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Post by Deane B on Dec 12, 2022 21:24:07 GMT 12
Les, I know I used to occasionally visit TCPC at Wigram as part of my job, but I cannot remember why nowadays. But I do recall there was at least one draughtsman there back in my time. I never thought about it till now, but was that a specific trade in the RNZAF? Or were the draughtsmen/women Aircraft Mechs who'd done a specific drawing course? Drafting was definitely a trade until being disbanded in the early 1990s. In 1993 I got a posting to the Whenuapai Drawing Office as a Technical Illustrator (the first techo to do so). Tech Illustrator was deemed the replacement for draftsmen. I was a CPL working with Sgt Dean Viviani who was one of the last few draftsman, and Cynthia Graham, who was originally a tracer. We used CAD for all our work, although very occasionally we did edit ink drawings on vellum. I was very happy to get the role and I actually had to go through a job interview to get it !! My training was intro and intermediate CAD courses at Carrington Polytech which from memory were only 4 days long each. The rest was OJT, but I had been drawing all my life so I picked it up easily. I was in the drawing office for about 18 months until I got promoted to SGT in 1995. I have a feeling that the drafting positions at OH and WB continued with civvies who were ex RNZAF, with Tech Illustrators to support.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 12, 2022 21:30:04 GMT 12
Cool, thanks for that Deane. It's interesting to learn about some of the smaller trades that were always around on the unit but never got any big fanfare and recognition like some of the trades. Like the machinists, planewrights and metal workers - all master craftsmen who beavered away in their workshops but seldom got any light shone on how awesome they were. I am sure there were loads of other little trades like that too that got overlooked.
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Post by oj on Dec 13, 2022 18:07:05 GMT 12
Seamstress.
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Post by tbf2504 on Dec 14, 2022 6:56:59 GMT 12
Data Processors
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Post by davidd on Dec 14, 2022 11:16:11 GMT 12
Librarian? (Think that was a WAAF trade in WW2, and probably well into 70s or 80s as WRNZAF, often to be found AP libraries as well as the recreation ones! Might even have been some males too. Are they still around?)
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Post by camtech on Dec 14, 2022 12:30:06 GMT 12
Trade name changed to Publication Specialist at some point.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 14, 2022 13:56:35 GMT 12
It was not just WAAF's, we had a male Publication Specialist on my recruit course, Matthew Hall.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 16, 2022 19:58:19 GMT 12
It is very interesting to see this photo of a Harvard from the Fighter Gunnery School, it looks so tatty and the markings look poorly applied, which is great as aeroplanes were not always perfect. MUS110014 LINK Unknown serviceman standing beside Fighter Gunnery School Harvard NZ981 JZ-S, believed to be at RNZAF Station Ohakea.
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Post by Antonio on Dec 17, 2022 8:41:16 GMT 12
Yeah, and I love the '981' of the inside ot the hatch cover. I wonder if that was a standard marking for the Harvards?
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Post by davidd on Dec 17, 2022 8:58:05 GMT 12
That Harvard is NOT with the Fighter Gunnery School, it is with 15 Squadron at Whenuapai, and the "serviceman" is NZ414585 Sgt Cecil Raymond CARDWELL. Of the original ten Sgt pilots with this squadron, three (H P Jensen, J I Mackie, E W Wagstaff) originated with flying course 16, one (I A Murdoch) with 17, and six (C R Cardwell, D Chrystall, A M Davis, A E Jackson, J L Scott, G R Youngs) from Course 22. I met Cess Cardwell many years ago - he was the first of the original 15 Squadron pilots that I actually met. From memory, I think their Harvards had the a/c serial number presented in a rather unusual way, with "NZ" displayed ABOVE the "981" on rear fuselage. All the original, earlier fighter squadrons were each supplied with about six Harvard Mk. IIs, in addition to about 12 P-40E's ("Kittyhawks"). David D
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 17, 2022 9:09:06 GMT 12
Thanks for that David, that makes it even cooler to realise it is a No. 15 Squadron example.
