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Post by camtech on Jul 25, 2024 16:33:01 GMT 12
Looking for information on the above gentleman.
Born 1919, enlisted 1941, to UK 41/42. Served in Africa, Mediterranean and Italy, mainly of supply dropping duties.
He is mentioned on Cenotaph, but with little detail.
Any help appreciated.
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Post by Antonio on Jul 25, 2024 17:33:50 GMT 12
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Post by errolmartyn on Jul 25, 2024 19:31:13 GMT 12
Looking for information on the above gentleman. Born 1919, enlisted 1941, to UK 41/42. Served in Africa, Mediterranean and Italy, mainly of supply dropping duties. He is mentioned on Cenotaph, but with little detail. Any help appreciated. From Colin Hanson’s By Such Deeds - Honours and Awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999: STEPHENSON, Squadron Leader Claude Rafel, DFC. NZ411511; Born Auckland, 23 Dec 1919; RNZAF 2 Mar 1941 to 30 Mar 1946; Pilot. Citation Distinguished Flying Cross (18 Jan 1945): [117 Sqn RAF (Dakota)] During the past two years this officer has been mainly engaged on transport operations in North Africa, Sicily and Italy and more recently on supply-dropping and troop carrying sorties into Burma. On one occasion in May, 1944, while participating in a daylight supply-dropping mission on a garrison surrounded by the enemy his aircraft was subjected to heavy ground fire and he was wounded in the shoulder. Undeterred, Flight Lieutenant Stephenson completed his mission and flew the aircraft safely back to base. Throughout his operational career this officer has displayed skill, determination and devotion to duty of the highest order. Sqn Ldr Stephenson flew 250 sorties over 1100 operational hours. Died Whitianga, 21 Oct 1999. Errol PS: Enlisted at Levin as an AP u/t With three other RNZAF pilots, embarked Port Wyndham at Gisborne, c. 22 Sep 41. Disembarked Liverpool 26 Oct 41 (corrects entry on page 598 - last three lines - of Volume Three of my For Your Tomorow) |
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Post by McFly on Jul 25, 2024 20:43:02 GMT 12
The Martinborough Star (link)  Dec 9, 2019  "The Stephensons and Martinborough airstrip.
From 1960 through to 1986 Associated Farmers Aerial Work operated a busy airstrip from Martinborough’s southern boundary. The people behind this company were Claude and Betty Stephenson
Claude was born in Opotiki, a pilot in World War Two he was a Squadron Leader serving in Egypt, India and Italy and being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. On leaving the service he obtained his Civil Commercial Pilots Licence (no 96). He started his top dressing career in1951 flying a Tiger Moth from Waitangaru near Te Kuiti for James Aviation, for a time becoming James Aviation’s instructor.
He moved to operating out of Rotorua where he was instrumental in forming the Rotorua Aero Club. It was also at Rotorua where he met his wife to be, Betty Cruickshank, who worked in the Post Office there. Claude and Betty married at Rotorua.
At the end of 1953 they moved to Masterton where a company listed as Air Lift NZ Ltd. had been formed by John Riddiford, Malcolm Forsythe and Claude. The company ran a three month top dressing trial using a DC3 aircraft. When this was disbanded Claude and Malcolm moved to the Knoll at the top of Bidwills Cutting and resumed using Tiger Moths.
In October 1956 a purpose designed agriculture aircraft, the Auster B.8.Agricola came on the scene . Claude recognised that this was the best plane for top dressing. He set about canvasing farmers for support to purchase these aircraft and as a result The Associated Farmers Aerial Works Ltd was formed.
The company set up an airstrip on Smith’s property on the town’s southern boundary. Claude and Betty moved to a conveniently close house, the Old Taylor Homestead on the corner of Jellicoe and Esther Streets. Work started on building a large hangar and workshop at the airstrip, this was completed in 1962, until then the planes were parked under trees on Smith’s property. Betty was the company ‘Operations Manager’ – office worker, loader driver and general fetch and carry person.
Pilots who flew for the company included Max Lacey, Alan Price, John Bargh, Tony Millian, Dick Paku and Alan Keats. The Aero Engineer was Lou Daymond.
