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 AFNOAweb |
Sir Edmund Hillary, WW2 Navigator in RNZAF |
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Posts: 96 (11-Jan-08 23:13) AFNOA Life Member |
Sent to us by "The Irwins"
Thank you! www.timesonline.co.uk/tol...169991.ece Allied long distance recon in Southeast Asia Theater. Catalinas. |
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doubledrift1 |
Sir Edmund Hillary | ||
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Posts: 48 (12-Jan-08 10:04) Moderator |
Great catch 'The Irwins'. I knew Sir Edmund had the keen eyed special qualities of a navigator. Can't wait to inform my USN Naval Aviator friends.
Hillary late in life said his greatest accomplishment was not Mt. Everest, but the building of schools in Nepal. Bill Day HAFB 61-09 |
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AFNOAweb |
Re: Sir Edmund Hillary, WW2 Navigator in RNZAF | ||
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Posts: 96 (14-Jan-08 19:07) AFNOA Life Member |
www.catalina.org.nz/RNZAF%20PBYs.htm Hillary, after he transferred from the ANZAC (Australia New Zealand Army Corps), probably crewed on several of these Catalinas in the RNZAF. In the WW2 period, the British, British Empire, and British Commonwealth Air Forces did all of the antisubmarine patrols and long range recon. In the RAF it was Coastal Command. The Fleet Air Arm of the Navy concentrated on fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers, many of them obsolete biplanes. Coastal Command flew Catalinas and the famous Short Sunderland, both flying boats, and also Lockheed Hudson bombers, which were land based. Among other acft. When I was in London, I got to know a lot of senior folks who had been in Fleet Air Arm and Coastal Command. Jim Irwin JC 52-09 |
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