You can see the NZ981 serial there in the photo, in the regular way but with the S code over top.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 18, 2022 18:48:13 GMT 12
One for Matthew here. This great photo is in the AFNZM Archive, this the following description: ALB862456030 Link "Image from the LM Isitt personal album collection. Passengers being carried to land from Fairey IIIF floatplane, S1805. Hobsonville." And I note no date is given. I just came across a cropped version of it in the New Zealand Herald dated 7th of August 1935, which gives details of who the person being carried is, and that the date of the photo was the 6th of August 1935. OFFICERS FROM FRENCH WARSHIP VISIT HOBSONVILLE AIR BASE Lieutenant de Vaisseau Duval, second-in-command of the French war sloop Amiral Charner, being carried ashore from a Fairey seaplane after a flight over Auckland yesterday. Several officers visited the base at the invitation of the Air Force. paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19350807.2.27.6
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 25, 2022 16:18:47 GMT 12
This is very interesting, three Consolidated Liberators lined up at Whenuapai on 13/02/1945. One actually looks to be RAAF rather than RAF as the caption suggests. WhG3121-45 LINK Three RAF Liberators on the airfield at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. And a close up of the far one, what a strangely short nose it has.
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Post by Antonio on Dec 25, 2022 18:34:15 GMT 12
The closest is a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express EW634, c/n 64, ex USAAF 44-39261. From Joe Baughers site: cgibin.rcn.com/jeremy.k/cgi-bin/gzUsafSearch.pl?target=44-39261&content=39261 to RAF as Liberator C.VII EW634. SOC Nov 28, 1946. To Indian AF as HE712 I assume that the second aircraft could also be a C-87-CF as well. As for the third aircraft, I suspect that it COULD be a SEAC one. Possiblly a short-nose LB-30A or B-24A Liberator from the early AL/AM series serials, similar to Churchills original Commando. Note the repaint with the Sky (?) (edit: I now suspect natural metal) underside with the classic British delineation especially aft of the wing.
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Post by Antonio on Dec 25, 2022 18:57:00 GMT 12
Ahh, there you go. LB-30A AM262. Interesting: The pilot has a NZ Brevet.
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Post by baz62 on Dec 26, 2022 12:06:45 GMT 12
Just wonder if the RAAF one is RAF? Just recall the two colour roundel the RAF used (SEAC) when they painted the red center out?
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Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 26, 2022 12:25:41 GMT 12
So it seems that LB-30A AM262 was indeed RAF. It was delivered to the Royal Air Force's No.1425 Flight in December 1940, and was used primarily for trans-Atlantic flights. It transferred to BOAC in 1946. There were a few RNZAF pilots that flew these special transport Liberators. One of them was the late Nevill Clarke, who I had the privilege to interview almost four years ago, before his death. cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2019/08/wonz-202-neville-clarke/
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Post by Dave Homewood on Jan 12, 2023 12:27:49 GMT 12
It is great to see that the photo collection of W/C Ron Watts has started to appear on the Museum's photo archive page. Ron was a terrific chap, and I was lucky to interview him about 20 years ago for my website, as he lived here in Cambridge before he joined the RNZAF. He was an instructor in England and then became a night fighter pilot, ending up the last C.O. of No. 488 Squadron. Read his story here: www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Ron%20Watts%20Main.htm
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Post by Antonio on Jan 20, 2023 16:18:13 GMT 12
Mitsubishi Ki-46 Dinah Can anyone add further information such as original finish, tail markings? Were the Himomarus still red or were they overpainted green too?
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Post by Antonio on Jan 27, 2023 11:36:19 GMT 12
MUS0901213 How awesome to have identities: Baffin S1430 (later NZ152) from No. 2 Squadron, Territorial Air Force, after a taxiing accident at Omaka Aerodrome during annual camp. Nearest camera L-R: Doug Wood (back turned), Ken Smith, Fred Oleary, Roy Morphy (hand over eyes), Jack Reade, Miles Watson. Geoffrey Ellis (in background holding rope).
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