Guests: Reg Mitchell – No. 488 (NZ) Squadron
Keith Boles DFC – No. 109 Squadron PFF
Harold “Bunny” Burrows – No. 487 (NZ) Squadron, and No. 75 Squadron RNZAF, and
Martial “Sonny” Gaspard – No. 75 Squadron RNZAF

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 2nd of March 2013

Released: 25th of November 2025

Duration:  1 hour  19 minutes 23 seconds

To mark the 85th Anniversary of the first flight of the de Havilland Mosquito, which took place on the 25th of November 1940, Dave Homewood has pulled an old but never before heard interview from his archive he recorded in 2013 with four Kiwi Mossie veterans.

They are pilots Reg Mitchell and Keith Boles DFC, and navigator-wireless operators Harold “Bunny” Burrows and Martial “Sonny” Gaspard. The recording was made at the Museum of Transport and Technology in Auckland, and the guys share memories and tell stories from their days flying one of the greatest aeroplanes of all time. As well as war stories, Keith and Bunny also talk about ferrying Mosquitoes to New Zealand after the war. You will also hear Peter Wheeler ask a question too, as he sat in on the interview.

Sadly these four wonderful gentlemen have all since passed away.

Quick Links:

•  The de Havilland Mosquito on Wikipedia

•  The Museum of Transport and Technology

Above Left: Sonny, Reg and Bunny. Above Right: Sonny and Bunny. In the background is the late Peter Wheeler of the New Zealand Bomber Command Association, who sat in on the interview. Dave Homewood photos.

Music: The tune is the 633 Squadron theme by Ron Goodwin.
Thanks to: The late Peter Wheeler of the NZBCA, and MOTAT.

Guest: Squadron Leader Geoffrey Maurice Rothwell, DFC+Bar, BC Clasp, CDeG1940 + Palme(Bel), COdLeoll + Palme(Bel), LdH (Fra).
RAF 42726, RNZAF. WWII. POW#5865
3 April 1920 to 5 November 2017

Hosts: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 4th of March 2015

Released: 9th of November 2025

Duration:  1 hour  22 minutes 56 seconds

In this Wings Over New Zealand Show episode Dave Homewood interviews the remarkable WWII veteran Geoff Rothwell, in this recording from the archive, recorded a decade ago.

Geoff was an RAF bomber pilot. He joined in July 1939 after working for the construction company that was building RAF Station Benson and watching the Fairey Battles there. He trained on de Havilland Tiger Moths and Avro Ansons, before converting onto the Vickers Wellington. Once training was complete he joined No. 99 Squadron at RAF Newmarket Heath, and flew Wellingtons during the Battle of France and the Battle of Britain.

Following his first tour, Geoff became an instructor on Wellingtons for a period. He was then sent to the USA to do instructing work there in Alabama for RAF trainees who were being trained by American instructors and needed teaching the British methods they’d need when they reached operations. He was also expected to act as an ambassador for the RAF, giving educational talks based on his operational experiences to all sorts of groups in the USA about how the war really was.

When posted back to Britain Geoff was posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron as a Flight Commander, again at Newmarket. He was not there for long however before he was removed from the squadron dure to a policy that Flight Commanders and Squadron Commanders on New Zealand squadrons had to actually be Kiwis.

He took his New Zealand crew, and moved to No. 218 Squadron. They completed their second tour with that squadron.

Geoff’s next posting was to No. 138 (Special Duties) Squadron, tasked with air dropping SOE Agents and supplies for the Resistance people in Europe. He completed 70 operational sorties, but on the 71st he was brought down in his Stirling over enemy territory and became a prisoner of war.

Geoff was also previously featured telling his story in the television documentary series Kiwis At War. He passed away on the 5th of November 2017.

Huge thanks to Stuart Russell for his assistance in rescuing the original recording, which had audio issues that he magically removed.

Quick Links:

• The New Zealand Bomber Command Association

• The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Facebook Page

• The 75 (NZ) Squadron Blog Page on Geoff Rothwell

• Buy the book “Last Man Standing – : Geoffrey Rothwell, Survivor of 71 Missions, POW and Last of the SOE Pilots” by his widow Gabrielle McDonald-Rothwell on Amazon

Photos from The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Archive via the late Peter Wheeler.

