Here’s the latest Wings Over New Zealand Show, Episode 187. This episode features the Michelle Sim, sixth speaker at the recent WONZ Forum Meet held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, at Wigram, Christchurch.
Michelle is the Communications Manager at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, and she previously was an Archivist within that museum. She’s also a dedicated avgeek. One of the topics that really interested her when she was working in the Archives was the story of the RNZAF’s No. 1 Aerodrome Construction Squadron, which she presents here.
This unit was assembled from construction workers of the New Zealand Public Works Department, and they were sent to Malaya to build airfields for the Royal Air Force. Their task was however interrupted by the entry into WWII of Japan who set about attacking Malaya and Singapore, forcing the squadron to fight for their lives in their attempt to get home to New Zealand.
Here’s the show page link:
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2018/08/michelle-sim/
Images courtesy the Air Force Museum of New Zealand
By: Dave Homewood - 3rd August 2018 at 23:10
I do like to explore the different aspects of aviation and of the wartime experience, it’s not always the glamour boys and heavy metal for me. After all, what I like is the people stories, the stories, the social history, and hearing about their friends and colleagues, and especially hearing how, whatever they were doing ,they coped with and overcame the challenges they have faced. And even when it comes to pilots, their training in Tiger Moths or Cessnas can be just as fascinating to me, and hopefully the audience, as their front line service. So whether they were a pilot or aircrew, or a ground staff engineer or WAAF, I’ll try to cover it. And since I was in a technical ground trade myself (Safety And Surface, RNZAF) I feel a duty to make sure that we groundies who keep an Air Force or any other fleet running get covered. It’s always a nice bonus to have someone who flew combat in Spitfires, Wellingtons, Lancasters, Corsairs or Warhawks, etc, though, but it is never a prerequisite.
By: Dave Homewood - 3rd August 2018 at 22:57
Interesting article there mothminor, thanks for sharing it!
By: Dave Homewood - 3rd August 2018 at 22:52
Was it WONZ that had the WAAF in the radar station? That was a great social history.
Yes, WAAF Connie Bickford. She was marvellous, I really enjoyed meeting her and hearing her history. I think her story would make a good TV drama storyline.
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/WONZShow/2017/07/connie-bickford/
By: Mothminor - 3rd August 2018 at 22:50
Quite agree that it is so good that you cover the less “glamorous” trades in your episodes, Dave.
With a bit of interest being shown in your latest episode I thought I’d add this page from an article by Flt Lt J. A. Byth RAAF which describes the re-construction Of Butterworth by Australia’s No. 2 Airfield Construction Squadron. The article appears in Air BP no.1 of 1956.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]261889[/ATTACH]
By: ErrolC - 3rd August 2018 at 10:39
Was it WONZ that had the WAAF in the radar station? That was a great social history.
By: Dave Homewood - 3rd August 2018 at 08:42
Thanks very much powerandpassion, that is very kind of you.
Hmm, here in New Zealand the only aircraft construction that happened in New Zealand in WWII was the DH82a’s built at de Havillands at Rongotai. I have never met anyone who worked there during the war. I’d love to though, i am sure there must be s few still around. Especially the ladies who worked there as young girls. You’re right, that would make a good episode.
We never had the heavy aircraft industry here in NZ like in Britain, the USA, Canada and Australia, sadly. I wonder if there are any Rosies who worked in overseas aeroplane plants that moved to NZ postwar…
By: powerandpassion - 3rd August 2018 at 08:21
WONZ Show, always a very good visit, thanks for putting these together. Always interesting to hear all the stories of the other 98%, who weren’t flying Spitfires. Construction brigades did an amazing job. Love to get some Rosie the rivetter stories on the Show, shine some light on how much flying metal was shaped under painted fingernails.
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August 3, 2018 at 3:25 am