Page 318 – Key Publishing

Dave Homewood

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March 25, 2004 at 9:21 am in reply to: In Memory of The Fifty! #1830331

Dave Homewood
Participant

A friend of mine here in Cambridge was in the RNZAF with, and very close mates with one of the two RNZAF men murdered after the recapture. Not sure which one, but I’m sure he said his name was Jack, so probably John Pohe.

I am interviewing this old veteran mate of mine this weekend for a documentary I’m making about the wartime RNZAF. He’s a fascinating guy.

Dave

March 25, 2004 at 8:45 am in reply to: Top News Story #1830368

Dave Homewood
Participant

Thanks Mark. I can’t read the fine print but the picture certainly looks great. I thinkthere is little doubt about the type of aircraft.

March 25, 2004 at 8:29 am in reply to: Top News Story #1830396

Dave Homewood
Participant

That’s great news Mark. Any chance of scanning the article for those of us who don’t get the Times please?

I wonder who is salvaging it. They could also salvage the abandoned one in the Chatham Islands.

How many are left now? I have seen one at Motat in NZ, one at Duxford, one and Hendon and I know Kermit Weeks has one. Plus there is a cockpit section at Ferrymead in Christchurch, NZ. Plus the wreck in the Chathams. Any others left? I think all the ones I mention are Mk V models and all served in the RNZAF too I believe.

March 25, 2004 at 7:50 am in reply to: Operating a Warbird #1830457

Dave Homewood
Participant

Are they allowed to display aircraft at airshows without insurance then? Or even fly at all without insurance? The cost seems terribly off-putting to want to even get in the thing.

I recall chatting once with Phil Murray, who at the time (1993) was an RNZAF pilot and also a very well known airahow display pilot (he did a clown in the ‘stolen’ Piper Cub routine at many airshows, and he also was the display pilot for Sir Tim Wallis’s P40K.) Phil told me and a mate that the AFC aircraft were not insured, and that all the pilots were ordered that they were never allowed to bail out – if there was trouble they had to go down with the ship as it were because that would be better than facing Sir Tim afterwards.

Thing is, I was never really able to work out when Phil was serious and when he was joking as he had a great sense of humour and fun. He later crashed the P40K – and survived – I’ve never heard anything of him since. Perhaps he was telling the truth! LOL

March 24, 2004 at 1:30 pm in reply to: Focke Wulf being painted #1830757

Dave Homewood
Participant

My friend rang me this morning to tell me to take a look at this on Hyperscale. He is an absolute Fw190 nut, knows EVERYTHING about them. He says that Jerry Crandell is a real expert, has written many very good books, and Kerry’s comments were that this aircraft is finally being put into the correct scheme, and it also has it’s original wings back, having swapped them back from the USAF Museum I think he said.

So yes, according to my mate Kerry, it will be very authentic.

Dave

March 24, 2004 at 1:24 pm in reply to: Bader Spitfire. #1830768

Dave Homewood
Participant

[QUOTE]Originally posted by John Cooper
[B]I note on Dan’s photo that he has posted, the CO’s pennant is visible, but a question I would like to ask about DB is how long did it take to remove himself from his cockpit as I notice one erk already refuelling his Spit, with another couple of bods waiting to support him.

John, I wonder if this is a staged photo simply for the press. They always liked to make it look like all sorts of action was taking place at once – hence the refuelling while Bader is still in the cockpit. I imagine that he did take a while longer than other pilots to climb out, but not that long. I think the two ‘bods’ are more likely posing, they’re probably armourers or something.

March 24, 2004 at 2:53 am in reply to: My First Spitfire #1830899

Dave Homewood
Participant

My Spit Sit

My first and only sit in a Spit was, again, TB863. Having met him several times before, I was having a chat with Sir Tim after he’d done an awesome display at the Wings Over Waikato aishow in Hamilton in 1995, and he invited me to have a sit in it. The late, great display pilot Tom Middleton helped me in and showed me the ropes. I have several photos of this, much treasured.

I had previously sat in Sir Tim’s Corsair while it was stored in the RNZAF Museum’s restoration hangar, and I was rode brakes in his P40 at Wigram when no-one else was around to do it (both a thrill and bloody scary for me as I’d not done it before, not being an aircraft tech), and I had also flown in his TBF Avenger (amazing trip, pics coming soon), but sitting in the Spit was a real special event for me – especially because there were so many envious onlookers at the airshow.

Thanks Sir Tim for such wonderful memories

March 23, 2004 at 11:08 pm in reply to: RR Merlin #1830933

Dave Homewood
Participant

Snap Robbo, posted identical times!

