Air Force Museum of New Zealand and stuff of interest

[nuuumannn]

Hi guys, a quick trip south to Christchurch, the land of the one-eyed Cantab gave me an opportunity to play with my new toy, a new DSLR and try it out in low lighting conditions. I went to the above mentioned museum with a friend since I hadn't been there in a while.

The Harvard gate guard.

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A-4K with cutout casually leaning against the drop tank. The cutout is of the Late Ross Ewing, a former A-4 driver and researcher doctor who specialised in aviation human factors. It's weird seeing a cutout of someone you knew.

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O-2A, this aircraft is on loan to the museum from the USAF in recognition of RNZAF FAC pilots flying with the USAF during Viet Nam.

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Strikemaster.

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Avro Anson.

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Getting intimate with a Beaver. The original RNZAF Antarctic Flight Beaver crashed in the ice and is still down there somewhere.

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Vampire two-seat trainer. The diamond markings represent 75 Sqn, RNZAF, formerly 75 (New Zealand) Sqn, RAF, the first Commonwealth unit of the RAF and a bomber squadron with considerable wartime pedigree.

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This sectioned Derwent is believed to be from New Zealand's first jet powered aircraft, a Gloster Meteor F.III gifted to the air force in 1945.

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A nice reproduction of New Zealand's first government owned aeroplane, a two-seat Bleriot XI-2 named Britannia.

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Hercules!

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Control column from Edgar James "Cobber" Kain's Hawker Hurricane, in which he perished whilst doing aerobatics. Kain was the RAF's first fighter ace of WW2.

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Smartly turned out Link Trainer.

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Nash & Thompson FN.5 nose turret from a Vickers Wellington.

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Merlin 25 from a de Havilland Mosquito fitted with a De Havilland Propellers 23XX Hydromatic airscrew.

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Plaque acknowledging 14 Sqn RNZAF's role in Japan's occupation after the end of the war. The unit went to Japan with Corsairs for two years.

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75 Sqn's official mascot at the time of the squadron's disbandment in 2001, with the premature retirement of the A-4.

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More to come...

 

[rochie]

nice stuff Grant

 

[buffnut453]

I gave you a bacon solely for the pic of Cobber Kain's control column. Always had a soft spot for the poor sods who flew in France in 1940…not least of whom was Kain who lost his life too young.

EDIT: Had to make a number of changes due to autocorrect on my phone. The above text now reflects what I originally intended to write!

 

[Capt. Vick]

Very cool my friend

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Nice ones Grant. Not going to ask how far you got with the Beaver.

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Brilliant stuff.
Thanks for sharing.

Jeff

 

[nuuumannn]

I gave you a bacon solely for the pic of Cobber Kain's control column.

Thank you, Mark. I knew that was a fascinating piece, hence why I posted it.

Very cool my friend

Thank you, my man! Glad you enjoy.

 

[nuuumannn]

Now we cross to the Dark Side and enter the main display hall, which has a lighting sequence that changes every five minutes to reflect different light within a 24 hour period. We'll see the results soon. This photography was a challenge even for my camera and its powerful light sensor, but with a bit of post editing magic that grainy mess was made to disappear and so the results are evenly presented, with detail on the aircraft still visible and contrast about where it would be if you were there.

Lockheed Hudson, this was one of those agricultural accessories discovered in use on a farm as a storage shed or some such thing.

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Avenger. The RNZAF began the Pacific War repainting aircraft it received from the British, but later types brought from the Americans, such as the Avenger, Dauntless and Corsair, the RNZAF retained their US applied colours, simply smacking the RNZAF roundel over the US Star and adding a fin flash.

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Dakota. This aircraft was used to transport QEII and Prince Philip around during her tour of New Zealand following her coronation in 1953 and remains in its highly polished VIP appearance.

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In restoring its Kittyhawk, the museum bizarrely took a Merlin engined P-40F and converted it into a P-40E. Here it is during the night lighting sequence...

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...And during the day.

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One of the museums rarest treasures is this Avro 626 three-seat trainer, the oldest surviving RNZAF aircraft.

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One for the aircraft on skis thread. the RNZAF Antarctic Flight's Auster, restored to its former glory.

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UH-1 Iroquois, my bread and butter for a couple of years.

