German bomber parts for sale in NZ

Dave, please pass on my thanks to Jim.

I have thought from the first that the prop fitted to the ‘Beest in the original photo that I posted was so very much similar to that fitted to the Swordfish. That is why I originally thought it might be a 4 AACU aeroplane.

Have now obtained digital copies of the 100 Sqn ORB and the appendices for that period. No mention at all of a non-standard fit. In fact, no mention of the accident either. So, unfortunately, still none the wiser on that count.

Thanks for the help.

I showed this thread and the pprune one to my mate Jim Mungall, who’s a real expert in Vildebeest and Vincent history. He sent the following reply, which he said I can post here on his behalf:

“Interesting Vildebeest. They are wrong whoever said the ‘initial’ Vildebeests had the 3 blade prop. The 3 blade came later on the Mk.4. the last in the series.

An interesting possibility is that a Mk.4 prop could have been fitted to a Pegasus engine as in the Mk.3. The Rotol prop on the Mk.4 was fitted with ground adjustable pitch and as such had no hydraulic pitch change mechanism. Now I do not know if the prop shaft on the Perseus was the same as that on the Pegasus as we do not have an engine to compare. But both engines were made by the same company (Bristol).

I do know however that the spinner on the prop in the photo was not on any Mk.4.in NZ.
The prop however looks remarkably like the 3 blade fixed pitch Fairey-Reed propeller on the Fairey Swordfish including the spinner. The Swordfish also had a Bristol Pegasus engine and probably the same propshaft as the Pegasus on the Vildebeest. All speculation but distinctly a possibility.”

Dave, apologies. Had forgotten to respond to that. Reply now sent.

Laurie, did you receive my PM??

Thanks Laurie, that has to be him. He ended us as a Flight Commander on the squadron by 1942. I wonder where and when he left the Furious then.

Dave, a Plt Off C N Gardner arrived on HMT Dunera, 20 May 1939. He was posted to A Flt.

Could this be your man?

Have you seen any mention of Colin Norman Gardner in the ORB? He’s a kiwi who flew with the squadron, he was in Singapore from about 1938 (having previously been on HMS Furious flying Swordfish) and flew with the squadron in combat against the Japanese in the Vildes, but I don’t know when he joined No. 100 Squadron before the war or if he was still with an FAA unit there. Colin was one of the survivors of the Endau Raid. I met him about a year ago, sadly his memory was not so great and he didn’t have his logbook any more either.

I’m guessing most of No. 100 Squadron’s records may have been lost when the Japanese invaded? Or did they get them out ok?

Dave, 100 Sqn’s pre-war ORBs had been sent to the UK at the outbreak of hostilities in Europe. I have just downloaded digital copies of those for the period March 1919 – 3 Sep 1939.

Been going through them this afternoon. Unfortunately, there is no record in them either of this accident or the fitting of the non-standard prop to K2929.

The search continues.

Paul, you have come up trumps again! Your help throughout has been invaluable. Many, many, thanks for that.

Have gleaned a little more info on the aircraft via another, member’s only, forum. Seems it was written-off after this accident as beyond economic repair. Total flying time on the airframe was 834.55 hours. Still trying to ascertain why the non-standard prop was fitted.

Have tried to make contact with the 100 Sqn Assoc via a link on the website but messages have been returned as undeliverable. Trying a new tack now.

From Col Bruggy on RAFCommands

John L Hobler – was Australian in RAF

“John Hobler had a second forced-landing in the tree-tops, whilst doing a low-flying run over the airfield to drop a target he had been towing, which was being used for naval practice. A clogged fuel line stalled the engine, he ran out of power, and time as well, he had to make an instant decision for a pan-cake landing, on to the tops of the rubber trees in a plantation, to avoid hitting some local houses in a kampong.”

See:
Men of Vision Over Capricorn:A Story of Aviation History in Central Queensland.
Cousins,Glenn S.
Bowen Hills:Boolarong Publications,1994.

