This episode was recorded live in front of an audience in the Fly DC3 hangar at Ardmore Airport, Auckland, and is the first recording from the WONZ Christmas Party. The speaker is Allan Emett, who trained as a fighter pilot during WWII with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He flew two operational tours in the Pacific forward area, the first with No. 19 (Fighter) Squadron and the second with No. 26 (Fighter) Squadron.
Allan had several photos and logbook pages projected on a big screen for this talk and he was assisted in remembering certain parts of the story by his son Brent.
Due to the nature of the live venue and the sound system the recording is not exactly crystal clear, so headphones would be recommended when listening.
Allan Emett (Photo Stuart Russell) Allan Emett (Photo Stuart Russell)Allan in full flying kit during his Elementary Flying Training School days at Harewood (Allan Emett Collection)Alan’s No. 3 EFTS course (Allan Emett Collection)Allan’s course at No. 2 SFTS, Woodbourne (Allan Emett Collection)The Airspeed Oxford that Allan was onboard that crashed at Woodbourne (Allan Emett Collection)Allan’s ‘Wings’ photo (Allan Emett Collection)Allan’s course at No. 2 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at Ohakea (Allan Emett Collection)Allan’s logbook page with his first solo on the P-40 (Allan Emett Collection)A list of P-40’s that Allan flew at Ohakea (Allan Emett Collection)Final P-40 flights page (Allan Emett Collection)The last P-40 Allan flew was NZ3220 “Gloria Lyons” as seen in this photo (Allan Emett Collection)Onto the Corsair at Ardmore (Allan Emett Collection)An extract from the No. 19 (F) Squadron DiaryA pilot’s strip map of Emirau (Allan Emett Collection)An RNZAF Corsair landing in wet conditions at Emirau (Allan Emett Collection)Accommodation at Emirau was in canvas tents (Allan Emett Collection)Allan, left, outside his tent (Allan Emett Collection)Another extract from the No. 19 Squadron DiaryBeside a Corsair (Allan Emett Collection)Corsair (Allan Emett Collection)An RNZAF strip map showing Emirau on the top left and New Ireland on the right with the Kavieng area where so many patrols were made. The Kavieng area is blown up in the right hand map.Coming home with No. 19 Squadron and joining No. 26 Squadron (Allan Emett Collection)No. 26 Squadron’s emblem (Allan Emett Collection)No. 26 Squadron RNZAF (Allan Emett Collection)One of the natives at Bougainville who would appear in the camp and disappear again like ghosts (Allan Emett Collection)Bougainville where No. 26 Squadron was based at Torokina, on the northern end of Empress Augusta Bay Corsairs at Torokina. Allan flew all of these aeroplanes at one time or another (Allan Emett Collection)A briefing for three Corsair squadronsAnother view of the briefingBougainville operations (Allan Emett Collection)Bougainville operations (Allan Emett Collection)A Corsair that caught fire just after landing (Allan Emett Collection)Bougainville operations (Allan Emett Collection) No. 26 (Fighter) Squadron back at ArdmoreAllan Emett during the talk, with his granddaughter Catherine and son Brent behind him (Photo Dave Homewood)Allan with a Curtiss P-40E Kittyhawk under restoration at Pioneer Aero Restorations Ltd (Photo Dave Homewood)
Note: The music at the end is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud
1 comment to WONZ 195 – WONZ Christmas Party: Allan Emett
Fantastic Allan, thank you for your wealth of memories and information for us enthusiasts and the generations to come, i was at Ardmore that day you were there, thank you again for your service mate, kia kaha lest we forget
Fantastic Allan, thank you for your wealth of memories and information for us enthusiasts and the generations to come, i was at Ardmore that day you were there, thank you again for your service mate, kia kaha lest we forget