RNZAF Museum Photo gold

[Naki.]

Accident report as below:

www.taic.org.nz/sites/default/files/inquiry/documents/92-019.pdf

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Paul, I am glad to see there were no injuries.

[tbf2504]

The primary reason for the lack of publicity by the air force on the accident of NZ3904 was as indicated in the accident report there were several questions about the parking of the boat et al.
To avoid embarrassment to the airport authorities and boat owner, there was no media release by the air force. I was PRO at the time, we were all glad that there were no injuries to the crew.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Paul, that is interesting. I wonder if such courtesy would be paid these days.

[noooby]

Ooo, I remember that. I was one of the last to see that Wasp flying. I was on 3 Sqn and we were moving SAS peeps around for a survival exercise. We'd just dropped the poor buggers off in the bush and taken off with all their packs and gear. They were on their own from then on. Oh the look on their faces when they saw us taking off and realised they had nothing with them! That and the smell. Boy did they stink!

Returning from the drop off we saw 3904 in the distance headed for Taupo. We were off to Waiouru for fuel. Got to practice my hovering at Waiouru courtesy of MacP. Thanks MacP!

[davidd]

A few other fairly well known characters in the photo of Wigram's Course 3A: P P O'Brien was later the Chief Investigator of Air Accidents in New Zealand, and the face of "Chunky" (R F Watson) in front row may still be remembered by those old enough to be around in the RNZAF in his later days, particularly when he was flying the mighty Hastings. He was also a test pilot in WW2, of the PV-1 Venturas which were assembled at Ford Island, Hawaii, in 1943/44. J H (Jack) Register was a well-known airline pilot postwar (NAC). Of the 21 men shown here (although P L Stokes is rather chopped off!), 12 were shipped to UK per AORANGI, ex Auckland 6th Feb 1941, and of these, six were killed (Barron, Grant, Kennedy, Miller, Taylor, Ward) and one (Williams) became a PoW.
David D

[planewriting]

Referring to Jack Register above, He had trained on Viscounts in Australia and on his return he took part in training up other captains to Viscount standard prior to collecting ZK-BRD for delivery to New Zealand in 1958. He ferried ZK-BRD to Christchurch following repairs after its under-carriage retraction at Whenuapai on 12 November 1958 and similarly ferried Viscount ZK-BWO in a 3-engine flight from Wellington to Christchurch on 19 February 1963 for permanent repairs after its runway excursion. 12 November again features in this reply. On that day in 1959 he said a record time between Auckland and Wellington in 1 hour 8 minutes in Viscount ZK-BRF with 42 passengers on board. The usual (scheduled) time was 1 hour 25 minutes.

[Dave Homewood]

I am puzzled by this photo, taken at Ohakea on the 24th of March 1942. It looks to be 15 Harvards lined up, and they all look to be in the trainer yellow scheme. 

At that point in time the only unit I can think of that had that many Harvards at Ohakea would have been No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit, but surely by March 1942 there Harvards will have been camouflaged, as a result of the Japanese entry into the war?

The only major training unit other than No. 2 (F)OTU at Ohakea around that time would have been No. 3 Service Flying Training School, but I have always been under the belief that this school was equipped only with Hinds and Oxfords. Did they get a swag of Harvards at some point? And if so, I wonder why they did not get the camo/yellow panels treatment like the Woodbourne Harvards? Any thoughts?

Original photo HERE

[tbf2504]

Dave, looking at the markings of the aircraft in the foreground, they are typical of woodbourne based 2SFTS Harvards. Perhaps there was an exercise that involved the deployment of the schools aircraft
to Ohakea? The Jap scare was about to impact on the change of colours although most of this didn't happen until April/May 1942. The other point of interest is that the aircraft carrying the "7" may be
the same one that appears in Charles Darby's book RNZAF the First Decade on page 41. If so there is a variation in that in his book there is an underwing serial number, while the photo above shows no serial number. The aircraft next to "7" has the gun and spent ammunition can fitted under the port wing

[Dave Homewood]

You're right that they look like No. 2 SFTS Harvards. Quite a mystery.

[baz62]

That's an awesome photo! Bet you could hear that rumble for miles.

[hrvd1068]

They are all mk2 harvards nz907 first in pic. Note the strange rear canopy and the gun in the cowl and also the gun in the left hand wing. The mk2a 2a* 3 and 3* had the gun in the right wing.

[davidd]

By January 1942, 3 FTS at Ohakea was also re-equipping with similar overall gloss yellow Mk. II Harvards. Their number had reached 30 such aircraft by 2nd March 1942 (possibly equipping the Intermediate Squadron only, with Hinds still equipping the Advanced Training Squadron). On 7th March, No. 11 FOTS (Fighter Operational Training Squadron) replaced 3 SFTS at Ohakea, and is believed to have taken over 18 of their Harvards, with remainder believed allotted to 2 SFTS (Woodbourne), whose strength shot from 28 to 66 by 16th March. Also at this time (16th March), 1 SFTS (Wigram) Harvard fleet sank from 31 to just 5 on strength (all u/s), by end of month just one (also u/s), nil by 15/4/42, again presumed all transferred to Woodbourne, which became THE place to see lots of Harvards in New Zealand.

As suggested by tbf2504, I have little doubt that these are 2 SFTS aircraft (might still have been designated 2 FTS at this time), on a flying visit from Woodbourne. They are wearing WB style "buzz numbers" (OK, they weren't called that in NZ!) and at this time Woodbourne Harvards usually wore a "sloped" rear fuselage band just forward of tailplane, I think in the Squadron colour (red or blue). Unfortunately photographs of 3 SFTS Harvards at any time, seem to be almost non-existent.

