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Post by apteryx on Nov 27, 2020 14:41:02 GMT 12
Can anyone point me to a source for identifying ships (and ports of embarkation and disembarkation) used to transport RNZAF trainees to Canada for further training?
I'm specificlly looking for details of one that left New Zealand on 4 October 1943. The personnel file I'm looking at says "Port of disembarkation Brandon 16 Oct 43". Whether that date is disembarkation or arrival at Brandon in Manitoba, I'm not sure.
A harder quest might be to find out more about the same person's voyage across the Atlantic. From Y Depot he went to Halifax NS and departed 25 June 1944, arriving in the UK on 3 July 1944 and going to 12 (RNZAF) PDRC.
Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Andrew
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Post by errolmartyn on Nov 27, 2020 15:31:51 GMT 12
Can anyone point me to a source for identifying ships (and ports of embarkation and disembarkation) used to transport RNZAF trainees to Canada for further training? I'm specificlly looking for details of one that left New Zealand on 4 October 1943. The personnel file I'm looking at says "Port of disembarkation Brandon 16 Oct 43". Whether that date is disembarkation or arrival at Brandon in Manitoba, I'm not sure. A harder quest might be to find out more about the same person's voyage across the Atlantic. From Y Depot he went to Halifax NS and departed 25 June 1944, arriving in the UK on 3 July 1944 and going to 12 (RNZAF) PDRC. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Andrew The Nieuw Amsterdam sailed from Wellington on 4 Oct 43 and disembarked at San Francisco on 16 Oct 43 at which point those airmen on board who were destined for further training in Canada were attached to the RCAF and transported by rail to their respective stations in Canada. Brandon was the home of 12 SFTS. Over 200 individual sailings along with the names of over 12000 airmen (including those destined for the Fleet Air Arm) leaving New Zealand for Britain, Canada, USA and the Far East during 1937 - 1945 are detailed in the 'Airmen sailing to war, 1937 - 1945' appendix to my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices) There is, unfortunately, no readily available record of those who crossed from Halifax or New York to Britain for attachment to the RAF (or RN in the case of FAA men). Errol |
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Post by apteryx on Nov 27, 2020 15:40:46 GMT 12
Errol
Thank you very much for your reply; so prompt and right to the point. I'm familiar with your work, but didn't think it extended to airmen's nautical activities. Now I know! Though with the library in Wellington long closed, I don't immediately think of going to look something up in a physical book.
Really appreciate your help.
Andrew
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Post by apteryx on Nov 27, 2020 15:43:57 GMT 12
BTW, I'm revising and adding to a small profile I wrote of Dawson Cotton, NZ431063. He was 'washed out' at 12 SFTS and retrained as a navigator, and after (it seems) endless training ended up in 75 (NZ) Sqdn just in time to do two operational flights in April 1945 and a few others in the succeeding months (including Manna and Exodus).
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