I think he’s just playing cat and mouse with us …

Oh yeah baby – I just love those beasties. Well wicked. Had a 1/48 model when I was a wee lad. There’s a book, got turned into a half-decent movie – um – got it “FAILSAFE”. Hustlers are the SAC aircraft in the book, but the movie’s all dialog, no aircraft.

Yes – I haven’t encountered what you talk about and find it unfortunate that such a symbol of remembrance should be turned into a protest. I can only assume those doing this are under the impression that wearing a poppy in some way condones war.

Hardly. “Dolce et decorum est pro patria mori”, the deeply ironic words of Wilfred Owen. We do not glorify or remember war kindly, on the contrary, it is to be avoided if at all possible. But we do pause and remember and respect the sacrifice of those who laid down their lives for us.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row”
… John McCrae

In the context of “shoot first, then ask the questions” I highly recommend always trying Google first. I did a search on: mosquito “new zealand” ZK-BCT – and hey presto found this (first site offered) …
http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/nz2301.shtml
It says …
NZ2381 FB.VI
Built at Hatfield and delivered sometime between 16 May 1944 and 19 June 1945. Previously PZ413. Ferried from the United Kingdom by an RAF/RNZAF crew and BOC Ohakea on 25 March 1948. Ferried to Taieri for storage shortly after arrival. Declared surplus on SR.4103 dated 17 July 1953 and sold to Aircraft Supplies Ltd, Palmerston North. Entered the New Zealand Civil Aircraft Register as ZK-BCT on 02 September 1953. Cancelled from register in May 1957 and scrapped at Palmerston North. Some remnants remained in the area until the late 1970s.
cheers 😉

Cor – I can’t compete on quality but here’s three shots taken inside the main hangar at the New Zealand Fighter Pilots Museum, Wanaka, a week prior to WoW 2004 (Easter). I kick myself for not also taking a few shots inside the museum building, there were 4 or 5 WWI replicas in there including a magnificent Bristol Fighter (which surprised me with its size!), Fokker Triplane, Sopwith (Camel or Pup I can’t remember) and others. If/when you get a chance to visit New Zealand, do not miss this facility.

A much maligned man fighting for a reasonable cause – not helped by the land of the free’s support for the Zionists. Interesting argument of Che’s, basically that Israel preferred him alive and ineffective. Doubt it can be anything than an argument ad infinitum though so let’s not bother.

RIP and I do hope that his passing, whether it be good or bad, can be turned into an opportunity for resolution.

“Unless we drain the swamp of injustice in which the mosquitoes of terrorism breed, we’ll never defeat the threat of terrorism” Jim Wallis of the Sojourners, Feb 1 2002