Guest: William Albert “Bill” Hilder, a.k.a. ‘Sandy’,  150046, Acting Sergeant, Royal Air Force
(27 January 1923 to 14th of September 2011)
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 3rd of December 2009
Released: 20th of October 2017
Duration: 33 minutes 59 seconds
Bill Hilder joined the Royal Air Force in 1940 and trained as an Armourer. Following his training he was posted to a Bristol Blenheim squadron at Hook in Hampshire.  Then he was posted to Iceland to join No. 120 Squadron RAF, arming the Coastal Command Lockheed Hudsons and Consolidated Liberators that were patrolling the North Atlantic.
In 1943 Bill was posted to No. 617 Squadron working with the Tallboy 12,000lb bombs. He was involved in the attacks on the Tirpitz.
Then he was posted onto the special duties list and taken to Teignmouth in Devon to work on a top secret project with Barnes Wallis.
Bill also gives a small insight into life as an armourer on a bomber squadron in WWII.

 
 

WONZ Episode 166 – Bill Hilder

Aviation

Games & Hobbies

Leisure


Guest: Stephen Davies HowardHost: Dave HomewoodRecorded: 28th of April 2024Released:  1st of June 2024Duration: 1 hour 2 mins 37 secs



This episode is the second of the recordings from the recent Legend Aviation WONZ Forum Meet, hosted by Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell of Legend Aviation at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, on Sunday 28th of April 2024.



 Stephen Davies Howard was a Royal Air Force fast jet pilot, flying McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantoms and Panavia Tornados during the Cold War, and the latter in the Gulf War. Steve joined the RAF in 1980 straight from school and the Air Training Corps, and following flying training he flew fighter jets. He was also an airshow display pilot in the Phantom. Later in his career he moved into strategic reconnaissance, and various British Ministry of Defence roles. After commanding squadrons and stations, he was posted to Washington D.C. in the USA as the Air Attaché at the British Embassy, where he was able to fly a number of the US fighter aircraft types including the F-15 and F-16. He eventually left the RAF as a Group Captain, and joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force, where he ended up as the Training Group Commander, also with the rank of Group Captain. Since leaving the RNZAF in 2010 Steve has run his own businesses, and is Deputy Commissioner of TAIC.



In this presentation,  Stephen focuses his talk on his years as a young Phantom pilot during the Cold War years of the 1980s.



Quick Links:• Legend Aviation• Legend Aviation Facebook Page• The Wings Over New Zealand Forum



The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud



Thanks to Allan Udy for the loan of his audio recording equipment.



An RAF Phantom intercepting and escorting a Soviet bomber during the Cold War.



Stephen Davies Howard (photo Dave Homewood)



Stephen Davies Howard (photo Phil Treweek)



Stephen Davies Howard and the audience (photo Phil Treweek)

WONZ 306 – Legend Aviation WONZ Forum Meet 2: Stephen Davies Howard


Guest: Bevan Dewes of Legend AviationHost: Dave HomewoodRecorded: 28th of April 2024Released:  25th of May 2024Duration:  32 mins 19 secs



This episode is the first of the recordings from the recent Legend Aviation WONZ Forum Meet. This was a gathering of members of the Wings Over New Zealand Aviation Forum, hosted by Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell of Legend Aviation at Hood Aerodrome, Masterton, on Sunday 28th of April 2024.



Bevan talks about his and Lucy’s experiences in aviation, and about the aeroplanes in their collection. He also talks about the set-up of their business, Legend Aviation, which they set up in 2023 to fly rides in their Harvard NZ1044 and Tiger Moths ZK-BFS and ZK-ANL.



Bevan takes the group outside to his hangar where he gives a guided tour of the Legend Aviation aeroplanes, Harvards NZ1044 and NZ1033, Tiger Moths ZK-BFS and ZK-ANL, and Chipmunk N861WP.



Quick Links:• Legend Aviation• Legend Aviation Facebook Page• The Wings Over New Zealand Forum• Wairarapa Flying Tigers• Wairarapa Flying Tigers Facebook Page



Connected Past Episodes:• Episode 114 – WOA – Temora Part One – featuring Bevan Dewes• WONZ 197 – Christmas Forum 2018 – featuring Bevan Dewes• WONZ 200 – 200th WONZ Show – featuring Bevan Dewes• WONZ 218 – Lucy Newell – Canadian Bush Flying featuring Lucy Newell• WONZ 250 – 10th Anniversary Special – featuring Bevan Dewes• WONZ 273 – Harvard NZ1044 – featuring Bevan Dewes



The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.



Thanks to Allan Udy for the loan of his audio recording equipment.



Bevan Dewes in front of his Harvard NZ1044, talking about the Legend Aviation aeroplanes.



WONZ Forum members listening to Bevan.



<a href="https://cambridgeairforce.org.

