RNZAF Station Nelson Technical Training School

[techbar]

I was going through an old photograph album today and found this photo tucked in the back. It mentions T.T.S. Nelson 1944 on the back but I haven't found much online about it. Can anyone point me to where I can find more info?

Firth TTS Nelson by James, on Flickr

Firth TTS Nelson (back) by James, on Flickr

My father C.C. Firth is kneeling on the right hand side. I've included the back as it has some signatures on it that may be of interest to some.

Regards

James

[Dave Homewood]

Great photo.

The Technical Training School at RNZAF Station Nelson was moved from RNZAF Station Rongotai when the de Havilland Factory at Rongotai needed the Centennial Buildings they were in, as they were expanding. The TTS trained mechanical trades, Fitters, Riggers, Motor Mechanics and such like, and perhaps Armourers, and Drivers, etc. not sure now.

The school's inventory included many instructional airframes, from a Tomtit to Baffins and Harvards, Ventura NZ6001 now at Motat, and the most interesting perhaps was the captured Messerschmitt Bf109E from the Battle of Britain.

[techbar]

Thanks Dave.
There doesn't seem to be much out there about Nelson TTS, guess I'll keep picking away at it. It's strange, I know more about my uncles service (Raymond Firth, wireless operator/air gunner, No 75 (NZ) Squadron KIA) than I do about my fathers service but he never talked about it. I might see about getting a copy of his service record.

[nuuumannn]

Jun 12, 2022 10:17:26 GMT 12 techbar said:

Thanks Dave.
There doesn't seem to be much out there about Nelson TTS, guess I'll keep picking away at it. It's strange, I know more about my uncles service (Raymond Firth, wireless operator/air gunner, No 75 (NZ) Squadron KIA) than I do about my fathers service but he never talked about it. I might see about getting a copy of his service record.

Good luck with your research. You might want to buy the book The Story of Nelson Aviation by Waugh and McConnell if you don't have it already, which goes a bit into the TTS but offers a lot about the history of Nelson Airport in general. The book is available here and there for high prices but its still on the shelves at Nelson's own Page & Blackmore bookshop for the very reasonable price of $40.

shop.pageandblackmore.co.nz/p/aviation-the-story-of-nelson-aviation--2?barcode=9780473265786&search_key=The+Story+of+Nelson+

A wee bit of info that might be of interest. Placing the photo is kinda difficult but it's likely to have been posted in the RNZAF accommodation block on Bolt Road to the north of where the aerodrome was located. The cluster of buildings at top right in the photo.

Golf Club

Where that was located is now residential and is now on Cohen Place. The TTS was located in Hangar 2, which up until a year or so ago was the Air Nelson/Air NZ maintenance hangar. Air NZ relinquished its lease on the building and Air Chats had it for a bit to do work on a couple of airframes in there. it's the big hangar toward the bottom of the photo above.

DSC_2596

Here's the inside when in use as the TTS, photo courtesy of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

DWAsst1

Note the Bf 109 hung from the wall at the far end. Here it is close up.

Bf 109 Hangar 2

The same view when the hangar was in use by Air NZ (I worked in here for 11 years).

DSC_2607

[techbar]

Many thanks for the photos and information.

[camtech]

Can't quite read the serial on the Oxford - any ideas?

[techbar]

Jun 28, 2022 20:48:34 GMT 12 camtech said:

Can't quite read the serial on the Oxford - any ideas?

I found a larger version of the photo on the Air Force Museum site. Only the last 3 digits are visible - 289.

[Dave Homewood]

It was NZ1289. NZDF Serials states:
Mark I. Built by de Havilland Ltd, Hatfield, England. BOC with Unit No.1, Hobsonville on 31 May 1941. Transferred from Nelson to the TTS, Hobsonville in November 1945. Used as a "hack" at Hobsonville during 1947 and on 19 November 1948 was converted to instructional airframe INST126 with the ATC Northern Wing. Parts of the aircraft are still held by the RNZAF Museum for possible restoration.