41 Squadron RNZAF

Motto

KOREO KA OTI

SPEAK AND IT IS DONE

HISTORY

Formed, August 1944
Disbanded, 6 Dec 1977 [at Tengah, Singaore]

CO s

S/L, A. F. H. Tye. RNZAF, August 1944 to September 1944
DFC,

W/C, H. C. Walker. RNZAF, September 1944 to September 1945
DFC Legion Of Merit [US]

W/C, L. H. Parry. RNZAF, September 1945 to June 1947
AFC,

S/L, A. H. Harding. RNZAF, March 1949 to December 1949
OBE, AFC,

S/L, J. C. Murray. RNZAF, December 1949 to November 1951

S/L, R. F. Watson. RNZAF. November 1951 to May 1954
OBE, AFC,

W/C, A. P. Gainsford. RNZAF. May 1954 to December 1954
DSO, OBE, DFC, AFC,

S/L, R. A. Manners. RNZAF, December 1954 to November 1956
MBE, AFC,

S/L, A. S. Tye. RNZAF, November 1956 to January 1957

S/L, G. H. S. Tosland. RNZAF, January 1957 to September 1959

S/L, O. D. Staple. RNZAF, September 1959 to December1961

S/L, B. A. Wood. RNZAF, December 1961 to October 1963
AFC

S/L, R. I. F. Garret. RNZAF, October 1963 to September 1965

S/L, I. A. Hutchins. RNZAF, September 1965 to November 1967

S/L, W, J, Cranfield, RNZAF, November 1967

BASES

Whenuapai, Auckland, NZ August 1944 to May 1955
Changi, Singapore, May 1955 to 1971
Tengah, Singapore 1971 to 6 Dec 1977

AIRCRAFT TYPES

[Ex Ohakea Museum]
Hudson December 1944 to 1946

[Ex Ohakea Museum]
Lodestar December 1944 to 1946

Image Source

D C 3 December 1944 to 1951

Hastings 1952 to Dec 1954

Image Source

Freighters 1952

Image Source

Iroquios 1971 to 1977
1977 to 1989

ROLES

Transport

ROLE OF HONOUR

S/L Tye NZ5905 Cameron Highlands , Borneo
F/O Devescovi
F/O Nelson

While with 41 Sqn DC3 NZ3546 was the Flagship
Sold to NAC and purchased back in 1961/62

Sqn Badge approved and presented 1953

Sqn Colours presented 1972, laid up in RNZAF Chapel Whenuapai

The Squadron was formed at Whenuapai in August 1944, originally, initially equipped with Lockheed Hudsons and Lodestars from No 40 Squadron.

By November the Squadron was flying 10 regular flights between New Zealand and Guadalcanal per week.

During the first half of 1945 the RNZAF gained another 20 Dakotas [DC-3’s, C 47], as they arrived they were used to replace the Hudsons and Lodestars.

By the end of September 1945 a total ofWhenuapaiersonnel, 4,000,000 lb of freight and 1,500.000 lb of mail had been passed through Whenuapai by the Squadron.

After the war, the Squadron assisted No 40 [T] Squadron in returning NZ service personnel to NZ.

A flight of 6 Dakota’s [DC-3’s, C 47] were deployed to Singapore to assist transporting released POW’s and civilian internees back to NZ.

Three crews from the Squadron participated in the Berlin Airlift during 1948 to 1949, they were based at Lubeck, flew 473 sorties, [2 per day] carrying 1,577 ton of coal into Berlin.

They also flew supplies and personnel into the Japanese Occupation Force, from February 1946, Weekly return flights were made until April 1948, when chartered QANTAS aircraft took on the task.

At the time, it was one of the longest air transport routes in the World, with flights going from Whenuapai, Auckland, to Norfolk Island, Borneo , the Philippines and Okinawa to Japan.

After QANTAS took over this route the Squadron was tasked with weekly return flights to Singapore, transporting British recruits for the RNZAF.

In 1949, they were selected as one of 5 Squadrons in the permanent post war RNZAF, at this time only No 41 [T] and No 14 [F] Squadrons were active, the other 3 Squadrons existed as cadres.

In 1948 a temporary Research and Development Flight was established as part of No 41 Squadron, to conduct experimental aerial topdressing flights using Grumman Avenger aircraft.

From 1949 they maintained a flight at Changi Singapore, and in 1955 the whole Squadron moved there, where it participated in the Malaysian Emergency, Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation, and the Vietnam war. They also had detachments in Thailand from 1962 to 1965

The Dakotas [DC-3’s C 47] were replaced by Handley Page Hastings C-3 and Bristol Freighters in the early 1950’s.

During the 1951 Waterfront workers dispute the Squadron personnel were usd to unload ships at both Auckland and Wellington wharves, greatly disrupting flying.

When No 14 [F] Squadron was deployed to Cyprus in mid 1952, the Squadron was tasked with flying the personnel there, using the Hastings aircraft.

When No 40 [T] Squadron was reformed in 1954, the Hastings aircraft were transferred to their command while No 41 [T] Squadron was moved to RAF Station Changi, Singapore, flying Bristol Freighters.

While slow and uncomfortable, these aircraft were very successful in transporting supplies and personnel throughout South East Asia. They established the first scheduled air ambulance service in Malaya. They were also used to drop supplies to Commonwealth forces engaged in the Malayan Emergency.

On 10th December a Freighter, flown by the Squadron Commander S.L A.S. Tye, with F/O Devescovi and F/O Nelson, as crew crashed into the Cameron Highlands region of Malaya, this crash also killed 3 Royal Army Service Corps air dispatchers, and 2 Malayan film makers who were travelling as passengers, a fourth air dispatcher survived.

A detachment was sent to Korat Royal Thai Air Force Base in 1962, as part of the NZ s contribution to the Southeast Asia Treaty Origination [SEATO] force deployed to Thailand to defend the country against a feared attack by communist forces. They returned to Singapore in December 1962.

Shortly after the Squadron provided support for the British Forces attempting to suppress the Brunei Revolt.

Between 1963 to 1965 they were tasked with flying NZ Army Engineers around remote areas of Thailand, by this time the Freighters were well outdated, and known as the slowest military aircraft in the South East Asia.

During the Indonesian-Malaysian confrontation the Squadron supplied Commonwealth forces in Borneo, often flying 3 or 4 sorties a day, On 13th October 1965 a freighter was hit by machine gun fire after an accidental crossing the Indonesian border while carrying out a supply dropping mission, there were no injuries. The detachment returned to Singapore in September 1966.

The RNZAF considered offering a detachment of 4 Freighters as part of NZ’s contribution to the Vietnam War, eventually, it was decided against this option, instead they flew fortnightly flights into Vietnam carrying supplies for the NZ Military units and Medical teams there.

These flights continued after the main NZ forces were withdrawn in 1971, and in 1975 the Squadron established a detachment at Tan Son Nhat International Airport near Saigon to evacuate NZ personnel from the country as the North Vietnam forces rapidly approached.

The last flight was on 21st April 1975, carrying 38 embassy staff and refugees.

From 1971 a flight equipped with Bell UH-1 Iroquois joined the Squadron, the numbers varied, but typically there were 4 in Singapore,

In the mid 1970’s it was considered that the Freighters were well obsolete, and the newer C-130 Hercules and Andover could be rapidly deployed when required, so the Squadron was returned to NZ and disbanded in December 1977.

The Iroquois Helicopters remained in Singapore, being renamed as No 141 Flight to recognize its origins, this flight was returned to NZ in 1989, ending the permanant presence of RNZAF AirCraft in the South East Asia.

with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner