The Hudson was also the first RNZAF aircraft to see combat in the Pacific, with No. 3 GR Squadron. I interviewed the pilot, George Gudsell, a few weeks ago. The five survivors in NZ are all under cover I believe (so long as Ferrymead has the second fuselage under cover – Denys Jones, can you confirm this?)
Is the spare fuselage that has been photographed at the AWM still outdoors too? At least it’s reasonably dry in Aussie compared with Canada’s outdoor storage but photos I’ve seen of the AWM fuse shows it without so much as a tarpaulin over it. The likes of these could easily and cheaply be stored somewhere to preserve them beter I’m sure – even if a few garden sheds were tacked together around the fuselage.
There is one RNZAF Hudson still in the elements at Plaine des Gaiac too which was in a reasonably restorable condition according to photos on the Pacifc Wrecks site. I wonder if it’s still there (as well as the RNZAF Ventura on their site still sitting in the islands). I wish someone could recover them both to NZ and preserve them rathr than letting the jungle have them.
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