 while the remainder of the building was the Hamilton Public Library from 1968. The library moved from there in 1993 after which, this Hall too was demolished to make way for the present shopping mall.
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Post by AussieBob on Nov 17, 2021 12:47:20 GMT 12
The image from here doesn't want to stick. Not sure which one is Bledisloe and what is foreground building
Caption Looking south-east, c. 1967. The intersection of Anglesea and Ward Streets. Bledisloe Hall is the curved roof building on the left. The Municipal Offices are right mid-ground with the Telecom building being erected immediately behind it. #HCL_03560
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 17, 2021 13:01:11 GMT 12
The Air Commodore has been identified on another site as Ernie Gartrell. Gartrell, Air Commodore Ernest Charles 1970-1971 Air Officer Commanding RNZAF Training Group 1971-1973 I would think that there is a good chance the Group Captain may have been the Wigram Base Commander at the time. We think the Squadron Leader is Bob Reynolds who was the Westport AFRO at the time. He served in the Pacific towards the end of the war and would have had a few campaign medals.
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Post by McFly on Nov 17, 2021 13:15:09 GMT 12
The image from here doesn't want to stick. Not sure which one is Bledisloe and what is foreground building
Caption Looking south-east, c. 1967. The intersection of Anglesea and Ward Streets. Bledisloe Hall is the curved roof building on the left. The Municipal Offices are right mid-ground with the Telecom building being erected immediately behind it. #HCL_03560 Stuck now...
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Post by emron on Nov 17, 2021 13:54:19 GMT 12
The older buildings fronting on to Ward and Anglesea Streets had been demolished and cleared by this time and the space already in use there as car parking. The Bledisloe Hall would soon be removed from it’s concrete foundations and the parts carted off to be re-erected at Mystery Creek.
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Post by Mustang51 on Nov 17, 2021 13:58:12 GMT 12
Love the old Holdens there.....
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Post by camtech on Nov 17, 2021 15:31:43 GMT 12
The building with the crane on top is the old telephone exchange, later Telecom and now Spark/Chorus. The building in front is the Hamilton City Council office, with the Council Chamber to the left of the building. This building was added to in later years with a 9 story building being erected in front of the right hand side of the existing building, and incorporated part of that right wing. Created a real rabbit warren and disjointed arrangement. That original section later housed a number of agencies, including Blind Foundation, Volunteering Waikato and others, with at various times the Civil Defence office, which later was located at Duke Street, then back in the original building, before relocating to Genesis. The rooms at the right hand end of the original housed committee rooms, offices, council chambers, etc.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on Nov 17, 2021 21:23:59 GMT 12
Love the old Holdens there..... Any belonging to the Air Commodore above? I'll just get my coat...
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Post by tbf2504 on Nov 18, 2021 7:30:28 GMT 12
Ernie Gatrell was captured in Java in 1942 and was a guest of the Japanese until released in August 1945.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 30, 2021 15:03:10 GMT 12
Does anyone recognise the unknown chap in this shot? WgG265-16-81 Exercise Wise Owl 27 at Westport airport. Unknown technician showing Group Captain Neville the engine of an Airtrainer. (19/03/1981)
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Post by baronbeeza on Nov 30, 2021 17:40:28 GMT 12
I would think it is Bikie (Dennis) Johnson. . (I know it is Bikie). He was at PTS before moving to the F-27 Flight about early 1982. Snaphead and Shorty will know for sure. He was a Sergeant in 1982 but I would not be sure if he was a Sergeant before that posting.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 1, 2021 21:47:26 GMT 12
Who are these people at Wise Owl 21? Click on the catalogue numbers to open the original pages. WgG262-35a-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Unknown Flight Lieutenant sitting in the cockpit of Airtrainer NZ1946. WgG262-28a-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Two firemen sitting on top of a fire tender, manning the foam branch. WgG261-17-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Two members of the ground crew refueling Airtrainer NZ1942 from the Bedford fuel tanker behind. WgG261-19-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Karen operating the pumps on a fuel tanker. Airtrainer NZ1933 in background. WgG262-29a-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Two firemen, one sitting in the cab and another manning the foam branch, in a fire tender. WgG261-5-79Exercise Wise Owl 21 at Oamaru airport. Unknown Pilot Officer securing the seat belt on an Air Training Corps Cadet inside a Devon during an open day. WgG261-32-81Exercise Wise Owl 27 at Westport airport. Personnel refueling an Airtrainer.
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Post by classicman on Dec 1, 2021 22:46:07 GMT 12
WgG261-5-79. The chap strapping in the ATC cadet is SQNLDR “Willie” Waring. Last seen as OC Base Ops AKL in 98.
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 2, 2021 9:57:51 GMT 12
The last pic of the Airtrainer refuel could be Joe Burns and Keith Alderson.
Not much more than a suspicion though and maybe just a memory jog for some others here.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 3, 2021 13:18:12 GMT 12
OK, what, who, how and why? I don't think this is the same incident I have heard of at PTS when the door was bumped by a power pull and collapsed inward, just missing an Airtrainer and a person? This is Hangar 4. Dated 26/11/1980. WgG2523-80 LINKScene of an incident where a door fell from No. 4 Hangar onto a power pull, bicycle and private car. RNZAF Base Wigram WgG2519-80 LINKScene of an incident where a door fell from No. 4 Hangar onto a power pull, bicycle and private car. RNZAF Base Wigram. Possibly caused by a crane pushing the door off its runners.
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Post by baronbeeza on Dec 3, 2021 13:54:12 GMT 12
This was the Hangar Eater incident at 4 Hangar. It was before my time but I heard the story and there will be some discussion on this Forum about it. The version of events I recall are Steve Holtum was involved and that the car was Ernie Thompson's. I will do a search here and see what was discussed previously. **EDIT** There was mention of the incident here. Sounds like from a witness as well. rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/13348/hangar-doors
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2021 13:15:07 GMT 12
Aha, yes I had half remembered the conversation but it seems the duff story I'd heard in my RNZAF days had stuck in my memory, not the corrected story from the 2011 thread. Very good to see the photos.
The Ernie Thompson mentioned, I am guessing that is not the former Warbird pilot and Harvard owning Ernie Thompson?
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Post by tbf2504 on Dec 4, 2021 15:12:52 GMT 12
Dave, there is a good picture of F/S Ernie Thompson sitting by the wreck of NZ3803 on Mt Cook on page 145 of "Seek and Destroy"
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Post by shorty on Dec 4, 2021 18:17:25 GMT 12
Dave, the Ernie Thompson you are thinking of was a commercial artist from Auckland ,originally from Pt Chevalier. Ernie and I were both in the ATC in Auckland from around 1960 onwards. Now lives on the Kapiti Coast,
The Air Force Ernie was a framie, after gettig out he ran a little supermarket at Greta Valley, sold that up and moved to Safe Air
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 4, 2021 20:09:06 GMT 12
Thanks Shorty, yes I did not think it was the Warbirds Ernie. He was never in the RNZAF I don't think.
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