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Re: Sunderland in the Chatham Islands

Posted by Denys Jones on Thu Jan 10, 2002 01:54:31 AM

In reply top Re: Sunderland in the Chatham Islands posted by david J burke on Wed Jan 09, 2002 03:01:17 PM

This is not Howe Island that is miles north of here (I'm in Christchurch) and the Chathams are some 700-800km east of here ( they're first inhabitted place to see the sun each day).

The RNZAF Museum have looked at the prospect of retrieving the aircraft for rebuild. W/Cdr Dave Provan showed me pix of the bits scattered about, as basically it has been carved up into bits for various uses but essentially all the parts of the jigsaw are still there.

Basically as a proof exercise they brought back the absolutely mint nose turret and the deck behind it to the windscreen. These were in a temporary display for a couple of years.

When the a/c crashed the turret was still complete as a gun turret but later in the Sundies' RNZAF service they were gutted and turned into oberservation stations so this is the only original one left. It had been kept inside by one of the locals so is a gem.

At the RNZAF Museum store at Weedons base (a few kms out of the city) they have a variety of Sunderland parts including a number of other turret cases. Some of these parts came from a big scrap yard here in the city which was still active when I first started rummaging in it in the early 1970s. Some are as large as wing floats. Other parts came from NZ4112 which MoTaT reduced to scrap at Hobsonville after salvaging as much as they could store which they held for some years before on-passing it. (NZ4112 was the mate to Kermit's in as much as it was bought as a spares donor when his initially went to Aussie. Then the carcase went to the RNZAF Hobsonville Base Yatch Club but when it got ratty and tatty the Base CO ordered it cut up and MoTaT stepped in. It's cockpit and front turret section are now at Ferrymead.)

I've discussed the recovery from the Chathams with Dave Provan and while he's keen on it a suitable vessel is the problem. The opportunity presents itself now as a large sea-going barge is laid up in the port here with its tug awaiting sale...who knows if they'll get their act together?

cheers

: The article was in FlyPast with various pictures taken of
: parts of the Sunderland in use around the island.

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