Sam West

Following Pass-out from RAF Halton I was posted to RAF St Athan with the other New Zealanders where we worked at 32 MU on the overhaul and repair of Meteor Aircraft. After 6 months I went to RAF Oakington to do 1st and 2nd line servicing on Vampire aircraft. We returned to New Zealand in 1955 where I was posted to RNZAF Station Whenuapai in July. Here I worked on Hastings, Bristol Freighter, and the station Harvard and Devon aircraft and with all the resident Squadrons, where we did flight line, 1st, 2nd and 3rd line servicing. Also in the Airframe Bays as N.C.O. i/c of Hydraulic and Pneumatic and Wheels and Tyres. With the arrival of D.C.6 aircraft I did courses on these and serviced them, including Detachments at Darwin during the NZ army changeover of battalions in Singapore. Following the arrival of the Orion and Hercules aircraft in 1965 and a short time working on them, I was posted to RNZAF Station Woodbourne on maintenance of the Devon and Vampire aircraft held in storage there. During this period I wrote preliminary Airframe Publications on procedures for the storage of these aircraft. I also did civilian course for Foremanship and Supervision and a Safety Supervisor's Course. In late 1955 I cross-trained to Basic Engine trade for Helicopter Maintenance.

Early in 1956 I was again posted; this time to RNZAF Station Hobsonville to No 3 Squadron which operated all the Helicopters for the New Zealand Armed services. Initially working on Sioux and Iroquois I was posted to train on the RNZN Wasp helicopters. This meant being attached to the RNZN. We had to do some courses with them, which entailed Damage Control and Anti‑Nuclear and Biological training at the Naval Base.

After posting to the U.K in June of 1966 we did Airframe and Engine courses with Westland and Rolls Royce and Safety Equipment, Corrosion Control, Ordinance, and Small Ships Handling of the Wasp with various Royal Navy and F.A.A. Units.

I was posted to HMNZS Waikato in Sept. and the Flight attended the Commissioning in Belfast and then formed a Flight at Portland to work up as a unit before joining the ship as an integral part of the company in Jan. 1967. As you can probably imagine this did provide some difficulties, but once the workup was completed and the ship was operational, in general, both the air force and navy crew members got on very well and firm friendships made by most. Waikato returned to New Zealand by way of the Azores, Panama, San Diego, Hawaii and Samoa, reaching N.Z 12 months after I had left. After brief leave periods, day running to show off the new ship, “Auck. Ex”, “Long Ex”, and a quick N.Z. cruise the Waikato left for an 11month tour of the Far East where we visited a number of exotic places. Following the return to N.Z. I was posted to Hobsonville where I was with the Ashore Wasp Flight but also worked with the other helicopters and did some detachments with them around the country. Late 1969 saw me again attached to Waikato when we experienced a fire in the engine room in the middle of an exercise, which saw us detached to a fleet tanker. After repairs the Waikato did another 11month detachment to the Far East via Hawaii and other exotic places. We returned to New Zealand towards the end of 1970 and although I remained on Waikato Flight most of my time was spent at Hobsonville doing short detachments on either Navy or other 3 Sqdn. tasks. My last trip on Waikato was briefly to Australia while I changed with and trained a new Senior Maintenance Rating to take my place. After a further spell with 3 Sqdn., I was posted to Whenuapai as NCO i/c Aircraft Structural Integrity Section where I was in charge of Aircraft Washes, Corrosion Control Inspections, and Fuel Tank Inspections.

I finally took my discharge from the air force in Jan 1975 when I was i/c the Airframe bays on station.

Probably my best time in the service was when I was attached to the Navy as it allowed me to do both administration and practical work.

Following my departure from the air force I worked at Air New Zealand for 15 years in the Engine Overhaul Section, initially with overhauls on Bristol Hercules engines, then CF 6 engines and finally Rolls Royce RB211.

Having had enough of the rat race of the big city and because the family lived in other places, Doris and I decided to move to Taranaki where I was originally from. After a time I went to work in a factory producing garden tools and stayed there until I took final retirement in 1999.

