The last Catalina – NZ4055

During the period 1943 – 1956 the Royal New Zealand Air Force operated 56 Catalinas, all Consolidated PBY-5 and Boeing PB2B-1 non-amphibious flying boat versions.
The last of these boats were withdrawn and sold for scrap in 1956.

One Boeing PB2B-1 Catalina NZ4055, ‘KN-L’ of 6Sdn, was sent for disposal under contract #42/56 and was sold for £250 to Jack Sellars, of Wellsford, North Auckland (a local garage proprietor). The aircraft was towed up the coast, beached, and taken to Mr Sellars house where it sat for some years. (There are some reports that it was marked as NZ4057 during this time). The fuselage was scrapped in the late 1960s.

Has anyone a photograph of this aircraft taken during this disposal process? I can remember seeing the fuselage alongside the house as my family drove past when I was a child, but although it must have been something of a local landmark, I have so far been unable to track down any photographs of the Catalina at this time.

Any leads appreciated.

Peter Lewis
[email]pvlewis@woosh.co.nz[/email]