His first forced landing was 21-Oct-34 Vilderbeest K2931 of 100Sqn crashed in Malayan jungle
pp.241-2

Good questions, Dave. No answers though at the moment.

I have a contact for the 100 Sqn Association and will approach them to see if anything exists. However, I suspect that most, if not all, of the records didn’t make it away after the Japanese invasion.

Well done on the detective work there Paul. I guess there’s no chance that the maintenance documents for K2929 will still exist? It would be very interesting to learn more about this modification.

If an aircrfat in Singapore was field modified like that would notification of why, how, when and all that have been sent off to Britian? Or would it have been kept inhouse? I’m guessing most of No. 100 Squadron’s records may have been lost when the Japanese invaded? Or did they get them out ok?

I think I may have found it 100% this time!

28-Sep-37 Vilderbeest K2929 of 100Sqn crashed at Seletar

The Straits Times, 29 September 1937, Page 12

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19370929-1.2.70&sessionid=82d61a8af111475ab248c8ceb837aada&keyword=RAF&search=advanced&fromdate=19370927&todate=19370930&articles=1&advertisements=1&illustrations=1&letters=1&obituaries=1&miscellaneous=1&newspaperTitles=beritaharian%2cdailyadvertiser%2ceasterndaily%2cmaltribune%2cmalayansatpost%2cmiddayherald%2csingchronicle%2csingdailynews%2csingweekherald%2cstraitsadvocate%2cstraitschinherald%2cstraitseurasian%2cstraitsmail%2cstraitsobserver%2cstraitstelegraph%2cstoverland%2cstweekly%2cbiztimes%2cfreepress%2csingfreepressa%2csingfreepressb%2cstraitstimes%2ctoday%2cweeklysun%2cscjp%2clhzb&fuzzysearch=Off&token=raf

Crashed on Rubber Estate!

Dropped a Drogue!

Force landing in Rubber Plantation on outskirts of Seletar Aerodrome. After motor ‘cut out’. Plane extensively damagde but only one occupant LAC Bolter suffered any injury – Superficial. Machine returning to aerodrome after carrying out exercises and had just dropped a drogue it had been towing when the motor stopped. The pilot had no option but to make a forced landing and brought the machine down in a rubber plantation.

Crew

Flt/Lt Hobler
Lt Home – Royal Artillery
LAC Bolter

Paul,

Jackpot!!!!!

Very well done indeed.

Still leaves us with the three-bladed prop mystery.

Many thanks.

Laurie, don’t worry about the hijack mate, Vildebeests are infinitely more interesting than any German bomber in my opinion. 🙂

I think I may have found it 100% this time!

28-Sep-37 Vilderbeest K2929 of 100Sqn crashed at Seletar

The Straits Times, 29 September 1937, Page 12

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=straitstimes19370929-1.2.70&sessionid=82d61a8af111475ab248c8ceb837aada&keyword=RAF&search=advanced&fromdate=19370927&todate=19370930&articles=1&advertisements=1&illustrations=1&letters=1&obituaries=1&miscellaneous=1&newspaperTitles=beritaharian%2cdailyadvertiser%2ceasterndaily%2cmaltribune%2cmalayansatpost%2cmiddayherald%2csingchronicle%2csingdailynews%2csingweekherald%2cstraitsadvocate%2cstraitschinherald%2cstraitseurasian%2cstraitsmail%2cstraitsobserver%2cstraitstelegraph%2cstoverland%2cstweekly%2cbiztimes%2cfreepress%2csingfreepressa%2csingfreepressb%2cstraitstimes%2ctoday%2cweeklysun%2cscjp%2clhzb&fuzzysearch=Off&token=raf

Crashed on Rubber Estate!

Dropped a Drogue!