WONZ 305 – Legend Aviation WONZ Forum Meet 1: Bevan Dewes


Guest: Roy Boston – de Havilland Apprentice and Engineer, and RNZAF Instructor



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 26th of April 2024



Released:  30th of April 2024



Duration:  1 hour 34 minutes 45 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood talks with 96-year-old Roy Boston, who was born and grew up in London, and became an apprentice at the de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgeware. He ended up working in various roles testing engines and propellers that were being developed for aircraft for both de Havilland and for other companies. He was involved with all sorts of aeroplanes, and witnessed other projects under development including jet engines and turboprops. He also reveals some interesting stories and secrets about the company’s projects, an may well be the last living witness to some of those developments of the 1940s by de Havilland.



He talks about flying in all sorts of aeroplanes during test flying too, from Lancaster and Halifax bombers to the rarities like the Vickers Warwick and the de Havilland Hornet!



After leaving the company in 1950 he emigrated to New Zealand, to rejoin his family who’d moved here some years beforehand. He ended up working first as a civilian instructor on engines with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and then was commissioned as a serving officer in the Education branch of the RNZAF.



These days Roy is a celebrated artist, and he also volunteers as a guide at the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, Blenheim.



Quick Links:• Roy’s artworks• The Aviation Heritage Centre, Omaka



Thanks to: Huge thanks to Roy’s son Dean Boston for setting this interview up via Zoom, and sitting in to prompt facts when needed, and also thanks to Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell for the use of their office to record this while I was staying with them.



The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.



Above: Roy Boston on the day of the interview, aged 96 and sharp as a tack. (Dean Boston photo)



Above: Roy Boston at Dog3 ROC,1945. (Roy Boston collection)



Above: The Ghost Lancastrian. (Roy Boston collection)



Above: Roy carrying out the engine cylinder vibration test at full chat on the DHC-1 Chipmunk prototype. Note the ballast in the back seat as discussed, and also the Vickers Warwick bomber in the background. (Roy Boston collection)







Above: The Askania Hand Vibrograph 1.



Above: The de Havilland Goblin on the test bed. (Roy Boston collection)

WONZ 304 – Roy Boston


Guests: Larry Hill, Andrew White and Tony Hoskins



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 6th of March 2024



Published: 24th of March 2024



Duration: 2 hours, 57 seconds



In this episode Dave Homewood marks the 80th Anniversary of The Great Escape by talking with Larry Hill, Andy White and Tony Hoskins.



The Great Escape is the name given to a breakout of Allied prisoners from the German POW camp Stalag Luft III, at Sagan, West Silesia in Germany, on the night of the 24th-25th of March 1944. A total of 76 prisoners, all members of the Royal Air Force and Allied Air Forces, managed to escape through a tunnel before the tunnel entrance was discovered by a German guard. Over the next few weeks 73 of the escapees were rounded up and recaptured after a massive manhunt. Three escaped. And of those recaptured, the Gestapo murdered 50 of the airmen, upon Hitler’s orders. Three New Zealanders were among the murdered airmen, and other Kiwis were involved in the escape. They’re all discussed here.



Andy and Tony give a great background to the prisoner of war camp and the escape. And Larry tells some stories of the New Zealanders involved that he knew personally.







Above: Larry Hill



Above: Tony Hoskins



Above: Andy White



Above: Porokoru Patapu “John” Pohe, RNZAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo.



Above: Pilot Officer Arnold Christensen, RNZAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo. From The Weekly News issue 25 November 1942, via the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.



Above: Squadron Leader John Edwin Ashley “Willy” Williams DFC, New Zealand-born Australian RAF Great Escaper, and murdered by the Gestapo.



Above: Image from the Edith Lyle personal album collection. “F/L Mick Shand.” No. 485 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant Michael Moray Shand DFC sitting in the cockpit of his Spitfire. Unknown location. Handwritten on the reverse of the print “F/L Shand DFC. 485 Sqd RNZAF. Who was lost on a Rhubarb over Holland, he was Flight Commander of B Flight. Fought through “the Battle of Britain” and had many great successes. He was lost in November 1943, but there may be a chance of him being a prisoner of war.” NB. Shand was involved in The Great Escape while interred in Stalag Luft 3. Image via the Air Force Museum of New Zealand.



Above: Squadron Leader Leonard Trent DFC, pilot with No. 487 Squadron. Taken before his Victoria Cross action. Enlargement from PR10415,

WONZ 303 – The Great Escape 80th Anniversary


Guest: Sarah Carr (nee Hanna)



Host: Dave Homewood



Recorded: 26th of July 2023



Published: 8th of March 2024



Duration: 1 hour 3 minutes, 5 seconds



In this episode of Wings Over Britain, Dave Homewood sat down with Sarah Carr of the Old Flying Machine Company, in her office at Duxford, Cambridgeshire. Sarah is the daughter of the legendary pilot, the late Ray Hanna, and sister of the late and equally revered pilot Mark Hanna. She talks in depth about how Ray and Mark both got into flying, display flying and film work. And she details her own experiences with aviation and with running the OFMC, which today operates only the one aeroplane, Spitfire IX MH434. Sarah also talks about her connection with New Zealand and how important that is to her.



Quick Links:.• The Old Flying Machine Company• Fans of the Old Flying Machine Company Facebook Group• Ray and Mark Hanna on the WONZ Forum







The famous OFMC Supermarine Spitfire LF. IXb Spitfire MH434.

































WONZ Episode 166 – Bill Hilder

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