Claude and Betty were described as ‘quiet unruffled people who got on and did things and made things happen’. A practical example was over the Christmas holidays in 1970 when floods closed the coast road trapping in holiday makers at Ngawi who were running short of supplies of fresh food. Claude and Betty loaded one of the plane’s hopper with milk, bread etc. and flew to Ngawi where he landed on some open ground and made the delivery.
Betty served three terms on the Martinborough Borough Council. She played a big part in the Centennial Celebrations in 1982 and , along with Norma Chapman and Charles Michell did wonders in the design work and setting up of the Martinborough Museum. In the early 1970s I worked with Betty in the Martinborough manual telephone exchange, she was a very practical person in times of crisis.
In 1889 Claude and Betty retired to Betty’s home town Whitianga. Claude kept on flying making his last flight in May 1955 when he flew an Agricola from the Thames Maintenance Airport in formation with his son in a similar aircraft to Whitianga."
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Post by McFly on Jul 25, 2024 20:59:48 GMT 12
Some info on Claude Stevenson and ZK-APQ: ( link) "Built by de Havilland New Zealand at Rongotai for the RNZAF it was brought on charge as NZ1428 on 8 May 1942. After serving as trainer with the RNZAF, NZ1428 was sold to the Wellington Aero Club on 13 January 1948 and it joined the NZ civil register as ZK-APQ. At some point prior to 1949, the Aero Club had ZK-APQ fitted with a canopy. ZK-APQ was used by the Wellington Aero Club until December 1953 when it was sold to Airlift NZ Ltd. of Wellington who converted it into a topdresser. On 30 September 1955 was badly damaged in a crash near Masterton while being flown by Otto Gram, who survived. After being repaired and returned to service, ZK-APQ was written off after hitting high tension wires and crashing in the Tararua foothills near Reikorangi, south-east of Waikanae on 1 November 1955. The pilot, Claude Stevenson, survived the crash." The wreckage was used very prominently in the National Film Unit production called "Land from the Sky."
 Starts at about 1:02min And again here (at about 14:38min) |
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Post by camtech on Jul 25, 2024 21:03:54 GMT 12
In 1889 Claude and Betty retired to Betty’s home town Whitianga. Claude kept on flying making his last flight in May 1955 when he flew an Agricola from the Thames Maintenance Airport in formation with his son in a similar aircraft to Whitianga."
I'm assuming that Claude and Betty retired in 1989, rather than 1889, and that his last flight would have been 1995?
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Post by planewriting on Jul 25, 2024 21:48:10 GMT 12
I am intrigued by the use of a DC-3 on topdressing trials soon after 1953. What aircraft would that have been? Did they charter ZK-AZL from James Aviation which had just started using that aircraft in 1954.
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Post by delticman on Jul 27, 2024 13:08:33 GMT 12
I am intrigued by the use of a DC-3 on topdressing trials soon after 1953. What aircraft would that have been? Did they charter ZK-AZL from James Aviation which had just started using that aircraft in 1954. The heavy aircraft that Claude was involved with was the Bristol Freighter ZK-BEV. |
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Post by Peter Lewis on Jul 29, 2024 23:01:33 GMT 12
ZK-BEV in action:  |
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Post by planewriting on Jul 30, 2024 12:51:39 GMT 12
ZK-BEV was a temporary registration for RNZAF Bristol Freighter NZ5904, as evidenced in Peter Lewis's photo above. I have it as registered as ZK-BEV on 19 March 1954 and returned to the RNZAF on 28 June 1954 and eventual cancellation of BEV 27 June 1956. On retirement from the RNZAF, it was sold to Dwen Airmotive and registered as ZK-EPB on 17 August 1978 and cancelled on 29 July 1988 "reduced to parts - Ardmore". Bristol Freighter NZ5911 was also used for topdressing trials as ZK-BJP. It gained that registration on 30 March 1955 and was returned to the RNZAF on 22 April 1955. The registration was cancelled on the same day as that for ZK-BEV; 27 June 1956. NZ5911 too at the end of its RNZAF service became, also on 17 August 1978, Dwen Airmotive's ZK-EPG and in turn was cancelled on 18 January 1991. That was not the end of EPG however as in 2017 it was shipped off to Bristol, England where a major restoration was commenced. The plan was for the Freighter to be safely housed inside the new Conservation in Action workshop of Aerospace Bristol at Bristol, for volunteers and apprentices to undergo work to conserve the aircraft for the future. Does anyone have an update on any subsequent restoration work?
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