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Post by Antonio on May 6, 2022 16:14:57 GMT 12
Really nice photos
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Post by shorty on May 7, 2022 0:29:23 GMT 12
Note that the Canberra can not have been firing rockets as the pod has the solid metal nose fitted
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Post by tbf2504 on May 7, 2022 13:20:46 GMT 12
The underslung Sioux must have been early on as the floats are white. They were painted green by the early 1970s. The terrain in the background suggests a tidal estuary perhaps not far from Hobsonville?. Sioux float exercises were mostly held at Rotorua under the codename "FLOATEX"
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Post by Antonio on May 13, 2022 16:58:33 GMT 12
Awesome Hudson: c/w Jap victory flag Crew of a Hudson pose in front of their Hudson "Kahu-Ta-Mai", believed to be at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. This is the aircraft that shot down the first Japanese aircraft by the RNZAF in the Pacific.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 13, 2022 19:25:55 GMT 12
Awesome Hudson: c/w Jap victory flag Crew of a Hudson pose in front of their Hudson "Kahu-Ta-Mai", believed to be at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. This is the aircraft that shot down the first Japanese aircraft by the RNZAF in the Pacific. OK, I am puzzled. The Hudson that shot down the first Japanese aircraft of the South Pacific campaign for the RNZAF was Max McCormick's crew in NZ2090. And NZ2090's constructor's number was 6731. But if you zoom in on that photo you can see part of the constructor's number for this Hudson, and it's not 6731. It shows the remnants of 702. That can only be 6702, or NZ2079.
NZ2079 definitely served in the front lines of the Pacific with No. 3 (GR) Squadron, and also had several aerial tangles with Japanese aircraft. But as far as I am aware it never scored any kills.
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Post by ZacYates on May 14, 2022 10:21:14 GMT 12
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Post by Antonio on May 15, 2022 23:38:48 GMT 12
Thanks for posting the link Zac. I should have thought to do that. My bad.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 17, 2022 19:47:23 GMT 12
I love the No. 17 (Fighter) Squadron photos that were posted yesterday to the AFMNZ page. This one of the pilots on a truck during a practice scramble is great. PR351 - LINKNo. 17 Squadron fighter pilots leap off the back of a truck during a scramble. Air defence exercise at RNZAF Station Seagrove.
I was hoping to identify the pilots. I think the chap on the right, in the front of the ute's tray, is F/L Guy Newton. Does anyone recognise the other chaps?
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Post by tengahman on May 17, 2022 21:20:18 GMT 12
Dave
I am almost certain the left hand pilot with his parachute is :
A D Bayly (Arthur) who retired mid 70,s having been ATC postwar, then flying with the CAA.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 18, 2022 0:18:23 GMT 12
OK, Arthur Douglas Bayly was indeed serving on No. 17 (F) Squadron at that time so that will be him, I'm sure.
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 27, 2022 17:05:18 GMT 12
This set of photos is great! I was told many years ago by the now late veteran Eban Black that while he was based at Whenuapai, No. 3 Hangar (which he'd worked in) was dismantled and moved to Rukuhia, when that airfield was turned into an RNZAF Station of No. 1 Repair Depot. He said at the end of the way it returned to Whenuapai, and indeed I worked in that hangar in 1990, and it still stands today. I have been looking ever since at wartime Aerial photos of Whenuapai and never yet come across any photos showing that hangar missing. I have wondered if it was a myth sometimes, but always felt it must have happened as it's such a strange thing to make up. Well, the Air Force Museum of New Zealand has confirmed it with these awesome shots of the hangar being dismantled. LINK PR470a - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. Fits with PR470 to form a panorama. 11/10/1942 LINK PR470 - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. Fits with PR470a to form a panorama. 11/10/1942 LINK PR471 - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942 LINK PR471a - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942 LINK PR467 - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942 LINK PR467a - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942 LINK PR468 - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942 LINK PR469 - Dismantling No. 3 Hangar at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. 11/10/1942
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Post by baz62 on May 27, 2022 17:30:09 GMT 12
That archive is really a great resource isn't it. I wonder why they didn't just build a hangar? Was it due to a wartime shortage of materials perhaps? Certainly I would have been stunned if I was involved in dismantling and re-erecting the hangar only to have someone say: "You know that hangar we moved?.....Wellllll."
