Commonwealth Air Forces

[Wildcat]

Great stuff! One correction though, the Avro York shown (except the top photo) are of MW140 which served with the RAAF's Governor Generals Flight. By the looks of terrain I'd guess these photos were taken at Bougainville during the GG's tour of the New Guinea area in late '45.

 

[gekho]

Great stuff! One correction though, the Avro York shown (except the top photo) are of MW140 which served with the RAAF's Governor Generals Flight. By the looks of terrain I'd guess these photos were taken at Bougainville during the GG's tour of the New Guinea area in late '45.

Uff, dont know how you do to distinguish them....

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great info fellas.

 

[A4K]

Great thread mate...will have a good read as time allows.

One thing - we didn't use York's in the RNZAF, although atleast one RAF machine did visit. (Plan to model this at some time). Our transports at this time were the C-47, Hastings, and Bristol Freighter.

 

[gekho]

From August 1942, No. 487 Squadron RNZAF, (operating in Europe as part of the Royal Air Force), was equipped with the type, although losses (including on 3 May 1943 the loss of all 11 aircraft attacking Amsterdam), lead to their replacement with the de Havilland Mosquito in June. The Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific received 139 Venturas and some Harpoons from June 1943 to replace Lockheed Hudsons in the maritime patrol bomber and medium bomber roles. Initially Venturas were unpopular with the RNZAF due to rumoured poor performance on one engine, the fate of Squadron Leader Leonard Trent VC's 487 Squadron (above) as well as the failure of the U.S. to provide New Zealand with promised B-24 Liberators. Despite that the RNZAF Venturas came to be amongst the most widely used of any nation's, seeing substantial action until VJ Day over South West Pacific islands.

The first 19 RB-34s that arrived by sea from the U.S. in June had much equipment either missing or damaged. Six airworthy machines were hurriedly produced by cannibalisation and sent into action with No. 3 Squadron RNZAF in Fiji. On 26 June the first PV-1s were flown to Whenuapai and No. 1 Squadron RNZAF was able to convert to 18 of these by 1 August, then replacing the mixed 3 Squadron in action at Henderson Field, Guadacanal in late October. By this time No. 2 Squadron RNZAF at Ohakea and No. 9 Squadron RNZAF were also using the type. The following year No. 4 Squadron RNZAF and No. 8 Squadron RNZAF also received Venturas. Some squadrons were retained on garrison duty while others followed the allied advance to Emirau and Green Island and to New Britain. RNZAF Venturas were tasked with routine patrols, anti-shipping strikes, minelaying, bombing and strafing missions, air-sea rescue patrols, and photographic reconnaissance missions. In an apparently bizarre case of taking Lockheed's marketing slogan of The Fighter-Bomber too literally, even briefly, Venturas conducted fighter sweeps.

RNZAF machines often clashed with Japanese fighters, notably during an air-sea rescue patrol on Christmas Eve of 1943. NZ4509 was attacked by nine Japanese single-engined fighters over St. George's Channel. It shot down three, later confirmed, and claimed two others as probables, although it suffered heavy damage in the action. The pilot, Flying Officer D. Ayson and navigator, Warrant Officer W. Williams, were awarded the DFC. The dorsal turret gunner Flight Sergeant G. Hannah was awarded the DFM. By late 1944 the Ventura began to be phased out of frontline action as the RNZAF backed away from the Patrol Bomber concept, orders for PV-2 Harpoons were cancelled after a handful or aircraft had been delivered. At VJ Day only 30 PV-1 aircraft remained on the front-line with No. 3 Squadron at Jacquinot Bay. Planned re-equipment with Mosquitoes did not take place until after the cessation of hostilities. The last Ventura unit was No. 2 Squadron, which continued to operate PV-1 and PV-2 aircraft on meteorological duty until 1948.

