Airfields and Stations in New Zealand Used By the RNZAF, Part 26.

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Waimakariri

The airfield had been selected by F/O Arthur Bradshaw of the Aerodrome Services Branch
of Air Department.

Opened in 1942

Closed in 1945

Not developed into a “permanent Station”

A landing field used by trainee pilots from No 3 Elementary Flying Training School
and Harewood.

Used for practicing “touch and go landings”

No known units Stationed there

Eyreton [ Harris Field ]

Selected in 1942 by F/O Arthur Bradshaw from the Aerodrome Services Branch of Air Department.
But it was held in reserve and not developed.

No known units Stationed there

Christchurch Central

Opened in 1940

Closed in 1945

Various units were housed in the Central City in Requisitioned or Rented Buildings

The Recruiting Office remained in the City Centre until the 1960’ before it moved to Wigram

Units known to have been Stationed there

No 3 Stores Depot

Was established in Requisitioned or Rented Buildings within the City Centre for a short time,
until the purpose built RNZAF Station Weedons was constructed 11 Miles out of the City on the
Southern route.

No 3 Repair Depot

Workshops were created in the City Centre by taking over Garages etc, in a similar pattern to
No 1 Repair Depot at Hamilton.
They later moved to RNZAF Station Harewood

Recruitment Center

One of the largest Recruitment Centers was located at High Street, Christchurch.

RNZAF Addington

Opened in late 1939

Closed in September 1940

"The expansion of the RNZAF immediately before the war was so rapid that the Technical
Training School at Hobsonville could not train sufficient fitters and riggers for the service.

It was therefore decided that a number of airmen should be trained in the railway workshops at
Otahuhu, Hutt, Addington, and Hillside.

Previously it had been planned that a number of the workshops apprentices should be given a
course in Air Force trades at the conclusion of their Railways training.

On completing their course the trainees were to be posted to the Civil Reserve and were liable to join
the Air Force in the event of war.

The two schemes were combined, and technical training centres were opened in each of the railway
workshops.

The first to begin training was at Hutt, in July 1939. The others received their first intakes shortly after
the war began.

The scheme continued until September 1940, when the increased facilities for technical training within
the RNZAF made it possible to close the technical training centers.

During their period of operation the centers trained a total of 595 flight riggers and flight mechanics."

Info From

Units known to have been Stationed there

No 3 Technical Training Centre

Training the Airframe and Engine tradesmen early in the War.

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RNZAF Wigram

Opened 1923

Closed 1995 [closing Parade 14th September 1995

Named after Sir Henry WIGRAM.

Originally called Sockburn, it was founded by Wigram and a group of Supporters on
20th September 1916.

A private Flying Training School was set up to train pilots for the Royal Flying Corps in WW 1.

The students paid a deposit of 5 pounds, and a fee of 100 pounds, to get trained to the Royal
Aero Club Certificate level, which was required to join the Royal Flying Corps.

The test was
3 figure of 8’s,
Taking off and landing on a mark,
An Altitude test and
A gliding test.

The examiner, Lt Col Sleeman, watched from the ground as the tests were performed.

The first flight was by the instructor, Cecil M Hill on 7th May 1917, 182 pilots were trained by 1919.

Sir Henry Wigram kept the airfield going until 1923, when it was taken over/sold to the Government
of the day for 31,012 pounds.

The airfield was renamed Wigram in his honour on 14th May 1923

Wigram continued to support the airfield and in 1932 gifted a further 81 acres of ground to
expand the airfield.

In 1932 he also donated 2,500 pound for the purchase of a Gloster Grebe Fighter, for the defence
of the country.

The airfield was the landing point of Charles Kingsford-Smith’s “Southern Cross”, on 10th September 1927.

The first Trans-Tasman flight.

During the 1920’s and 30’s, unemployed labour was used by the Public Works Scheme to improve the
Airfield, ready for the projected increase of the RNZAF.

Initially used for training Pilots and Aircraft Mechanics, a Photo School was also established to train future photographers.

At one point the Station had
427 buildings, [including 159 houses and 5 flats]
22 Miles [35.4 Km] of roads,
40 Acres [16.168 Ha] of lawn and gardens
Playing fields and 6 tennis courts
25 foot [7.6m] Swimming Pool,
A miniature Rifle Range
Hobbies Club
Gymnasium
A Wet and a Dry Canteen
A Cinema
A Dance Hall
A Post Office and
A Hospital

On 15th October 1953, the then, worst air accident in NZ when two Devons collided above Wigram,
resulting in the loss of 7 lives.

