A New RNZAF P-40 Theory

[Dave Homewood]

I am not sure if it is that simple.

[davidd]

My reason for being a little sceptical about oddly coloured spinners being used for unit identification purposes is that the well known shot of NZ3142 "C", which heads this thread, was based at Gisborne at this time (20th June 1944). Although there was (I think) a lonely TBF left on this field (after departure of 31 Squadron), plus a whole gaggle of rather tired PV-1s awaiting the return of the crews of No. 2 Squadron, the Fighter Gunnery School was the only active unit on the field at the time. As Gisborne was some distance from Ohakea, and there was no pressing need for the FGS pilots to operate with the OTU P-40s from that station, I cannot see why a standing system of individual unit identification between the Ohakea and Gisborne aircraft would have really been required.

Both stations would have been well aware of the presence of the other, but they had no business with one another in their normal routines - individual aircraft may have visited between the two stations if required, but I imagine that they all operated in their own areas for the most part. As I am not familiar with the standard syllabus for the FGS courses, I am not certain if they included air to ground firing as a matter of course, always presumed it was mainly air to air stuff. I presume they must have had an authorised area (probably over the sea) for their air to air firing, and also imagine that camera guns were used a lot.

Although different coloured spinners on P-40s may well have been useful for recognising the aircraft flown by various ranks of "leaders" from frontal angles, I still remain to be convinced that this was the case with the FGS P-40s. Incidentally, I have just discovered additional photos of other FGS aircraft with JZ-codes, including Corsairs. Many of these (like NZ3142) had been involved in spectacular (but non-fatal) accidents, although these were of course after October 1944, and at Ardmore.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks David. I think you are most likely correct. It was just a theory, and it's probably wrong. It has however sparked some very interesting discussion and has provoked a lot of thought and information sharing, and that is what the forum is all about.

[Dave Homewood]

Just on the need to add special markings when operating alongside other units, the No. 1 OTU Hudsons got a thin fuselage band just forward of the tail. Was this done when No. 2 (GR) Squadron also moved into Ohakea with Hudsons?

[davidd]

Do not know the answer to that one Dave, but you would think the usual large unit codes worn by these a/c would be equally as easy, if not easier to see than a thin stripe. However I do know that certain Hudsons at Ohakea (always presumed by me to be 1 OTU aircraft prior to February 1944, or Gunnery Training School [GTS] aircraft subsequently), were often marked with yellow mainplane leading edges, and sometimes also with yellow leading edge "rings" on the engine cowlings. At one stage, at Ferrymead (or is that Ferrymede?) there was a collection of Hudson mainplanes, and at least one pair had the yellow leading edges still applied. Denys might well remember these. All this yellow paint was probably intended for some purpose. I have always this assumed this was most likely to be a warning of a serious aerial hazard to other aircraft in vicinity, and this may well be caused by a Hudson aircraft with up to six trainee air gunners aboard, along with their instructor, intent on shooting at an aerial drogue being trailed not too far away, as well as the drogue aircraft itself. The drogue tower, at Ohakea in 1944/45, might be a Harvard, a Vincent/Vilde, or from about August/September 1944 onwards, an Avenger (much more speed than other two, therefore more realistic).

The pilots of these two aircraft were generally busy enough concentrating on each other (for good reason), with less time to survey any other unexpected approaching (and nosey) aircraft.

I once had a conversation with a moderately senior RNZAF officer (now long dead, probably Wing Commander W G Coull) who was a passenger in a transport Hudson up in the Islands not far from Guadalcanal (stop reading here if you think you have heard this tale before). The captain of the Hudson had observed a US Navy JM-1 (otherwise known in USAAF as a B-26 Marauder) on a converging course at same altitude. The strange aircraft was painted overall bright yellow, which peaked the pilot's interest, but he could not for the life of himself remember what the significance of this colour scheme was. However he would be very soon reminded, and rudely.

