Wings Over Cambridge
News and Updates
Latest
NewsLatest Updates
12th of March 2006
I have added even more info to the pages on Edgar Harvie and Arthur Harvie, thanks to Peter Lewis
11th of March 2006
I have to admit I have done a number of updates over the time between this post and the last below, but I have been forgetting to update the update page! Sorry.
The areas where most work has been done have been on the RNZAF Stations pages, both North Island and South Island, and these will continue to grow as I have much more info to add.
Also the pages on Edgar 'Ted' Harvie here and here have been updated in the past week. The page on the Cambridge Aerodrome has also been added to here
The RNZAF Advertisements page has been reinstated and added to, so there's nearly double the content now, and the RNZAF Pacific Photos page has also been expanded
I can't think of any other updates that I've missed but there probably will be many. So if you have an area of particular interest you've seen before on the website, check it again as it may have had additions or corrections. I promise to try to keep this page updated properly from now on.
12th of October 2005
The Contact Magazine History Page has been updated today.
Also recently I updated the South Island RNZAF Stations page, but there's more to come on that soon when time permits
29th of August 2005
Today I added in a newly discovered Cambridge Airman, Thomas Richard Thwaite, who had lived at Kaipaki (SE of Cambridge) and was sadly killed during the war.
Also the final batch of significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
28th of August 2005
After a long period of downtime while my PC was broken, I am back and updating again. Today's updates include:
A photo of William "Digger" Duignan has been added to his page, thanks to his son David who kindly supplied the nice portrait photo.
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
29th of June 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
15th of June 2005
Some new information has been added to the RNZAF Stations page for the North Island
A small addition also to the RNZAF Contact History page
3rd of June 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
29th of May 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
28th of May 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
Also I have removed the Air Force Poetry page today to free up some space. If you're particularly looking for Air Force poetry, contact me and I can email some examples to you
26th of May 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
22nd of May 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
21st of May 2005
Some more significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
20th of May 2005
Some significant updates have been made today to the pages on the following airmen, thanks to information found by Eris Parker in the National Archives
5th of April 2005
Small updates have been made to the page on Arthur Baker
27th of March 2005
Today I have added a footnote to the page on the AR9 Fuel Depot in Cambridge, and more info onto the RNZAF Timeline page. A new Waikato Independent article has been added to Mick Dillon's page and various other pages have been tidied up
26th of March 2005
Further details have been added to Keith Caldwell's page. Also added new items in November and December 1939 to the RNZAF Timeline
I have also added a small page that directs you to the website that deals with Personnel Records and I have also added a page on Keith Fitton
20th of March 2005
I have removed Ruth Nickle's page, having tracked her down today and discovered that she was not a WAAF at all, despite a report in the New Zealand Observer magazine. She is now Ruth Middleton and living in Mt Maunganui, and has actually been a big help with providing several more leads, which is great.
19th of March 2005
A great deal has been added to Gwenda Reid's (nee Nickle) page.
I have also added a little bit of information to the following pages, Leonard Holmes, Albert Hancock, Peter Hanna, Geoff Ariell, Clifford Cubis, Murray Garland, Arthur Clayton, Ben Linsley and Kathleen Goodwin
I have added new pages for recently discovered Airmen T. Mowat, and WAAF's Nina Christophers, Ruth Nickle, Margaret Finch, Lassie Hume, Maisie Henry and Josie McGovern
18th of March 2005
Today I have updated the RNZAF Band page, having discovered a whole new visit to Cambridge by the band, in November 1940. Also on the page are two brillinat and newly discovered Bonds For Bombers campaign adverts.
Also updated today is the RNZAF Advertisements page, with a number of additions thanks to various adverts I've found in the New Zealand Observer magazine.
12th of March 2005
A new search engine has been added to the bottom of the Homepage. You can now put any keyword such as a surname, aircraft name, place, date, etc., into the search box and hopefully it will find you a link straight to the page you need if it is on the site. This service is provided free by FreeFind
28th of February 2005
In past days I have updated pages on William Duignan (thanks to his son David contacting me), Harold Lynds (photos added), and I have added in a few more date of birth and school details here and there on various pages. I have also added a review of the recent concert I attended by the Central Band of the RNZAF.
The RNZAF Timeline has also been updated.