42 of the RNZAF's Lockheed PV-1 Ventura bombers were lost in combat and accidents during the war. 74 of the aircraft survived the conflict, only to be melted down after the war. Today only two original RNZAF Venturas remain. One isrestored and on static display at the Museum of Transport and Technology (MoTaT) in Auckland. This is actually one of the RB-34 Lexington versions, which were always called a Ventura in the RNZAF. The remains of the other Ventura, a genuine PV1, still lies where it crash-landed on the grass airstrip at Talasea, New Ireland. Sadly no efforts have been made by the RNZAF to retreive and restore the Ventura, which could be a viable restoration project .

 

[gekho]

Twenty-three Avro Ansons served with the RNZAF from 1942-43 through till the last of the Anson fleet was retired in 1952. The Anson was a British medium bomber that was used with varied success early in the war by RAF Coastal Command. However the type really came into its own when it was relegated to a training role, and many thousands of pilots, navigators, wireless operators and gunners trained in the type i across Britain, Canada, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand. In the RNZAF their role was specifically training General Reconnaissance bomber pilots and navigators. The pilots had usually done a tour in the Pacific Islands as 2nd Pilot in a General Reconnaissance crew, and were returned to New Zealand to train in the Ansons to become 1st Pilots, or Captain, of the Hudsons and Venturas.

The School of General Reconnaissance began first at RNZAF Nelson as a Flight of No. 2 (GR) Squadron, flying Vickers Vincents and Vildebeests. The school soon moved to RNZAF Omaka, at Blenheim, where in July 1942 the Vickers biplanes were phased out of the school and replaced with the first batch of 14 Ansons that had arrived from Britain. In June 1943 another batch of Ansons arrived to bring the total to 23, and the school was moved up to RNZAF New Plymouth to cope with the expansion. It was then that the school incorporated the training of navigators (previously done at Ohakea), becoming known as the School of General Reconnaissance and Navigation. Of course whilst on training flights the Ansons were also providing real seaward reconnaissance as a dual role, with patrols reaching well out into the Tasman Sea.

 

[gekho]

The North American Harvard is probably the best known RNZAF aircraft type, thanks to many years service with the Red Checkers display team, and then beyond that with the civil Roaring Forties display team. Eventually 202 Harvards of various marks were taken on charge with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The first twelve Harvard II's arrived in New Zealand in March 1941, and were assembled at Hobsonville. These were American built aircraft, but to a British order so with British cockpit systems. In the USA they were known as the AT-6A. Of them, three (NZ901, 902 and 904) entered RNZAF service with the Central Flying School at RNZAF Tauranga to train instructors on the type. The other nine were divided up issued to No's 1, 2 and 3 Service Flying Training Schools respectively at Wigram, Woodbourne and Ohakea. In June 1941 two more batches of Mk II Harvards arrived in NZ bringing the total in service to 67 aircraft, between CFS, and the SFTS's. A further 38 Harvard II's arrived in January 1942, bringing total strength to 105 machines, which were designated as NZ901 through to NZ1005. Compared with the obsolete Gordons, Hinds, Vincents and Vildebeest biplanes they replaced at the Service Flying Training Schools at Wigram and Woodbourne, the two-seat monoplane Harvard proved powerful, comfortable and a very suitable lead in to the fighters like Kittyhawk, Corsair and Spitfire.

With the entry of Japan into the war, the RNZAF restructured itself into a defensive, and later offensive force, rather than simply a training institute for the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. This meant No. 3 SFTS at Ohakea disbanded so that station became an operational training unit, and No's 1 and 2 SFTS were expanded. Then in June 1942 Wigram became a completely multi-engined training station with Oxfords, while Woodbourne's SFTS training strength became 1/3rd multi-engined (Oxfords) and 2/3rds single-engine training with Harvards. Thus most training Harvards moved to Woodbourne, with a peak of some 60 Harvards on strength operationally at 2 SFTS at one point. In October 1943, the first of the RNZAF's new Mk III Harvards arrived. These all metal aircraft had a different electrical system from the Mk II, being 24 volt. They also had the US style cockpit layout as opposed to the British style Mk II that had been supplied under the Empire Air Training Scheme (or also known as the Commonwealth Air Training Plan). These later model aircraft continued to arrive in New Zealand through till November 1944, though not all were Mk II's. The odd different model crept into the package, with the likes of NZ1070 being a Mk IIA which had a wooden rear fuselage (from a time when the manufacturer was having difficulty in sourcing necessary metal componentry, an issue later resolved by the time the Mk III's were being built). Also three Mk IIB models arrived (NZ1100, NZ1101 and NZ1102). These were Mk II's but built under licence in Canada by the Noordyn Aircraft Company. these were known in the USA as the AT-16.