The JM-1 proved to be a drogue tower, and was actually engaged in this activity at this very moment. In total ignorance, the Hudson captain wisely asked his crew members, and passengers, if anybody knew the significance of all that yellow paint, although by this time the Marauder was passing across the Hudson's present course. Suddenly a cable appeared close ahead of the Hudson, and before the pilot could take any action, scraped harshly across the upper surface of his wing, then miraculously slid off his wingtip. How it missed the spinning propeller on that side will remain a complete mystery, but all aboard were pretty shaken up, realizing that a cloud load of angels must have been hovering not too far above their heads to have escaped from what would have been an otherwise horrendous and unnecessary death. It is conceivable that it might even have dragged the US Navy aircraft out of the sky and into the sea, or at least have caused it to stall if the cable had snapped. I'll bet that the Hudson captain never forgot what class of aircraft wore the overall yellow colour scheme after that experience. This incident took place in about March 1944, and within three months, the RNZAF's two Hudson drogue towers located at Henderson Field (Guadalcanal), on strength of the Utility Flight there, were brought into line with this US Navy convention, and adopted the overall yellow scheme which they continued to wear until the end of WW2.

So far as I know, there is no surviving copy of any RNZAF accident report on this incident, but fortunately a brief mention of it survives in, I think, the Operations Record Book of No. 1 (Islands) Group. The captain would have known there could be no talking his way out of this one, and it seems he was forgiven the unfortunate gap in that essential general knowledge which all pilots flying in this operational area should have known.

David D

[Dave Homewood]

Wow, I had not heard that tale before but that was a scary encounter. They were probably lucky that whatever was pursuing the banner did not also fire on them.

As for the yellow stripe on the OTU Hudsons, perhaps that was meant to make the otherwise camouflaged aeroplane stand out a little in the very crowded Ohakea circuit. And the yellow leading edges and cowl rings would have also have helped with that.

Mention of the coloured cowls reminded me that the Central Flying School at Tauranga painted the engine cowls of their Tiger Moths, Harvards and Oxfords red so they stood out as distinctly CFS aircraft as opposed to all the others around (much like my theory with te FGS having possibly two-coloured spinners). I wonder if the CFS P-40's also got red cowls?

[davidd]

From what I have seen of photos of CFS aircraft, probably only a proportion of their Harvards, Oxfords, and Tigers had their cowlings painted all-red in the "trademark" style. CFS also had one Hawker Hind for quite a while in 1941/42 (appears in background of one photo, at Tauranga.) As for the CFS P-40s, who knows, keep your eyes open! One of their P-40s was written off in a forced landing (finger trouble?) although I believe pilot was not hurt. Cannot recall seeing a photo of this crash.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Another of their P-40's is in the harbour, maybe someone should go diving.

[avenger]

From earlier, "Any answers out there?"
The depiction of 4 pilots on the wing, the pilot at right is C.(Colin ) E. Palmer .
In the mid - late 1950's a school teacher at Hunterville. In the latter stages of his life was in the vicinity of Mangawhai.
I made the initial ID and asked my brother ( who was taught by Colin ) whether he knew who was in the photograph, so without prompting he stated as I did Colin Palmer, so I'll call that a positive ID.

[Dave Homewood]

Here is a 'new' photo of P-40's and the closest one to the camera seems to be NZ3253. It has a two-tone spinner. I am not convinced from the fragment of code that can be seen past the wing that it is OD of No. 4 OTU, and I genuinely wonder is that the bottom of a Z, from the Fighter Gunnery School's JZ unit code? Click the link to download a large file copy.

fotoweb.airforcemuseum.co.nz/fotoweb/archives/5003-Search-the-Collection/Collection/MUS000988.jpg.info#?c=%2Ffotoweb%2Farchives%2F5003-Search-the-Collection%2F

[davidd]

Nice shot there Dave, presume taken in New Zealand by background, and general markings displayed. Could well be a "JZ" aircraft, but I hesitate to offer any other advice, apart from it probably being at Ohakea or Ardmore! There is so little hard information on OTU aircraft generally, and I also include the Fighter Gunnery School, Gunnery Training School, and various communications, utility and drogue-towing flights in this category.
David D

[Dave Homewood]

Yeah exactly, we just do not have enough evidence to go on, yet.

[Damon]

Background doesn't look like Ardmore to me. Leaning towards Ohakea. My 2 cents.

[Dave Homewood]

Yes it is Ohakea. No. 4 OTU were based there from June 1944 onwards.