I had first met my wife Doris at the Coronation in 1953 and in 1957 she came out to New Zealand where we married.

We have three daughters and seven grandchildren of whom we are very proud and we consider ourselves very fortunate with our life. We manage to fill in our time with a number of activities, which include helping with Lions Club, Care and Craft Club and other such groups. In fact, as many probably know, in retirement, time is a scarce factor.

NEW ZEALAND

68th ENTRY AIRCRAFT APPRENTICES

Following the end of WW II and the discharge of many wartime personnel who returned to civilian life, the Royal New Zealand Air Force approached the fifties with a view to modernising their aircraft and which called for a higher degree of skill and specialist knowledge. These aircraft were to begin arriving in early 1951 and included, D.H. Vampire, D.H. Devon, Bristol 170 Freighters, Handley Page Hastings, and Sunderland flying boats. With this in mind they called for applications, which closed on 31st Oct 1950, for youths between the ages of 16 and 17 on Feb 1^st 1951, for training in the U.K. as Aircraft Apprentices for the RNZAF.

With over 200 applications received, preliminary interviews, aptitude tests, educational exams and medical examinations were carried out to reduce these to 28 candidates for final interviews which were carried out in Wellington in early December. From these a final 15 were selected. These were:

As Radio Apprentices G. Barnard (Christchurch), C.K. Smith (Hikurangi), D.A. Carter (Opotiki).

As Engine Apprentice; W.H. Howell (Lower Hutt), R.E.Thomas (Hastings), J.M.McLean (Dunedin), A.L.Lawless (Wellington), D.G.Eves (Waikari, Nth Canterbury).

As Armament Apprentice; H R Holland ( Woodbourne)

As Airframe Apprentice; S.N.West (Hawera), R.C.Oliver (Wanganui), C.A.Shaw (Hastings), D.I.Lamason (Wellington).

As Electrical Apprentice; V. G. Pratt (Auckland).

As Instrument Apprentice; T.E. Enright (Timaru).

Photo: Final Selection Group Air Dept. Wellington December 1950

Offers of regular engagement in the RNZAF were sent out to the successful applicants by the recruiting section on the 18th Dec. and movement instructions went out on 20th Dec 1950. These instructed the recruits to present themselves for duty at the Recruit Training School, RNZAF Wigram, on the 17th Jan. 1951.

On our arrival there we were rapidly brought into the realms of service life. We were inducted and documented, including the issue of passports and necessary inoculations and vaccinations required for our trip to the U.K. and issued with the basic uniforms required for our service.

We were given basic foot and arms drill, P.T. and the fundamentals of service history etc. along with the usual kit and I.E. inspections. This initial training period was for only three weeks so we did find it rather hectic, but by getting stuck-in the time rapidly passed and our training officers and NCO's helped us considerably and I think appreciated our efforts to succeed. There were moments to remember though. One was when an inoculation, a double banger, had us all, but one, bedridden for a short time. I think “Dutch” was the one to resist it and for his pains had to do meal orderly and get us all our food. The other occasions I remember was one night during I.E., our GSI, Flt/Sgt Eves (no relation to Graeme) asked if we would like fish and chips and then offered to go and get them for us. We did pay for them ourselves though. Another night when we had work to complete he had another group do our I.E. for us. It was during this time that we unfortunately lost G Barnard from our group as he was found medically unfit. It was a great disappointment for him.

We left RNZAF Wigram on 8th Feb to commence Embarkation Leave and we had to report to Wellington on 16th Feb to begin our trip to U.K.

Photo Prior to departure to U.K. (Absent T.E. Enright)

We sailed from Wellington on M.V. Rangitata on 17th Feb 1951. Our group was under the watchful eye of F/0 Pete Lumley who was to do an Engineering course at R.A.F. College Henlow. Also with our party were three Officer Cadets, R.M.Hancock, Ron Chippindale and Graham Brown, who were to train at Cranwell. Apart from a daily parade in uniform to check we were OK, we were mainly left to our own routine on the understanding that we were to be well behaved.