The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud

Guests: Air Commodore Nick Osborne

Hosts: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 8th of October 2025

Released: 8th of October 2025

Duration:  1 hour  41 minutes 29 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood interviews Air Commodore Nick Osborne RAAF, known to all as Oz.

Oz is a former fast jet pilot in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, who then transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force in 2002. He talks about training in the NZAI CT/4B Airtrainer and the BAC 187 Strikemaster Mk. 88 jet, before being posted to fly Skyhawks with No. 75 Squadron during a particularly busy period with exercises and other work.

He had a varied career thereafter, including an exchange posting to the RAAF flying Aermacchi 326’s and Pilatus PC-9s, becoming staff at the Central Flying School and a member of the famous Red Checkers aerobatic team, and also instructing on RNZAF Aermacchi MB339CB’s with No. 14 Squadron.

He was made Commanding Officer of No. 2 Squadron at Nowra, NSW, in Australia, on one of the best postings in the RNZAF. He then went to Kosovo in a UN role as a peacekeeper. And at the end of his stint there he was promoted and appointed to become Commanding Officer of No. 75 Squadron which he took up on his return to New Zealand.

He would be the final commander of that famous squadron, and he talks about that period of the RNZAF losing its Strike Wing.

In 2002 Oz transferred to the RAAF, and joined No. 76 Squadron at Williamtown, instructing on Hawks. Over a period of a decade h worked his way up to become C.O. of that unit before heading to Afghanistan in charge of a drone reconnaissance unit.

He finally ended up in non-flying staff roles, and he continues to work for the RAAF now as a Reservist with the rank of Air Commodore.

Quick Links:

•  The No. 75 Squadron Association Facebook Page

•  A previous episode that Nick appeared in briefly, WONZ 120

The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud

Below: The North And South article from February 1987

Below: Don Simms has kindly provided the following photos of Nick’s RNZAF service from his archive:

Guest: Malcolm Laird

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 29th of September 2025

Published: 30th of September 2025

Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes, 48 seconds

Joining Dave Homewood on the Wings Over New Zealand Show this episode is Malcolm Laird of Ventura Publications. Malcolm has spent decades working in aviation publishing and the model aircraft industry, and is one of New Zealand’s most well known model products manufacturers.

His company Ventura Publications produces decal sets as aftermarket add-ons to scale model kitsets. He also researches, writes and and publishes books on aviation topics and Air Force history, often in collaboration with other historians. He has also been a small-run kitset manufacturer, both vacuum formed and injection moulded, through his original company Falcon Models, which is now owned by Tory Martin.

Malcolm discusses all this, and he details his newly released book, Pacific Kittyhawk, which he has co-authored with the eminent RNZAF historian, David Duxbury.

Quick Links:

• Ventura Publications website

• Ventura Publications on Facebook

• NZDF Serials (Part of ADF Serials)

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s Photo Archive Page

Below is a video version of the episode so you can see the books and models Malcolm is discussing:

Below are some examples of the decal instructions, etc., from the Ventura Publications Facebook page:

Check out this video Malcolm made for Brett Green’s Hyperscale site giving a great overview of Pacific Kittyhawk.

The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: John Gaertner

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 14th of September 2025

Published: 14th of September 2025

Duration: 1 hour 27 minutes, 58 seconds

John Gaertner has had a long career and life in aviation, working as a research assistant for the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum, as an airline clerk for TWA, and as the curator of the EAA Museum at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He then went out on his own, rebuilding vintage aeroplanes.

His company, Blue Swallow Aviation, based at Free Union, Virginia, in the United States, has restored five Curtiss Jenny WWI biplanes to flying condition, and parts for many other aircraft, and parts for exhibitions.