By late 1944 the situation in the Pacific was going the Allies' way so No. 2 SFTS was closed down, and the Harvards moved back to Wigram. The CFS moved from Tauranga to Woodbourne to take the school's place, thus maintaining a small Harvard connection there. Of course training at the SFTS's was not the only role for the Harvard in WWII. many were used as communications aircraft and there was hardly a station in the country that didn't have at least one Harvard attached for this purpose. The type also came into play as a fighter-bomber under the Forces Available For Anti-Invasion (FAFAI) Scheme, which saw guns and bomb racks fitted to Harvards (and other types) within training schools in case of Japanese invasion. The instructors would have been their brave pilots, in a desperate, perhaps suicidal, attempt to stem an invasion force.

Harvards also served with No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at Ohakea, and No. 14 (Fighter) Squadron at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton. Others served as trainers for dive bomber squadrons, on strength with No. 25 Squadron at Seagrove (and later No. 26 Sqn there), and No's 30 and 31 Squadrons at Gisborne. By war's end most of the 150 surviving Harvards were withdrawn to storage. All the Mk II's and most Mk III's went to Wigram to be stored, while the Mk IIA's went to Ashburton to await their fate. The MkII's never flew again, (apart from NZ1004 for a short period) and many became instructional airframes. In 1949 however the Compulsory Military Training Scheme saw the Mk III Harvards return to service at Wigram, after an overhaul at No. 1 Repair Depot, Woodbourne. And the four Territorial Air Force squadrons (No. 1 Sqn at Whenuapai, No. 2 Sqn at Ohakea, No. 3 Sqn at Wigram and No. 4 Sqn at Taieri)were issued with Mk IIA's from Ashburton.

From 1953 the MkIII's were again withdrawn, replaced by the Mk IIA's which had now been modified to Mk IIA* standard. From 1955 when the TAF Mustangs were withdrawn some of the stored MK III's were issued to the TAF, serving till 1957. Then the TAF disbanded and the Mk III's went to Woodbourne for overhaul. The Mk III's then replaced the Mk IIA*'s at Wigram, which all went into storage apart from the odd station hack and a handful with No. 42 (Communications) Squadron. In 1959, the 59 surviving Mk II's (which had not been active at all and were used for training purposes or stored) were sold to Bennett Aviation at Te Kuiti for scrapping. Parts of these aircraft were later used in the Bennett Airtruck topdresser, a short lived venture that had little success. Others from the scrap yard ended up in park playgrounds, such as in Tauranga, Takapau, Pahiatua, and Methven, and one still resides in the Museum of Transport and Technology. others have survived elsewhere. In 1977 the Mk III harvards were finally withdrawn and replaced by the NZAI Airtrainer. At this point most were stored for a short time then tendered for disposal, and good numbers went into private hands, where today well over a dozen remain active today, and many more in Australia.

 

[Gnomey]

Nice shots!

 

[A4K]

Echo that! Just noticed too the shots of the Sunderland III transport - brilliant! (Thanks for posting!)

 

[Wayne Little]

great pics mate!

 

[gekho]

The Handley Page H.P.67 Hastings was a British troop-carrier and freight transport aircraft designed and built by Handley Page Aircraft Company for the Royal Air Force. At the time, it was the largest transport plane ever designed for the RAF, and it replaced the Avro York as the standard long-range transport. Hastings were operated in New Zealand, where the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 40 Squadron flew the type until replaced by C130 Hercules in 1965. Four Hastings C.Mk 3 transport aircraft were built and supplied to the RNZAF. One crashed at RAAF Base Darwin and caused considerable damage to a water main, a railway and the road into the city. The other three were broken up at RNZAF Base Ohakea. During the period that the engines were having problems with their sleeve valves (lubricating oil difficulties) RNZAF personnel joked that the Hastings was the best three-engined aircraft in the world.

