Air Force Museum of New Zealand

Air Force Museum of New Zealand

2 days ago

Today we remember four young men from New Zealand, Canada, Australia and Great Britain who were lost when their bomber was shot down over Italy 80 years ago.
Warrant Officer Jack Finlow, from Auckland, was a member of a Martin Baltimore crew along with Flying Officer JP McCarter (Royal Air Force), Flight Lieutenant DD Laird (Royal Canadian Air Force) and Warrant Officer FW West (Royal Australian Air Force).
The crew from No. 13 Squadron RAF were based at Cecina in Italy. Their Baltimore was on an armed reconnaissance operation in the Florence-Bologna area on the night of 26 July when it was brought by enemy fire near Firenzuola, with all lives lost.
The bomber’s crew – from around the Commonwealth - are buried alongside each other in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery at Anzio in Italy.
Jack Finlow joined the RNZAF reserve in 1939 and initially trained at Hobsonville before being sent for wireless operator/air gunner training in Canada.
He was flying on his 49th operation and was 24 years old when he died.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

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Air Force Museum of New Zealand

3 days ago

NEW BLOG: Thirty years ago today the RNZAF embarked on a mission to help alleviate one of the worst humanitarian disasters of the 20th century.
They were the right people at the right time, and the C-130H Hercules was the aircraft that got the job done.
The 36-strong detachment, led by Wing Commander Graham Lintott, flew out of New Zealand on 25 July in Hercules NZ7002 captained by Squadron Leader Chris Mehlhopt. The Hercules arrived in Nairobi three days later before proceeding to Entebbe airport in Uganda to begin operations on the newly named Operation Reforge.
As you can see, they settled in nicely to their new home, and, with a bit of Kiwi ingenuity, incorporated the wrecked hull of a Boeing 707 as an annex to their new base.
You can read our Research Curator Simon Moody's blog about the operation here: airforcemuseum.co.nz/blog/the-right-people-at-the-right-time-the-rnzaf-mission-to-rwanda-in-1#RNZAFr#Lockheedk#c130herculesc#rnzafpastandpresentesent ... See MoreSee Less

Air Force Museum of New Zealand

3 days ago

We have a new display next to our Roll of Honour, dedicated to the memory of Flight Lieutenant Alick Mewa, the first New Zealander of Indian descent to be commissioned in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Alick was born in Auckland in 1919 and attended Auckland Grammar before training to become a structural engineer.
He joined the RNZAF on 27 July 1941, and trained at Levin, Whenuapai and Ohakea before heading to the United Kingdom. He was soon flying operations with No. 98 Squadron RAF, flying North American B-25 Mitchell bombers from RAF Dunsford in southeast England.
On the night of 18 August Alick and his crew took off on a mission just before midnight for a mission over France. Shortly after take-off all contact was lost and no trace of the aircraft or its crew was ever found.
Alick was on his 58th operational sortie when he was lost and was 25 years old.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
#rnzafpastandpresent #nzindian #nzrsa
#nzindian #NZindians #RSA #AucklandGrammar ... See MoreSee Less