Currently he is working on building several Avro 504Ks, one of which is using the remains of the original ex-New Zealand Permanent Air Force Avro 504K known as A201. This aircraft was the first of six Avros commissioned new for the NZPAF that entered service in 1925. It served with the Air Force till 1931, then was sold into private hands and entered the NZ Civil Register as ZK-ACN. It gained the nickname “Joybird”. It flew till the 1st of January 1940, when WWII forced most civil aircraft to stop flying. The remains of A201 ended up eventually with Stuart Tantrum of Blenheim, who was rebuilding A202. The latter was finished and returned to the air by Stuart, by which time it was now owned by The Vintage Aviator Collection. It still flies today at Masterton.

John has been working on A201 for a number of years and he intend to have it flying within the next 15 months. He talks about A201 and the legacy of the Avro 504 as a type, and about his interesting career in this interview.

John says, “It sounds corny but most people would not believe me regarding all the projects I have worked on. Museums, Exhibits, making plane parts, instruments, flying cloths … But its all true. Lots of interests and a desire to learn. Not to mention teach. We never touched on my creating an entire 2 year program of technical high school for Aviation Maintenance Technology. I enjoy projects. Start and a finish. I enjoy a challenge that other people don’t or can’t do.”

Quick Links:

• Blue Swallow Aviation LLC

• Blue Swallow Aviation LLC on Facebook

• John’s Avro 504 Site

• The Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum

• The EAA Museum, Oshkosh

• Classic Aero Machining Services (CAMS) at Omaka, New Zealand

• Classic Aero Machining Services (CAMS) on Facebook

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Mike Murray

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 6th of September 2025

Published: 7th of September 2025

Duration: 2 hour 11 minutes, 57 seconds

Mike Murray is one of the founders of the King’s Cliffe Airfield Museum. RAF King’s Cliffe was a wartime Air Force station in Northamptonshire. It is located 19 kms west of Peterborough, and lies between the villages of King’s Cliffe and Wansford.

Initially used as a night landing ground during WWI, and returned to agriculture between the wars, work commenced to develop King’s Cliffe into a proper airfield in October 1940 as a new satellite to RAF Wittering, which is a permanent station. Kings Cliffe became a fighter station within No. 12 Group, with its first unit being No. 266 (Rhodesia) Squadron, moving in during 1941. They were replaced by No. 616 Squadron at the beginning of 1942, in which were several New Zealanders.

In July 1942, No. 485 (NZ) Squadron moved in to RAF King’s Cliffe, taking over from No. 616 Squadron. This New Zealand squadron was flying Spitfire Vb’s at the time, under the leadership of Squadron Leader Reg Grant. They were part of the Wittering Wing that was commanded by another Kiwi ace, Wing Commander Patrick “Jamie” Jameson.

No. 485 (NZ) Squadron flew convoy patrols, and Rhubarb low level sweeps over France and the Lowland countries from Kings Cliffe. They temporarily moved to Ballyhalbert, in Northern Ireland, in October 1942 to cover the departing convoy that was heading to North Africa for Operation Torch. They then returned to Kings Cliffe and continued operations. In early 1943 the squadron moved down to RAF Westhampnett, at Goodwood.

Numerous other RAF squadrons and units spent time at Kings Cliffe, and the USAAF also moved various fighter squadrons in too. These included the 347th Fighter Squadron with Bell P-400 Airacobras, the 56th Fighter Group with Republic P-47 Thunderbolts, the 20th Fighter Group with North American P-51D Mustangs of the 77th Fighter Squadron and Lockheed Lightnings of the 79th Fighter Squadron.

You can visit the King’s Cliffe Airfield Museum at Wansford Road, King’s Cliffe, Peterborough PE8 6PB, United Kingdom. The museum is open on the second Sunday of every month. See the Facebook link below to see more and to get in touch.

Quick Links:

• The Kings Cliffe Airfield Museum

• The King’s Cliff Airfield Museum’s Fundraiser

Below are more photos from around the museum.

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Matt Wilcock

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 17th of August 2025

Published: 19th of August 2025

Duration: 1 hour 16 minutes, 43 seconds

Matt Wilcock was born and bred in Hamilton, New Zealand, but he moved as a child to Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada. Having a lifelong interest in aviation, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Cadets, where he learned to fly gliders, and then powered aircraft.