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Spitfire XVIe in a representative scheme devoid of a serial number and wearing 485 (New Zealand) Sqn, RAF squadron codes. This aircraft is TE288 and we'll see where it used to live later.

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Up on the balcony and an unusual perspective on the Hudson.

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An overview of the hall.

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Sopwith Pup reproduction in the markings of that flown by Capt Harold Beamish DFC.

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Tiger Moth in the foyer, built by De Havilland Aircraft Ltd at Rongotai, Wellington.

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We leave the museum and head a wee distance away to Harewood, Christchurch Airport and the shopping centre nearby and Spitfire Court, so named because of this. TE288 in the museum was formerly located up the road from this location and because of damage caused by vandals, it was decided to restore it and relocate it at the museum and this fibreglass replica was made.

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A bit of info on the aircraft from the museum website:

"This aircraft was manufactured at the Castle Bromwich Aeroplane Factory in England in May 1945. It was too late to see active service during World War Two, although it did serve for a short time with several RAF squadrons and training units before being placed into storage.

In 1955, TE288 featured in the movie 'Reach for the Sky', based on Paul Brickhill's biography of wartime fighter ace Douglas Bader. As a non-airworthy example, TE288 was used for static, close-up cockpit shots only, including publicity shoots with the starring actor, Kenneth More. After filming, TE288 was used to promote the movie, being placed on public display outside a number of cinemas up and down the United Kingdom. It was subsequently allocated as an RAF maintenance airframe (No. 7287M) from 24 October 1955 to April 1962.

In 1959, the Canterbury branch of the Brevet Club made an approach to the British Air Ministry to acquire a Spitfire for display outside its new premises in Christchurch. The request was successful and TE288 arrived at its new home and was mounted on a pole outside the Brevet Club at Christchurch International Airport on 3 March 1964. In 1983 the decision was made to transfer the aircraft to the Air Force Museum to guarantee its preservation. A fibreglass replica was made at RNZAF Base Woodbourne and this was swapped for the real aircraft in 1984."

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And finally, we leave Christchurch and head north to the farming community of Amberley and visit a memorial to one of New Zealand's most famous military sons, Charles Upham VC and Bar.

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Upham was the most recent of only three people to receive the VC twice, the only one to receive two VCs during the Second World War and the only combat soldier to receive the award twice. His first citation:

War Office, 14th October, 1941.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of awards of the Victoria Cross to the undermentioned: —

Second Lieutenant Charles Hazlitt Upham (8077), New Zealand Military Forces.

During the operations in Crete this officer performed a series of remarkable exploits, showing outstanding leadership, tactical skill and utter indifference to danger.

He commanded a forward platoon in the attack on Maleme on 22nd May and fought his way forward for over 3,000 yards unsupported by any other arms and against a defence strongly organised in depth. During this operation his platoon destroyed numerous enemy posts but on three occasions sections were temporarily held up. In the first case, under a heavy fire from a machine gun nest he advanced to close quarters with pistol and grenades, so demoralizing the occupants that his section was able to "mop up" with ease.

Another of his sections was then held up by two machine guns in a house. He went in and placed a grenade through a window, destroying the crew of one machine gun and several others, the other machine gun being silenced by the fire of his sections.

In the third case he crawled to within 15 yards of an M.G. post and killed the gunners with a grenade.
When his Company withdrew from Maleme he helped to carry a wounded man out under fire, and together with another officer rallied more men together to carry other wounded men out. He was then sent to bring in a company which had become isolated. With a Corporal he went through enemy territory over 600 yards, killing two Germans on the way, found the company, and brought it back to the Battalion's new position. But for this action it would have been completely cut off.

During the following two days his platoon occupied an exposed position on forward slopes and was continuously under fire. Second Lieutenant Upham was blown over by one mortar shell, and painfully wounded by a piece of shrapnel behind the left shoulder, by another. He disregarded this wound and remained on duty. He also received a bullet in the foot which he later removed in Egypt.

At Galatas on 25th May his platoon was heavily engaged and came under severe mortar and machine-gun fire. While his platoon stopped under cover of a ridge Second-Lieutenant Upham went forward, observed the enemy and brought the platoon forward when the Germans advanced. They killed over 40 with fire and grenades and forced the remainder to fall back. When his platoon was ordered to retire he sent it back under the platoon Sergeant and he went back to warn other troops that they were being cut off. When he came out himself he was fired on by two Germans. He fell and shammed dead, then crawled into a position and having the use of only one arm rested his rifle in the fork of a tree and as the Germans came forward he killed them both. The second to fall actually hit the muzzle of the rifle as he fell.