The most exciting addition to the website this week is a brand new Discussion Forum where you can now post messages, news and queries about anything to do with this website, the RNZAF (historic and current) and Cambridge in general. I hope many of you will make use of this new service, which after just two days has taken off and is generating much interest.
19th of February 2005
A complete upgrade has begun on the Kingsford Smith and Southern Cross page, which has been offline for a short time. It is now back with lots more info, but there will soon be more added
16th of February 2005
Additions have been made to the pages on Arthur Clayton, Jim Meredith, Roy Fisher and Peter Hanna
10th of February 2005
At long last I have added some excellent photos supplied by Kent James to the page on his late brother, Ivor James
7th of February 2005
Over the past few days I have updated a number of pages, but have not kept up with all the work to list here. The biggest changes are to the RNZAF Contact Magazine pages. I have added a piece on the Contact spin-off book Flights and Fancies to the main Contact history page. And the Contact Index has now been separated into six pages each covering a year, which makes it quicker to load since so much info is now on the Contact Index Database. See the new look Contact Menu from where you can click on individual years. If you then click on the small cover at the top of each page it'll take you to that issue's details.
Another area that has begun a major overhaul in recent weeks is the wartime RNZAF Stations. These too have been split into different pages and a lot of info has been added, along with some photos. This ongoing project is hoped to continue building up over time so keep checking back to these pages if they are of interest.
31st of January 2005
Over past days several bits and pieces have been added. A new photo has been added to Jack Morris's page. The RNZAF Stations pages are getting a new look, but there is a lot more work there to go yet. I have added details of the Contact spin-off, "Flights and Fancies" to the RNZAF Contact page.
3rd of January 2005
Over the past week I have added a load of photos over three pages to the Cambridge Air Force Reunion pages.
Also I have updated the RNZAF Museum page
13th of December 2004
Update added to Jim Ritchie
12th of December 2004
I have added pages on Eric Shaw, Cyril Shaw and Horace Shaw. Also a page added on Cobber Kain's visit to Cambridge here
11th of December 2004
A new name has been added to the Roll of Honour. Andrew Fletcher had been a Cambridge resident before the war, and was killed on No. 75 (NZ) Squadron in 1944.
Also added today, Roy Calvert's article on what it was like to be a bomber pilot. Slight additions have been made to Richard Sampson, Stanley Dallimore, Mick Dillon and William "Digger" Duignan's pages too.
I have moved Jim Miller and William Barugh from Unknown Airmen to Cambridge Airmen, having found information that both lived in Cambridge before the war and went away to the RNZAF from Cambridge
5th of December 2004
Two more new names added to Cambridge Airmen list, C.S. Dent and A.S. Cutfield, both of whom were born in Cambridge. The source of these two was the books New Zealanders With The Royal Air Force. Also updated is information on William "Digger" Duignan, from the same source. If anyone can add more details to any of these pages, please contact me.
Also over recent days the colour scheme has continued to be adapted, but no changes to the content.
25th of November 2004
Two new names added to Cambridge Airmen list, Murray Garland, and K.B. Fitton DFC. The Airmen Home page has been updated, and Ron Noice was moved from Cambridge Airmen to Post-War Cambridge Airmen as he was mistakenly on the wrong page. Colour schemes continue to be updated on other pages, without any other changes to the content of the pages.
24th of November 2004
Photos added to the pages of Richard Sampson, Donald Law and Jack Taylor. Also new colour schemes for their pages, and the pages of other airmen linked from the Roll of Honour page.
23rd of November 2004
A new pages added - The Mystery WAAF
22nd of November 2004
Another link added to the Links page, this time for an excellent site called Hawkes Bay Aviation Heritage. There are some fascinating stories and photos, bother RNZAF and civil related on this site
21st of November 2004
Links page updated to add in No. 5 Squadron RNZAF Association link, and a few existing links rearranged
14th of November 2004
I have adjusted the Homepage since the Reunion has now been and gone, and added the news item above on this same date.
Monday 7th of February 2005
The Central Band of the RNZAF Tour
This excellent band is touring the central-upper North Island and we have been asked to promote the tour. See the special page here. For Cambridge people the closest venue is Te Awamutu, but organisers hope a number of Cambridge people will support the band because they are trying to persuade them to return to Cambridge for next Novembers Armistice Celebrations. You cannot get many evening's worth of top music from such a renowned band for the price either.