The days were mainly filled with the usual shipboard activities like Quoits, Deck Tennis, Shovelboard, or reading. We did have some competition with a party of professional Speedway riders, including Ronnie Moore, Trevor Redmond and others, who were going to England to further their careers. Initially they had us at a disadvantage, as they had water pistols while we had to make do with what we could find, but after we purchased some in Panama the contest became more even. However some firm friendships were made and many of us visited them at their clubs and followed their careers during our time in England

Our voyage took us to Pitcairn Island where the locals came out in small boats to sell their fruit and souvenirs. Then it was on past the Galapagos Islands to Panama and through the Canal. A brief stop there and then on to Curacao for a few hours ashore and finally on to Southampton where we arrived on March 20th, where we were met by S/L Furlong and F/L Free from RNZAF Headquarters Staff at New Zealand House. We travelled up to London to New Zealand House where we welcomed by Bill Jordan the New Zealand High Commissioner.

Photo taken at New Zealand House after our arrival.

Included are F/0 Lumley Air Commodore Kay, Bill Jordan and S/L Furlong, and the three Officer Cadets.

For those of us with no immediate family in the U.K, our welfare and guardianship was under the RNZAF at New Zealand House. This was initially S/L Furlong but all staff there really looked after us and I know that S/L Furlong, Air Com. Kay and Bill Jordan, all wrote to my mother and I'm sure all other Apprentice’s families as well. All had some personal facts mentioned so some thought went into allaying any fears the families may have had with their young ones so far away. From London we moved on to R.A.F. Halton where we were accommodated in No 3 Wing.

Our arrival coincided with the Easter break for the school, so a programme of visits to places of interest and educational value was arranged for us. Some of the places visited were the Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, St Paul’s, Madame Tussards, Whipsnade Zoo, RAF Abingdon and RAF Benson, Vickers (Weybridge), Vauxhall Motors(Luton), and the Oxford Cambridge Boat Race where Dutch Holland ripped his greatcoat climbing a fence alongside the Thames. The days were generally spent with a very early breakfast, a packed lunch, and then off on our travels under the control of P/O Jordan, who had previously been held captive by the Russians after force-landing his Vampire in East Germany.

We were usually back late for a delayed meal in the Mess at Halton, which I’m sure, didn't make us the most popular of people with the kitchen staff there.

When the apprentices returned from leave there was a sports day held and I remember that as we had 14 Kiwis we were required to front up with two 7 a‑side rugby teams even though several did not play rugby. Before the match we were all required to have a service haircut, and the first seven finished were the “A” team, and the next seven made up the B’s However, I think it was fun. After this we were split into our various trades and joined our respective wings where I believe we all fitted in well. We mixed with the other members of our Entry and many lifelong friendships were formed, and leave periods were spent all around the country with them and their families. Our time spent as apprentices was the same as all apprentices. Whenever a group get together the same stories come out of their pranks and experiences and regardless of the Entry all have a similar vein although we do have some individual memories which are all our own. These I am sure are covered in this book.

Following our pass-out as L.A.C's (we did not have the Technician trades in the RNZAF), we New Zealanders did a one-year improver service with the RAF. These meant that most of us went to RAF St Athan in South Wales to spend six months at 32 M.U. with many of our 68th Entry friends. Following this we were split up with some going to either RAF Abingdon on Hastings, RAF Oakington on Vampires, or RAF Pembroke Dock on Sunderlands. This one-year improver service was discontinued for later New Zealand entries. On the 15th April 1955 we left for our return to New Zealand on the M.V. Rangitiki, a reverse of our original voyage in 195 1. We reached Wellington on May 20^th, disembarking next morning, and after a period of leave we returned to RNZAF Station Wigram for a short NCO course before posting to our respective Stations for duty.

I hope we will have a brief history of each Kiwi on their later years to add to this history of the Entry.