 

[gekho]

The New Zealand government had ordered 30 Vickers Wellington Mk1C bombers in 1938. RNZAF aircrew were sent to England to train on the new aircraft based at RAF Marham. The crews were to fly the aircraft to New Zealand in batches of six. RAF official records name this group of airman as "The New Zealand Squadron", and as a result of Britain delaring war against Germany, the New Zealand Government made the airman and the aircraft available to the RAF to help with the new war effort. A decision by the British Air Ministry to give them the defunct No. 75 Squadron numberplate on 4 April 1940, meant that the nucelus of The New Zealand Squadron personnel remained together as an operational unit of the RAF.

 

[gekho]

The Lancastrian was a high-speed long-range transport conversion of the Lancaster bomber. The first conversions were made in Canada by Victory Aircraft Ltd for Trans-Canada Air Lines and were operated by this company on behalf of the Canadian government on transatlantic mail and passenger services between Montreal and Prestwick. The Canadian Lancastrians were fitted with Packard-built Rolls-Royce Merlin engines and accommodated ten passengers.

Production of the Lancastrian was later undertaken by Avro and deliveries were made to the RAF, BOAC and British South American Airways Corporation. The four main variants of the aircraft were: the Lancastrian C.I, a nine-seat version of which 23 were produced for the RAF but all but two were subsequently operated by BOAC; Lancastrian C.2, which was similar to the C.I and 38 were produced for the RAF; Lancastrian 3, initially for BSAAC, accommodating 13 passengers (18 eventually delivered, most for BOAC); and the C.4 for the RAF, eight of which were delivered.

 

[gekho]

The Douglas Dakota was the RNZAF's first dedicated long range transport aircraft and it revolutionised the Air Force's operational ability when it entered RNZAF service with Whenuapai's No. 40 Squadron in 1943. Used for the transportation of troops and cargo around New Zealand and the Pacific and beyond during the war, after the war the Dakotas of No's 40, 41 and 42 Squadron were a familiar site and eventually most were demobbed and formed the backbone of the National Airways Corporation (NAC) airline.However some were retained in the RNZAF 's inventory.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Great info!

 

[gekho]

486 (NZ) Squadron came about because of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) which was created by the promulgatation of Article XV on 19 December 1939. The article provided for the formation of Commonwealth squadrons within the RAF. On 17 April 1941 a further agreement was negotiated allowing for six New Zealand Squadrons to be formed: Numbers 485 to 490 These units were manned and (mostly) commanded by New Zealanders trained under the EATS, although this didn't preclude other nationalities from being members. Administratively the "Article XV squadrons" were an integral part of the RAF, with all command appointments being made by the RAF. Other Dominion or Commonwealth countries involved were Australia and Canada, Rhodesia and South Africa. By the end of the war nearly 50% of 486(NZ) Squadron's personnel were non-New Zealanders; for example F. Philip "Joe" Kendall, a British national and a highly regarded member of the unit served with the squadron from March to July 1945. Two of 486's commanding officers, Squadron Leaders Roberts (March 1942 - April 1943) and Iremonger (January 1944 - December 1944) were also British. The squadron formed on 7 March 1942, initially at RAF Kirton in Lindsey[4], Lincolnshire, as part of RAF Fighter Command and equipped with Hawker Hurricane IIs. For a while 486 Sqn. was a nightfighter unit tasked with working in conjunction with 1453 Turbinlite Flight. The squadron was re-equipped with Hawker Typhoons starting in July 1942.

 

[Gnomey]

Good stuff!

 

[vikingBerserker]

I agree!

 

[buffnut453]

FYI, the middle pic was taken at Singapore in 1942.

 

[Wayne Little]

Agreed...good Stuff!