However this still leaves us with a conflicted set of facts, and I suspect the 24th March 1942 exposure date is in error, possibly several weeks earlier than stated.

Incidentally, some confusion in Dave H's post; if we accept that the exposure date of this image was 24/3/42, then the next statement about camouflage being introduced in March 1943 following Japanese entry into war is a bit off, more like March/April 1942, as mentioned by tbf2504.

I am pretty certain this photograph has troubled people for many years now, particularly regarding that exposure date, but otherwise just a straightforward photo of a nice line of Harvards at Ohakea!, perhaps anytime between mid 1941 and very early March 1942.

David D

[Dave Homewood]

Dec 22, 2020 12:21:05 GMT 12 davidd said:

By January 1942, 3 FTS at Ohakea was also re-equipping with similar overall gloss yellow Mk. II Harvards. Their number had reached 30 such aircraft by 2nd March 1942 (possibly equipping the Intermediate Squadron only, with Hinds still equipping the Advanced Training Squadron).

Oh gosh, that is very interesting. I was not aware of that. Thanks. Are there photos around of these, or a list of serials? There does not seem to be any mention of 3 FTS/3 SFTS on the NZDF Serials page for the Harvards.

Dec 22, 2020 12:21:05 GMT 12 davidd said:

On 7th March, No. 11 FOTS (Fighter Operational Training Squadron) replaced 3 SFTS at Ohakea, and is believed to have taken over 18 of their Harvards

Also interesting, so the yellow Harvards will have become the camouflaged Harvards of that unit. So I guess we can work out the serials from logbooks of pilots who passed through No. 11 FOTS at that time.

Dec 22, 2020 12:21:05 GMT 12 davidd said:

Unfortunately photographs of 3 SFTS Harvards at any time, seem to be almost non-existent.

Hmm that's a shame. I will keep an eye out now for any photos and info on these Harvards now that I know they existed there.

Dec 22, 2020 12:21:05 GMT 12 davidd said:

Incidentally, some confusion in Dave H's post; if we accept that the exposure date of this image was 24/3/42, then the next statement about camouflage being introduced in March 1943 following Japanese entry into war is a bit off, more like March/April 1942, as mentioned by tbf2504.

Sorry, the 1943 date was a typo on my part. I meant 1942.

[Dave Homewood]

So looking at Eric Smart's logbook, I found this:

Harvards at No. 11 (Fighter) Operational Training Squadron

Eric Smart (19 Oct 42 – 27 Nov 42)
NZ902 Ex-CFS?
NZ969 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ970 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ971 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ974 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ985 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ986 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ988 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ992 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ999 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ1001 BOC 5 January 1942
NZ1007 BOC 22 September 1942
NZ1010 BOC 22 September 1942
NZ1011 BOC 22 September 1942
NZ1012 BOC 22 September 1942
NZ1013 BOC 22 September 1942
NZ1016 BOC 22 September 1942

So ten of those, the ones Brought On Charge on the 5th of January 1942, have to be part of the 18 that 11 FOTS took over from 3 SFTS, I'm sure.

[Dave Homewood]

And Geoff Fisken did a refresher course there on his return from Singapore (17 April 42 – 28 Apr 42) during which he flew

NZ968
NZ969
NZ970
NZ971
NZ975
NZ985
NZ986
NZ987
NZ988
NZ990
NZ991
NZ992
NZ1000

[Dave Homewood]

Jesse de Willimoff was there even earlier (10 March 42 – 26 May 42) and he flew:

NZ968
NZ969
NZ970
NZ971
NZ972
NZ973
NZ974
NZ985
NZ986
NZ987
NZ991
NZ997
NZ999
NZ1000
NZ1001

[Dave Homewood]

Combining those three lists we get:

NZ968
NZ969
NZ970
NZ971
NZ972
NZ973
NZ974
NZ975
NZ985
NZ986
NZ987
NZ988
NZ990
NZ991
NZ992
NZ997
NZ999
NZ1000
NZ1001

That is 19 Harvards, all shipped to NZ and Brought On Charge at the same time.

de Willimoff's logbook lists himself also flying NZ977 on 27 March 1942, five days after it was written off at Woodbourne, so that is clearly an error in his logbook.

[Dave Homewood]

These two photos are sad, she must have meant something to the guys.


ALB20084682085

Image from the IMcF Duncan personal collection.
View of a grave marker which reads "Here lies Bossy. Tojo got her Sept. 15 1943 because she was walking around during a blackout". Believed to be Bougainville. Bossy is believed to have been a cow.

From Here


ALB20084682086

Image from the Duncan album collection. Group of men pose around an animals grave marker (seen in ALB20084682085), believed to be Bougainville.

From Here

[Dave Homewood]

There are a couple of neat photos of an Airspeed Oxford sitting in Cathedral Square from the IMcF Duncan personal collection that recently went onto the Wigram FotoWeb site.


See Here

And

See Here

There is no date with these photos so I had a search of the Papers Past site. The closest I can find is on the 23rd of March 1942 the 'Bonds For Bombers' week opened with a huge military parade through the city of Christchurch and it mentioned that there was a bomber on display in Cathedral Square outside the United Service Hotel.

In Googling I found that the United Service Hotel was indeed the building behind the Oxford back then. I found this photo of the hotel, the big five storey building in the centre of the shot.


So I am pretty sure this photo was the week of 23-30 March 1942.