Force landing in Rubber Plantation on outskirts of Seletar Aerodrome. After motor ‘cut out’. Plane extensively damagde but only one occupant LAC Bolter suffered any injury – Superficial. Machine returning to aerodrome after carrying out exercises and had just dropped a drogue it had been towing when the motor stopped. The pilot had no option but to make a forced landing and brought the machine down in a rubber plantation.

Crew

Flt/Lt Hobler
Lt Home – Royal Artillery
LAC Bolter

All

See

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Digitised/Article.aspx?articleid=singfreepressb19341105-1.2.36&sessionid=247b85bbe4114ea7aab2c1cc78ec597e&keyword=bomber&search=advanced&fromdate=19341020&todate=19341120&articles=1&advertisements=1&illustrations=1&letters=1&obituaries=1&miscellaneous=1&newspaperTitles=beritaharian%2cdailyadvertiser%2ceasterndaily%2cmaltribune%2cmalayansatpost%2cmiddayherald%2csingchronicle%2csingdailynews%2csingweekherald%2cstraitsadvocate%2cstraitschinherald%2cstraitseurasian%2cstraitsmail%2cstraitsobserver%2cstraitstelegraph%2cstoverland%2cstweekly%2cbiztimes%2cfreepress%2csingfreepressa%2csingfreepressb%2cstraitstimes%2ctoday%2cweeklysun%2cscjp%2clhzb&fuzzysearch=Off&token=bomber

Crew

P/O J F Hober (Australian)
LAC Friday (Wireless Operator) London
Air Gunner LAC Milne (NZ)

21-Oct-34 Vilderbeest K2931 of 100Sqn crashed in Malayan jungle.

http://www.100squadronassociation.org.uk/history2.html

“Other aspects of training included high level bombing from 8000 to 10000 feet, air to air and air to sea gunnery exercises, photographic and visual reconnaissance and target towing. On one such exercise, the pilot of K2931 crash-landed in the jungle. The recovery of the aircraft involved a heroic week’s trek through dense jungle fighting swarms of insects, leeches and torrential rain. Parts of the aircraft were ‘ferried’ back to Bekok on a daily basis. At the end of the expedition, the RAF personnel all had beards and were almost unrecognisable, but their sheer guts and determination meant that 100 Squadron had one more aircraft for the struggle that was yet to come. “

Laurie

I have a round 25 Far East Vilderbeest accidents betwen 1934 and 1939 a lot are ditched at sea or collisions so can be discounted except

21-Oct-34 Vilderbeest K2931 of 100Sqn crashed in Malayan jungle.
28-Sep-37 Vilderbeest K2929 of 100Sqn crashed at Seletar.
30-Aug-38 Vilderbeest K2933 of 100Sqn crashed in forced landing.
15-Sep-38 Vilderbeest K2936 of 4AACU crashed on landing, Seletar.
15-Sep-38 Vilderbeest K2936 of 4AACU crashed on landing, Seletar.
01-Nov-38 Vilderbeest K4172 of 36Sqn crashed nr Seletar.

The 30 Aug 1938 date may be a mis quote for August 30th 1937 incident

Paul,

Many thanks for that link. Why did I not think of that!?

I am now following a different train of thought on this aircraft. If you look between the wheels, there is some form of equipment mounted under the fuselage. Also, look behind the labourer wearing the turban. There seems to be something projecting out of the aircraft from where the Lewis gun would normally be mounted. I am now wondering if this aircraft was a target tower.

No.4 AACU in Singapore operated Vildebeests in that capacity. That unit also had a few Swordfish on charge from around 1939 onwards. The prop fitted to the aircraft in the photo is very similar to that fitted to Swordfish.

Have another look and see what you think.

Apologies to Dave H for hijacking his German Bombers thread.

Laurie

I saw the picture, I am wondering if tbney pulled the aircraft off the beach through the plantation – It would have been a difficult recovery off a muddy beach

the source was Singapore Newspapers Archive

http://newspapers.nl.sg/Default.aspx

Paul