NZ ARMY AVIATION

AIR OP

(THE BEGINNING)

 

by

Brigadier L.W.Wright, MBE, AOP

 

Introduction

The use of the aeroplane as a highly mobile observer's platform for the observation and direction of artillery fall-of-shot came into it's own in the hilly terrain of Italy during WW2. This was a non-Divisional resource for which CRA, 2 NZ Div, had to rely upon the British RA Corps for Air OP attachments to fill his need. The first of these attachments occurred on 16 November 1943 as the Division advanced towards the Sangro River when B Flight 651 Air OP Squadron came under command CRA 2 NZ Div. The pilots in those Flights were all experienced Royal Artillery officers and their existence in the forward areas brought a new dimension to the enemy's concealment measures which up until then were primarily attuned to hiding  from ground based observation. The Flights were equipped with Auster Mk I aircraft, with a pilot only aircrew, and they operated from short take-off and landing strips located as close to the gun lines as it was possible to build or find them. The last of these attachments, commanded by Capt Charles Chase RA, left 2 NZ Div Arty at Trieste, shortly after the disagreements with Marshal Tito over the occupation of Trieste had been resolved by General Fryberg.

Post World War II

Directly after the war and for some years to follow the New Zealand Army comprised an Infantry Division of three brigades of Regular and Territorial units supported by the Regular manned pre-war District, Area etc organisation of static facilities and services. The order of battle of this Division was based, like 2 NZ Div, on a standard British Infantry Division, but expanded to include many of the normally non-divisional resources that Commander 2 NZ Div found necessary to effectively deploy and manoeuvre his independent Divisional command. Whilst a dedicated Air OP Flight could not be justified it was decided that to provide for this resource selected gunnery officers should be trained as pilots to facilitate the raising of a flight if and when the need arose. Agreement was easily reached between the CGS, Maj Gen N.McD. Weir and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall, A. De. T. Nevill (Both RMC Duntroon graduates) early in 1947 to the effect that the RNZAF would purchase and 'own' some Auster aircraft, maintain them, train the Army pilots and make aircraft available for Army tasks as needed and to be flown on those occasions by army pilots.


The Original Pilots

The inaugural basic, or 'ab initio', Army pilot training course was conducted at the RNZAF Central Flying School, Wigram Air Force Base, Christchurch, from 15 September to 21 November 1947 using DH 82 (Tiger Moth) aircraft. The officers attending Course No 1 were Capt J.F.Spring, Capt R.H.F.Holloway, Lt R.D.P.Hassett and Lt L.W.Wright. The instructors on this course were Flt Lt R.F.Walker, the CFI, who taught Lt Wright, and Flt Lts A.L.Parlane and J. O'Donnell who between them taught the other three. (Safety pilots for cross-country solo exercises were Sqn Ldr M.Milner, the CI Navigation School and Flt Lt R.Jeffs). The Base Commander, Gp Capt F.Dix, took a keen interest in the course and it's activities and he led the student pilots in the '6 pence in the pool' winner buy the drinks competition, on the skeet range every Wednesday afternoon.

On completion of this phase of their training the officers returned to their pre-course postings (for me MA to CGS, Army HQ) and to an allocation of a non-cumulative three hours flying time per month to maintain skills. Pilots were required to undergo check duals at the commencement of each flying session. In my case I had to arrange for an RNZAF check pilot to be available and for the aircraft to be positioned at a very basic Rongotai airfield (subsequently the site of Wellington Airport). My check pilot was Flt Lt D Robins, of Signals Directorate Air HQ, who only got to fly when he flew with me, consequently all flights were duals.

The second 'ab initio' course was held at Wigram early in 1948 and was attended by Capt R.J.H.Webb, Lt R.H.Dyson and Lt R.J.Moor.

The first conversion course from Tigers to Auster aircraft also took place at the RNZAF Central Flying School, Wigram from 12 November to 18 December 1948 and those attending it were Capt Holloway, Lt Wright and Lt Moor. The Instructors were Fl Lt M.S. Gunton and Flt Lt J. Scott. The CFI was a recently arrived RAF Sqn Ldr P.Powell on exchange. For the conduct of this course a grassed area eight hundred by two hundred yards on the north western boundary of the airfield was set aside to provide a short landing and take off strip. One of the segments of qualification tests required pilots to fly accurate 'figures-of-eight' within the strip boundaries at circuit pattern height. Like other tests set, and conducted by the Sqn Ldr, this was demanding to test one's rate four turn and attack evasion skills.