The Museum was opened on 1st April 1987

The airfield was given to Ngai Tahu as part of a Treaty Settlement who closed the airfield to all flying
on 28th February 2009

A new housing development has been built with a shopping complex that uses the old main runway
as the main street, aptly called “The Runway”, the other street names having an aviation, flight or Sky theme.

The Control Tower and Hangers are Heritage Protected Buildings.

CO
A C George Stacy HODSON April 1938 to June 1942
CBE, AFC CdeG[Belgium], RAF,

G/C Keith Caldwell June 1942 to November 1944
While also C O No 2 SFTS

G/C Cyril Kay November 1944 to March 1946

Units known to have been Stationed there

No 1 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, this was the first Operational Unit in the RNZAF

No 3 [Christchurch] Squadron

This had been No 3 Territorial Squadron, became Permanent on the outbreak of War.

The Squadron flew Blackburn Baffins until February 1940, when it was disbanded and half of
the personnel were posted to the NZ General Reconnaissance Squadron at Whenuapai.

The CO [S/L Geoffrey Roberts] of the Squadron became the CO of the newly formed Squadron.

The remained of the personnel were absorbed into other units at Wigram and elsewhere.

No 22 Fighter Squadron

The Squadron was based at Wigram from January 1943

No 1 Electrical and Wireless School

A ground Training school for Wireless operators and Electrical Technicians, this developed into
No 2 Technical Training School after the War

No 2 Technical Training School

A ground training School for training all the Avionic Tradesmen.

At the end of the war, the School moved from Harewood to Wigram
and closed in 1993. with the wind down/ closure of the Station

No 1 Flying Training School

Flying Baffins, Vildebeests, became No 1 SFTS

No 1 Service Flying Training School [Advanced]

Flying Airspeed Oxfords

No 1 Service Flying Training Squadron [ Initial]

Flying Airspeed Oxfords

No 3 RD

Was formed from the Wigram units, the airframe repair shop moved from Wigram to Harewood
in Dec 1942, the engine repair shop and general engineering section operated out of buildings
taken over in Christchurch, in early 1943.

Unit 19

A Maintenance Unit servicing the Aircraft on the Station

Administrative Training School

Training personnel in the Stores Accounting, Pay Accounting, General Duties, and Assistant
Equipment Clerks.

Established in October 1939, this became No 3 Technical Training School after the war, and
continued until the mid 1990’s.

Now, the home of the RNZAF Museum.

Wigram Racing Circuit

Started in 1949, a 2 mile [3km] long racing track around the perimeter and the main runway,
considered to be the oldest race track in NZ.

The first “Lady Wigram Trophy” race was held on 26th February 1949, and won by Morrie Proctor
of Wellington

RNZAF HAREWOOD

Opened 15th May 1940

Training began in August 1940

Closed

The first course was 30 Student Pilots

Today, Harewood International is the second busiest airfield [after Manakau, Auckland]

C O Station

W/C Sir Robert Hamilton Clark-Hall 17th June 40 to 22nd April 43
KBE, CMG, DSO, Legion of Honour [Fr] MID

W/C W Gordon Coull 26th April 43 to 26th March 44

W/C E A A Moen 27th March 44 to 21st March 45
AFC
W/C Roy Douglas Max 21st March 45 to September 45
DSO, DFC, CdeG [Fr]

Units known to have been Stationed there

No 1 Ground Training Unit

No 1 Service Flying Training School [Advanced Training School]

Temporarily attached here

No 3 Elementary Flying Training School

Flying Tiger Moths, established in August 40 to train new Pilots.

This became one of the largest Flying Schools when, after No 2 EFTS was closed at Ashburton
in October 44, the instructors and aircraft were absorbed into this School.

No 3 [General Reconnaissance] Squadron

Flying Blackburn Baffins, Vickers Vincents and Vildebeests initially and later Lockheed Hudsons,
patrolling the Canterbury Region and Seaways

No 3 Anti-Aircraft Co-Operation Flight

No 3 Electrical and Wireless Training Squadron

No 311 Electrical and Wireless Squadron

This was a School for Wireless Repair engineers, Wireless operators, and all manner of other
instrument mechanics etc to be taught their Trade.

This became No 2 Trade Training School after the war, moved back to Wigram and was closed
when the Station closed in 1993

No 3 RD was formed from the Wigram units, the airframe repair shop moved from Wigram to
Harewood in Dec 1942, the engine repair shop and general engineering section operated out of
buildings taken over in Christchurch, in early 1943.

Unit 13

A maintenance unit for the Aircraft

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