Post by alisonsmith on Jun 26, 2020 16:53:33 GMT 12
My first questions to the forum. My 99 year old father-in-law was in the RNZAF from July 1943 and I started writing up his war history during the lockdown and have found this forum to be a very helpful source of information.
He was in Flight 51 and was stationed at No. 303 EGTS in Mt Maunganui from late August to October 1943 but he doesn't recall where the camp was and I have not been able to find any information online. He said they were at No. 1 Camp or "Cactus City" but it was not at the aerodrome and they had to walk about a mile or so from their huts to the mess hall and got very dusty. He remembers crossing 3 roads to get to the beach. They took the ferry across to Tauranga to play rugby and the camp was plagued by mosquitoes. It was cleared of all but the 29 of his flight in early September 1943 when 381 men came back from New Caledonia so it must have been a reasonable size to hold over 400 men.
I would be most grateful for any information about where the EGTS was located.
The other question I have can someone tell me what a W.W.O was as he recorded an incident at the ITW at Delta C in his diary in early 1944 and refers to this person having a couple of discussions with him. I know W.O. was Warrant Officer but a W.W.O??
Thanks for any help.