On 30th May at Sphakia his platoon was ordered to deal with a party of the enemy which had advanced down a ravine to near Force Headquarters. Though in an exhausted condition he climbed the steep hill to the west of the ravine, placed his men in positions on the slope overlooking the ravine and himself went to the top with a Bren Gun and two riflemen. By clever tactics he induced the enemy party to expose itself and then at a range of 500 yards shot 22 and caused the remainder to disperse in panic.
During the whole of the operations he suffered from dysentery and was able to eat very little, in addition to being wounded and bruised.

He showed superb coolness, great skill and dash and complete disregard of danger. His conduct and leadership inspired his whole platoon to fight magnificently throughout, and in fact was an inspiration to the Battalion.

— London Gazette, 14 October 1941

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His second citation:

War Office, 26th September, 1945.

The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of a Bar to the VICTORIA CROSS to: —

Captain Charles Hazlitt UPHAM, V.C. (8077), New Zealand Military Forces.

Captain C. H. Upham, V.C., was commanding a Company of New Zealand troops in the Western Desert during the operations which culminated in the attack on El Ruweisat Ridge on the night of 14th–15th July, 1942.

In spite of being twice wounded, once when crossing open ground swept by enemy fire to inspect his forward sections guarding our mine-fields and again when he completely destroyed an entire truck load of German soldiers with hand grenades, Captain Upham insisted on remaining with his men to take part in the final assault.

During the opening stages of the attack on the ridge Captain Upham's Company formed part of the reserve battalion, but, when communications with the forward troops broke down and he was instructed to send up an officer to report on the progress of the attack, he went out himself armed with a Spandau gun and, after several sharp encounters with enemy machine gun posts, succeeded in bringing back the required information.

Just before dawn the reserve battalion was ordered forward, but, when it had almost reached its objective, very heavy fire was encountered from a strongly defended enemy locality, consisting of four machine gun posts and a number of tanks.

Captain Upham, without hesitation, at once led his Company in a determined attack on the two nearest strongpoints on the left flank of the sector. His voice could be heard above the din of battle cheering on his men and, in spite of the fierce resistance of the enemy and the heavy casualties on both sides, the objective was captured.

Captain Upham, during the engagement, himself destroyed a German tank and several guns and vehicles with grenades and although he was shot through the elbow by a machine gun bullet and had his arm broken, he went on again to a forward position and brought back some of his men who had become isolated. He continued to dominate the situation until his men had beaten off a violent enemy counter-attack and consolidated the vital position which they had won under his inspiring leadership.

Exhausted by pain from his wound and weak from loss of blood Captain Upham was then removed to the Regimental Aid Post but immediately his wound had been dressed he returned to his men, remaining with them all day long under heavy enemy artillery and mortar fire, until he was again severely wounded and being now unable to move fell into the hands of the enemy when, his gallant Company having been reduced to only six survivors, his position was finally overrun by superior enemy forces, in spite of the outstanding gallantry and magnificent leadership shown by Captain Upham.

The Victoria Cross was conferred on Captain Upham for conspicuous bravery during the operations in Crete in May, 1941, and the award was announced in the London Gazette dated 14th October, 1941.

— London Gazette, 26 September 1945

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More images of the museum here: Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Thanks for looking.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Escuadrilla Azul]

A very tidy museum, no clutter at all!

Is everything like that in the far south?

 

[Crimea_River]

Quite a guy. "He also received a bullet in the foot which he later removed in Egypt". Self surgery too?

 

[Wildcat]

Nice shots. I do like that Hudson.

 

[special ed]

Excellent photography. Happily, no one wanders into the frame. I didn't see any one in the area.

 

[Crimea_River]

To get people-free shots, Grant eschews washing for the two weeks before visiting a museum.

 

[rochie]

good stuff Grant.

what a story too, some bloke was Capt Upham !

 

[Capt. Vick]

No doubt!

 

[Airframes]

Great stuff Grant.

 

[Gnomey]

Great shots Grant!

 

[jimh]

Thanks for posting these, it's come a long ways since being there in 2008. It's good to see the P-40 on display!

Jim