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Post by Dave Homewood on May 27, 2022 19:55:01 GMT 12
I have wondered myself why a new hangar was not erected rather than moving an existing one that had been occupied since 1940. Whenuapai was a very busy base, with bombers, fighters and trainers based there, it seems weird that they considered one of the hangars to be surplus.
I really am not sure. It was No. 1 Aerodrome Construction Squadron that prepared Rukuhia for the RNZAF, extending the runway and adding buildings and facilities. Maybe there is something in their records that explains that decision. I will ask Michelle Sim as she's done a lot of research into that unit.
Here is just an idle supposition - Perhaps they had decided to build a third bomb-proof concrete hangar and moved the tin hangar o make room, but then the war situation eased off and the need faded away? Although that is a pie in the sky guess and unlikely.
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Post by johnnyfalcon on May 27, 2022 21:05:39 GMT 12
It looks like a Transformer Wellington bomber cunningly disguised as a hangar
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Post by ZacYates on May 29, 2022 12:11:28 GMT 12
It looks like a Transformer Wellington bomber cunningly disguised as a hangar As a Transformers fan I now want this to happen as a toy
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Post by Venomnut on Jun 29, 2022 20:34:04 GMT 12
I've been loving the photos that have been added to the archive. This one caught my eye as being slightly unusual............ RNZAF 14 Sqn Vampire by Jason Mills, on Flickr Squadron Leader McCabe, Commanding Officer of No. 2 Territorial Air Force Squadron (left) and Squadron Leader AF Tucker, Commanding Officer of No. 14 Squadron (right) looking at a map on the elevator of a No. 14 Squadron Venom. RAF Station Tengah.The shape of the rudder gives it away as a two seat Vampire and not a Venom, I had no idea that any of them had the Kiwi on the rudders. I paged through Singapore Sojourn (By Stewart Boys) and could find no photos of it. Venom FB1 rudder for comparison...... RNZAF 14 Sqn Venom by Jason Mills, on Flickr I was wondering if anyone knows if it was common for the two seaters to have the Kiwi rudders? Does anyone have a photo of the entire aircraft? Would it have been painted in full camo like the Venoms or remained silver and just had the rudders repainted?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 29, 2022 21:40:49 GMT 12
An amazing observation there Jason, well done!
It would be interesting to know how many two-seat Vampires served with the squadron, and what their identities were. I seem to recall someone making a comment that they were better at making air strikes in than the Venoms.
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Post by Venomnut on Jun 29, 2022 21:52:14 GMT 12
An amazing observation there Jason, well done! It would be interesting to know how many two-seat Vampires served with the squadron, and what their identities were. I seem to recall someone making a comment that they were better at making air strikes in than the Venoms. It comes with the sickness of being obsessed with Venoms! Singapore Sojourn has the T11's listed as WZ 556 WZ 611 WZ 521 WZ 587 XD 380 XE 957 XH 358 XH 328
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 29, 2022 22:04:31 GMT 12
This photo, TENG232, is dated December 1956, so I wonder if it is known when the squadron changed from the red and white checked rudders on their Venoms to the black with the white Kiwi. I also wonder if the Vampires wore the checks prior to this.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jun 29, 2022 22:59:00 GMT 12
I have been searching though some Singapore Venom photos and bingo! This one from the AFMNZ site dates 1956, TENG264, has a two-seat Vampire in silver with black tails way back in the background! Woohoo! Here is a zoom in and you can see it much more clearly.
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