He moved back to New Zealand in his 20s and completed his private pilot’s licence at Ardmore Flying School, and a few years later gained his commercial pilot’s licence. His aviation career began as a pilot dropping skydivers at Mercer, before getting a role with Mountain Air, followed by a fill in job with Barrier Air. He then moved to Air Nelson.

After a few years flying the SAAB 340 with Air Nelson, Matt moved to Hong Kong to join CR Airways, which then led to him joining Cathay Pacific. He had a short stint with Fiji Airways, but these days Matt is back based in Hong Kong with the Cathay Pacific. He visits New Zealand often however, on his time off.

Matt got involved with NZ Warbirds around 15 years ago and has had involvement with a number of warbird syndicates, but in 2018 he bought Folland Gnat T.1 XR987, from the USA. This Gnat is a former aircraft of the RAF Yellowjacks team, and then the RAF Red Arrows team for many years. Among many pilots who flew and displayed this aircraft over the years with the RAF was the extraordinary pilot Ray Hanna.

Matt talks all about getting his Gnat to New Zealand, its restoration back to flight by Aero Restorations at Ararimu, his plans for the jet once it is flying, and his own Conversion training to the Gnat in an example at the Heritage Aircraft Trust at St Athan in the UK.

Quick Links:

• The “Gnat In New Zealand” Facebook Group

• NZ Warbirds Association

• Classic Flyers (NZ) Museum

• Heritage Aircraft Trust’s Gnat Display Team, UK

• The Gimli Glider

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Below are photos by Dave Homewood taken on the WONZ Forum visit in July 2025.

A few more from the WONZ Forum visit, taken by Phil Treweek

Guest: Squadron Leader John Barry (Retired)

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 11th of August2025

Published: 13th of August 2025

Duration: 1 hour 1 minutes, 39 seconds

John Barry was born and bred in Wanganui. Upon leaving school he went to the Teacher Training School, and planned on a career as a school teacher. But while he was training as a teacher, he heard that the Royal New Zealand Air Force had Education Officers. He applied and in 1957 he was taken into the RNZAF in that role of the Education Officer, and also spent a lot time as Sporting Officer on various bases he was posted to. He served at Woodbourne, Lauthala Bay and Ohakea, before being posted to RNZAF Station Wigram, at Christchurch.

It was while serving at Wigram in the late 1970s that John found himself given a new role, as the officer in charge of the historical collection that had been started in No. 7 Hangar at Wigram. As time went on, this role developed into the position of Director of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Museum. John oversaw the gathering of aircraft for the burgeoning collection through the late 1970s and early 1980s. Some were straight from RNZAF service and others were recovered from farms as wrecks that would be restored, while others still were swapped from other museums and Air Forces.

The museum also gathered a major collection of documents, parts, ephemera and memorabilia from the Air Force’s past years. An amazing number of volunteer groups sprung up to assist in the mammoth task of creating a world class national museum from scratch. These included the Black Hand Gang, the Geriatric Air Force, the Moth Doctors and the Friends of the RNZAF Museum. John, now 94 and in retirement, looks back on those days fondly.

Quick Links:

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Geriatric Air Force on National Radio’s Roundabout programme from 1987

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Photos from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s collection, with thanks to Matthew O’Sullivan:

Guest: Simon “Kermit” Rea

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 6th of August2025

Published: 7th of August 2025

Duration: 1 hour 24 minutes, 57 seconds

Simon Rea grew up in Hawera, New Zealand, as an aviation enthusiast. When he left school, he did a little bit of flying with the Hawera Aero Club, before he joined the RNZAF as a pilot. He trained at Ohakea on the NZAI CT/4B Airtrainer, and then the Aermacchi MB339CB ‘Macchi’.

He found himself streamed for strike role, and was posted to NAS Nowra, Australia, to join No. 2 Squadron RNZAF to do advanced training on the McDonnell Douglas A-4K Skyhawks.

After a couple of years flying Skyhawks there, the Strike Wing was disbanded in December 2001, and Simon took the opportunity to transfer to the Royal Air Force, along with a number of other ex-RNZAF Skyhawk pilots.

Simon trained up to fly the BAe Harrier GR.7, and eventually ended up on No. 3 Squadron RAF. He deployed to Afghanistan with the squadron as part of Operation Herrick.