Continuation flying for this group of officers (except for Webb and Hassett whose postings precluded attendance at a 'wings' conversion course and thus further flying) was influenced by their individual duties and their ability to coordinate their 'free' time with the availability of both aircraft and check pilots. As in previous Tiger Moth times, before making each monthly skill maintenance flight the army pilots were required to undergo a check-dual session with a qualified RNZAF pilot before being cleared to fly solo. For a short time after qualification Army pilots were attached to the RNZAF, Auster equipped, Kaiangaroa Forestry Fire Patrol based at Rotorua. This attachment provided the only opportunity for these early pilots to fly daily during their respective brief 'flying careers'. In 1948 a detachment of one Auster, flown by Flt Lt Lloyd Burch, was based at Rongotai for communication and air/sea rescue tasks. Whilst this made monthly flying a little easier to arrange, to find the 'spare time' at Army HQ became more difficult. I stopped in 1951, after some ninety hours flying time.


The Aircraft.

The Austers remained in service until 1965 and I am not aware of the discussions which took place between Army and Air leading up to the decision to replace them. However' I was the Military Attache in Washington, DC, at the time, and I was asked in 1964 by the then DRNZA/AAC, Lt Col J.F.Spring, to investigate the US Army short takeoff and landing fixed wing  aircraft inventory as well as other STOL aircraft on the market. US Army Special Forces were at that time trialling an all metal STOL aircraft at Fort Bragg, where I saw it being tested. Subsequently this aircraft became the most likely option for NZ Army. The Piper Cub was the other option and my investigation of it provided me with my last opportunity for pilot time. I flew it for some thirty minutes out from Washington National Airport, sharing taxiing, runway and landing circuit space with airline DC6s and the like.

Jack Spring visited the States to look more deeply into the all metal craft possibility but not long after his visit, a revised decision was taken in Wellington to replace the Auster with a rotary and not a fixed wing aircraft. The US Army Bell Sioux was decided upon for Air OP use and the NZ Ministry of Defence also decided to purchase the US Army Bell Iroquois utility helicopter for joint Army Air use. As both these aircraft were on the US Army inventory the purchase procedure had to be conducted as a NZ Army purchase made by me as the Military Attaché. There were two versions of the utility Iroquois in US service, the UHI B and UHID. The Air Attaché (Air Cdre A.S.Agar) and I examined both versions. Their respective load capacities were glaringly different. The B Model carried five passengers and a crew of two whilst the D carried nine passengers, a full infantry section and their equipment and a crew of two. In addition the B Model could not be fitted with a hoist which the D Model carried. To us in Washington the only logical choice was the D Model and our respective Army and Air Headquarters were advised accordingly. From informal Wellington sources we in Washington learned, to our joint amazement and disbelief, that the RNZAF HQ opted for the B Model whilst the NZ Army, as we expected, wanted the vastly more useful D model.

In the meantime, fortuitously in retrospect, New Zealand had joined the US in Vietnam and US Secretary of Defence, Mr Robert McNamara, invited the Hon Dean Ayre, NZ Minister of Defence to visit the US as his guest. Among the items Mr Ayre asked to discuss with the Secretary during his visit was the Iroquoi helicopter Models B and D. A briefing was arranged in the Secretary's office suite at the Pentagon and presented by a carefully impartial Col Robert Canham, US Army. At the conclusion of the briefing Mr Ayre asked " Colonel, if you were in my shoes which would you select ?" Canham replied without hesitation "The D model Sir". Mr Ayre turned to Agar and to me and said "That's it". The decision was taken, the saga ended, we advised Wellington and in due course, I set the wheels in motion to obtain five Iroquois UH ID and three Sioux. With our Vietnam participant status the ANZUS Treaty arrangements came alive and we received preferential fast track delivery treatment with the first of the Iroquois being loaded on the delivery flight of the first RNZAF C130's early in 1965.