Flight engineers

Date: 26 Nov 2003

From: MOTAT: Aviation memories oral history project

By: Hall, William Desmond, 1924-

Reference: OHInt-0767-06

Description: Interview with Des Curtis, born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire in 1924. Talks about his family and how he joined the Royal Air Force in November 1942 where he volunteered to be a flight engineer. Refers to initial air crew training at Whitley Bay, north of Newcastle, and later training to be a Lancaster flight engineer at Saint Athan, Wales. Mentions the physical side of the training to make them strong to handle difficult situations in big flying suits with parachutes. Refers to attending Lancaster finishing school and then being stationed with the No 463 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force at Waddington. Comments on having a number of very long trips in the later years of the war, including flights to the Baltic coast and to Norway. Refers to raids on German cities and the German defences. Talks about the roles of crew members, wearing oxygen masks all the time, and conditions in the planes. Comments on coming home in damaged aircraft and emergency landing airfields in eastern England. Mentions survival, the numbers of air crew who died or were mutilated during the war, and morale fluctuating. Discusses staying in the Air Force after the war, transferring to a ground job doing aerial survey work at Benson. Talks about his wife's sister having married a New Zealander, and following them to New Zealand where he worked first for Wright Stevenson, and then served six years as a detective in the New Zealand Police. Refers to working on the restoration of a Lancaster at MOTAT from 1986. Abstracted by - Zemina Irani Arrangement: Tape numbers - OHC-014160 Quantity: 1 C60 cassette(s). 1 printed abstract(s). 1 Electronic document(s) (39 Kilobytes). 1 digital photograph(s) (718 Kilobytes, jpeg). 1 interview(s). 1 Hours Duration. Finding Aids: Abstract Available - abstracting complete OHA-5121, OHDL-000230. Digital photograph of Des Hall in front of Bomber Command display at Sir Keith Park Memorial hangar, Museum of Transport Technology & Social History, 2003 (MOTAT photograph) Search dates: 1924 - 1939 - 2003 - 1945

Date: 21 February 2006

From: Body, Guy Keverne, 1967-:Original cartoons. 1986-2011

Reference: A-453-088

Description: Shows a Air New Zealand engineer holding up one hand in frustration at an Air New Zealand official who is wheeling away one of the turbines, which he has removed from the aircraft. Refers to the Engineers dispute with Air New Zealand. Inscriptions: Recto - centre right - 186mm x 133 22 CARTOON Pls scan, correct & send to PIX ON HAND [in pencil] Quantity: 1 original cartoon(s). Physical Description: Ink and felt-tip pen on paper, 300 x 420mm

Date: 8 Mar 1946

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-01469-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches

Date: 1945

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-01202-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches

Date: 8 Mar 1946

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-01479-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches

Date: Jan 1946

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-01315-G

Description: photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches

Date: 11 Oct 1953

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-33770-F

Description: Mr S R Jones, Service Department Rolls Royce and George Bolt OBE, Chief Engineer TEAL, inspecting the Rolls Royce Dart turbo prop. Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: 11 Oct 1953

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-33771-F

Description: Mr S R Jones, Service Department Rolls Royce and George Bolt, OBE, Chief Engineer TEAL inspecting the Rolls Royce Dart turbo prop. Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: Jul 1947

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-08682-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: Aug 1948

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-15667-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: 10 Aug 1948

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-15024-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: 1948

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-13924-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, 1/2 plate

Date: Oct 1947

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-09678-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches

Date: 16 Oct 1947

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-09704-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 4.75 x 6.5 inches

Date: 2006

From: Body, Guy Keverne, 1967-: Digital cartoons published in New Zealand Herald

Reference: DCDL-0013099

Description: Shows a Air New Zealand engineer holding up one hand in frustration at a Air New Zealand official who is wheeling away one of the turbines, which he has removed from the aircraft. Refers to the Engineers dispute with Air New Zealand. Quantity: 1 digital cartoon(s).

Date: [ca 1943]

From: Raine, William Hall, 1892-1955 :Negatives of New Zealand towns and scenery, and Fiji

Reference: PAColl-5933-07

Description: George Bruce Bolt, circa 1943. Photograph taken by William Hall Raine. Quantity: 1 b&w original photographic print(s). Physical Description: Silver gelatin print

Date: 1948

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-13833-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, 1/2 plate

Date: 10 Aug 1948

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-15023-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, ¼ plate

Date: 12 Dec 1947

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-11571-F

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation at the visit of the QANTAS VH-EAD Charles Kingsford Smith Constellation to Ohakea, Dec 1947. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Cellulosic film negative, 1/2 plate

Date: 20 Oct 1947

From: Whites Aviation Ltd: Photographs

Reference: WA-09769-G

Description: Photograph taken by Whites Aviation. Quantity: 1 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Glass negative, 3.25 x 4.25 inches