The next posting came when Simon was selected to join the RAF Red Arrows aerobatic display team, He flew with this world famous team for three seasons through 2008 to 2010, and got to show his skills all around Britain, Europe and the world.

When he left the team, Simon was posted to the Saudi Hawks aerobatic team in Saudi Arabia, and he spent several years with that team, advising and flying the spare aircraft, and also commentating. He eventually returned to the UK and ended his RAF career in London as a liaison between the UK and Saudi air forces.

It was after 22 years in the RAF that the desire to return to New Zealand was fulfilled, and Simon was able to reenlist with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He now flies as an instructor on the Beechcraft Texan II’s with No. 14 Squadron RNZAF, at Ohakea.

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guests: Sjeord “Chewy” Bakker, Tony “Chipps” Chippendale, Keith “Buck” Harrison, John Lanham, Paul McSweeny, Rene “Red” Redmond.

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 20th of July 2025

Published: 23rd of July 2025

Duration: 1 hour 39 minutes, 21 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood chats with six ex-RNZAF members who were involved in the restoration and operation of the world’s only remaining complete Avro 626, back in the 1980s. It is now 40 years since the Avro returned to the skies.

The Avro 626 was a 1930-designed advanced trainer from Britain. Four examples were purchased in 1934 by the New Zealand government, to replace the obsolete Bristol Fighters and to work alongside the Hawker Tomtits in training aircrew at Wigram. Purchased at the same time as the first twelve Vickers Vildebeests, the two new fleets became the the first new aircraft since the NZPAF had become the RNZAF in 1934.

Described by the press reports in 1935 upon arrival as the “Last Word in Training Machines”. It had multiple roles:
– Dual-control flying instruction.
– Blind and night flying.
– Offensive gunnery, with Vickers gun, or camera gun.
– Defensive gunnery with Vickers, or camera gun.
– Bombing by observer, prone position.
– Bombing by pilot.
– Wireless telegraphy and telephony using two-way radio equipment operating either on short or medium wave-lengths
– Aerial photography and survey work
– Navigation using elaborate navigating gear for the time which includes equipment for night flying.
– Message picking-up.
– Casualty evacuation

The Avro 626s arrived on the 25th of September 1935 aboard the SS Middlesex. They were allocated to ‘A’ Flight of the Flying Training School, RNZAF Station Wigram. NZ201 was the first to fly in New Zealand, on the 4th of October 1935. NZ202, NZ203, and NZ204 were not assembled until early 1936.

The Avros were used to train aircrew of both the regular RNZAF and of the Territorial Air Force. They also appeared at lots of air pageants around the country through the late 1930s. And when the first Wireless Operator-Air Gunner course was held at Wigram in 1939 for TAF aircrew members the Avros were used with the Scarff rings fitted.

As the war progressed the Avros were replaced by the likes of the Harvards and Oxfords, and they took on secondary roles. All four had been retired by mid-1943, with three of them reduced to spares, but NZ203, which had spent part of the war as the Wigram station runabout, was converted in June 1943 to become instructional airframe INST90 with the Hastings Air Training Corps squadron.

Popular belief has always had it that the aircraft was then sold to Jim Frogley of Havelock North in May 1947, but in this interview Red Redmond reveals what really happened there.

Jim Frogley flew it occasionally till he sold it as a derelict airframe to the RNZAF Museum in October 1980. It was trucked in poor condition to RNZAF Base Ohakea, and between November 1981 and July 1985 the Avro 626 was painstakingly restored back to its former glory by a team of skilled staff. Wing Commander John Lanham flew it again for the first time after restoration on the 8th of July 1985.

Some of the key members of the restoration team, the pilot and its last minder at the RNZAF Historic Flight all talk about those days when great things were achieved by highly skilled people.

The music is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Quick Links:

• The Air Force Museum of New Zealand

• The Eventful Years – The Avro 626 NZ203 (ZK-ACP) appears in this 1958 documentary

• The 1937 Shipment Mystery as mention is Solved Here on the Wings Over New Zealand Forum

Below is a video version of this episode with lots of photos from the collection of the Air Force Museum of New Zealand to illustrate the stories.