Hi Andrew,
Sure does. Almost as mysterious as flight 19 off Fort Lauderdale or the lost squadron in the Greenland ice pack. By the way I had the opportunity to visit your country in 1996. I spent some time in Taranaki before travelling for 2 weeks around the south Island. I visited the wanaka airstrip and was amazed that they had a bf 110 there which was going to be restored and also a centre section of a ju 87 stuka. It would be something else if those corsairs turned up.
regards,
Michael Coughlan.
-----Original Message-----Hi Mike.
From: Andrew Gregory [mailto:ac_gregory@...]
Sent: 24 August 2003 02:01
To: Whitley_project@...
Subject: [Whitley_project] Re: Whitley excavation
I was a Documentary researcher back home, so the story of the missing
sqdn was for a television series.
In 1944, four RNZAF pilots were on leave from the Pacific War, flying
F4U Vought Corsairs. Despite orders to fly directly from Ohakea to
Wigram, thus avoiding the Southern Alps and possible bad weather, the
four pilots detoured.
The detour took them over their hometown where they took the
opportunity to do some stunting above their homes. The four reformed
up and began to cross the Southern Alps.
During this league of the trip from Westport to Christchurch over the
Alps, only one of the four fighters made to base. The Alps are
treacherous for unpredictable down-drafts and this was the cause
attributed to the disappearance after an extensive air and land
search failed to find anything.
Fifty years later helicopter pilots (who are able to access this
remote region) have claimed to see metal wreckage coloured US-Navy
blue. A fuel tank covering has also been found (but later
discredited.) Our documentary followed one mans search for the
missing three, and narrowed the area they are thought to have gone
down in.
(Incidentally I lived next door to the former RNZAF pilot who knew
the survivor.)
But to this date the missing three fighters and their pilots are
still waiting to be found by some unsuspecting hunter or aviation
archaeologist. The story remains one of New Zealand's longest
aviation mysteries.
Hope this satisfies your curiosity.
Andrew
--- In Whitley_project@..., "Michael Coughlan"
<mikecoughlan@e...> wrote:
> Hi Andrew,
>
> Good to hear from you. What do you mean a missing squadron?
>
> regards,
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