Sunday 14th of November 2004
The Cambridge Air Force Reunion A Huge Success
A full report will be coming to the site soon, but in the meantime I want to thank all those Air Force veterans and their families and friends who came along to the Air Force Reunion in Cambridge yesterday. I am told at one point the headcount stood at 75 people! A brilliant turnout, and judging by the reactions of all of those whom i spoke with, it was a well worth while venture.My special tanks go to Bryan Cox who gave an interesting talk on his experiences in the wartime RNZAF, and his associations with other Cambridge airmen. And also to Ross Horton, a currently serving RNZAF Chaplain, who has his own Cambridge connections. Ross conducted a moving and extremely apt dedication ceremony for our new plaque. The memorial plaque is situated beneath a flowering chestnut tree on the square in front of the Town Hall, and it marks the service of all the Cambridge men and women who served in the RNZAF and other Allied Air Forces in the Second World War.
This morning the plaque was officially unveiled by Air Commodore Terry Gardner of the RNZAF and myself, during a short service conducted by local vicar, the Reverend Geoff Crawshaw. This unveiling, as opposed to yesterday's dedication, was part of the official Armistice Day ceremony. Sadly the weather today was very wet at the time, so the service was in the hall, and the hundreds gathered never actually saw the unveiling as we went outdoors to do it, and then returned. But the plaque is now there for all to see, and I am very proud of it. Several times throughout today I looked at it during the Armistice Day events that ran all day, and noticed many people, young and old, stop to read it.
As mentioned, a full report and hopefully photos will be added to the website soon. If anyone who attended wishes to contribute your own comments about the reunion, or you have any queries that arose from it, please feel free to contribute. Also if you have photos, I'd love to see them please. Thank you.
Sunday 7th of November 2004
The Cambridge Air Force Reunion
The reunion is less than a week away and almost everything is on track. We have over 40 people confirmed as coming and others who hope to pop in.We have been fortunate in securing the services of current Royal New Zealand Air Force Chaplain Ross Horton, who's family are from Cambridge, who will be coming down from RNZAF Base Auckland to conduct the dedication ceremony for the plaque which is being laid.
The plaque is to be laid below a specially selected Chestnut tree on Jubilee Park, outside the main entrance of the Cambridge Town Hall. This is a prime central location, and is not only adjacent to the Hall, but also the Cambridge Cenotaph, and will be right next to a similarly dedicated tree which has a memorial to victims of the September 11th, 2001 attacks on New York and the Pentagon in the USA. Our plaque has much more meaning for Cambridge, as it is dedicated to the hundreds from the town who served in the RNZAF, the RAF, the WAAF, the Fleet Air Arm and other Allied Air Forces during the Second World War.
The dedication ceremony will take place during the reunion on the 13th of November, and the following morning it will be officially unveiled in the Armistice Commemorations by a currently serving Air Commodore who represents the RNZAF. This is a very proud moment for me, when I first had the idea of a permanent memorial for all the Airmen and Airwomen of Cambridge, I had no idea it would escalate to this. I am particularly pleased and proud that others agreed with me that it should be dedicated to ALL the air personnel from Cambridge, not just those who lost their lives. They all did their bit, and are in their own right heroes of New Zealand.
Pacific Revisited Campaign
Mr Reg Wellington of Rotorua is attempting to gain support for a campaign to get the New Zealand Government to assist with a veterans tour to the Pacific battlegrounds and the Bourail Memorial. Over pst years the Government has sponsored tours for veterans to return to places such as Monte Cassino in Italy, El Alamein in Africa, the VE Day 50th Anniversary Parade in London, Battle of Britain celebrations in London, etc.
But apparently the veterans who fought in the Pacific, which included RNZAF, Army and Navy personnel in large numbers, have never been given such recognition. It is high time that the NZ Government gave something back to the veterans who endured the Pacific campaigns in order to stop this country being invaded.
Reg hopes to hear from any Pacific veterans who are keen for a return to the Pacific to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Japanese surrender, in August-September 2005.
Lets hope the Government gets behind this idea and does not repeat its shameful actions of the Cassino veterans where private citizens had to raise the airfares and accommodation, etc. For more on this, please see this page with all Reg's details HERE