March 23, 2004 at 11:07 pm in reply to: RR Merlin #1830942

Dave Homewood
Participant

Sorry that this is an aside, but I was thinking about posting this query the other day. Now seems a good time. Why is it, when under the Treaty of Versailles the Germans were not allowed to build military aircraft, was Rolls Royce willingly supplying fighter engines to them? As mentioned, for the Heinkel 70, and for the Stuka prototypa and ME109 prototype. Surely the RR men must have realised they were building belligerent aircraft?

By the way, the first Defiant prototype flew on 11 August,1937 and the Battle first flew on the 10th of March 1936

March 23, 2004 at 9:48 am in reply to: Clive Du Cros' Spitfire replica #1831323

Dave Homewood
Participant

Going back in time and staying there. Interesting. He could still go to Gary Sparrow’s shop if he fancied smething from the future, like a Big Mac! ha ha

Seriously, good luck with the book, and hopefully the film. It sounds great.

I just looked out two books that I haven’t seen in ages – amazing as I used to treasure and ogle them. They are “Spitfire: A Living Legend” and “Spitfire: The Legend Lives On”, both by Jeremy Flack and both Osprey publications.

In the first one is a photo of Clive’s Spit under construction. And in the latter there are several photos of it under construction and in operation. Beautiful. Plus many, many more wonderful Spitfire photos.

I also notice in the latter book that there was a Spitfire Formation Aerobatic Team, lead of course by Ray Hanna. Is that still going? Must beat our Harvards and Fletchers hands down!

March 23, 2004 at 9:12 am in reply to: Clive Du Cros' Spitfire replica #1831362

Dave Homewood
Participant

Hi Daz,

Wow, US$365,000 is almost half the price of a real one. OK, my idea of a squadron is out the door. Damn! Unless we cut costs and use balsa and tractor motors…

The book sounds interesting. Reminds me of Goodnight Sweetheart – that was a great series.

I have long wanted to do a film about the Pacific campaign from an RNZAF pilot’s angle. I’d like to include some of the classic warbirds that we used up there, P40’s, TBF’s, etc… However, the main starring aircraft wouldn’t be the Corsair, Kittyhawk, Dauntless or even an Avenger. It would be a Hudson and its crew. The Hudsons were awesome, and got into all sorts of scrapes, sinking subs and shooting down Japs, etc. One day…

One true story I’d like to ‘borrow’ from was of a guy from here in Cambridge. Trevor Ganley was an air gunner on a Hudson that was attacked by nine Zeroes. Eventually they were shot down, ditched into the sea, but all on board escaped. Then the Zeroes started to strafe them in the water and continued to till all were dead except trevor (evil b@st@rds). He pretended to be dead and they left. He then sawm two miles to an island, despite his wounds, and was marooned there for a month before malking his way back to the lines!!! Amazing story. I’d love to film it, as well as other capers they got up to.

March 23, 2004 at 8:48 am in reply to: Vickers Vimy and other bombers #1831368

Dave Homewood
Participant

Thanks Mike. If I bothered to check my home video of the Scence Museum from my 1997 visit I’d probably see it o there too. I had forgotten it even existed. I have seen the one in the RAF Museum too, looks very nice indeed as Moggy said.

March 23, 2004 at 8:36 am in reply to: Clive Du Cros' Spitfire replica #1831380

Dave Homewood
Participant

Hmmm, $300, 000. That seems a bit steep, but then you can get six of them for the price of a real one I guess. I would think it would be cheaper to build in bulk too, wouldn’t it?

Daz, can you give me a little idea of what your book’s synopsis is about please (unless it’s still hush hush). I can assume it involves at least six Spitfires at least, but what theatre of operations?

I am studying to be a film maker, in my third year at University. Maybe we could work together on the film someday in the future. Make it in NZ – it’s sooo much cheaper, and we can adapt our country to look like anywhere. Plus we have a few real Spitfires here too.

March 23, 2004 at 8:20 am in reply to: Vickers Vimy and other bombers #1831392

Dave Homewood
Participant

Thanks Eric. Here was I thinking up till now that the RAF Museum’s Vimy was genuine. I guess no genuine ones survived then.

Wow, that was a very smart move by Wing Commander Cozens to use coloured film, such a treasure to see an RAF station and its activities in colour. I will have to save up and buy the DVD release and see the full film.

That BBC bombers night sounds good. Those were the days of TV. I have the 1944 Memphis Belle on video, it’s an interesting documentary but havily constructed. Neither MB films tell the full, true story.

I really appreciate the Colour At War series (as narrated by the late great John Thaw). They showed the Second World War so much more vividly than any black and white fotage or photos can.

March 23, 2004 at 5:01 am in reply to: Wartime License Builds Outside UK #1831426

Dave Homewood
Participant

I never knew that DH NZ made Oxford parts. Thanks. I suppose it makes sense, we had 299 in service so they would need a steady supply.

Why did Cnada build just one each of the York and Lincoln? Was it to prove they could do it but then never got the contract or something? How many Lancs were made there?

Cheers
Dave
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