June 2024 Newsletter #11

Recent time have been challenging to say the least, as far as the donation’s environment goes.

In the meantime, much has happened in spreading the work about ACM Sir Keith Park and our memorial project, details of which follow below.

I must apologise to Frank Parker, President of the New Zealand Warbirds and display pilot extraordinaire of the FG-1D Corsair World War 2 Fighter at the Warbirds over Wanaka Easter event.

I overlooked mentioning his amazingly precise, perfect display performances at Wanaka in our last newsletter. How did that happen . . . ?!

Our sculptor – Joanne Sullivan – has been very patient and continues to work on in the lead up to committing the waxes to the foundry. There is agreement between us that this step will not be taken until we gain the full funding to complete the casting process.

Joanne has recently been working on the base of the statue to show impressions of Sir Keith’s medals. The photo below of the base on which the statue will be mounted shows how these features has been incorporated.

The waxes are about to be crated, awaiting despatch to the foundry.

Heraldic Proclamation:
From a visit to MOTAT towards the end of last year, I have received a digitised image of what I am referring to as Sir Keith’s Heraldic Proclamation, an image of which was shown in the previous newsletter.

This shows Sir Keith’s Coat of Arms and describes the key elements, how it was derived and the credentials of the Garter and Clarenceux (the Kings of Arms) who grant and uphold the protocols for arms.

An enlightening moment occurred when I last visited Joanne and showed her Sir Keith’s Crest, which bears the words “Look Skywards”. These same words were, by pure coincidence, used in the title of the project portfolio, and appropriately describe the stance that Joanne chose for Sir Keith in her interpretation for the statue. An amazing, unplanned synchronicity.

Painting:
Early this year, a Neville Stein of Felixstowe, UK, passed through Thames. I did not meet him, but he did talk with Hon Scott Simpson, noting his disappointment at the lack of due recognition of Sir Keith in his home town. I was given Neville’s contact details and was able to communicate with him, albeit after his return to UK.

He commented that he had commissioned a painting of Sir Keith for the project. This beautiful work arrived on my doorstep recently, and it is certainly stunning. It is painted of bamboo paper by Lois Cordelia (https://www.loiscordelia.com/).

Framed copies of the RHS painting (as donated) have been given to Thames Museum, ATC Thames 37 Squadron and The Aviator.

Video Clips:
I now have three video clips featuring Sir Keith, the best as via the link below.

16 minutes

This is available on our website.

Thames Museum:
I have been working with Carolyn McKenzie at the Thames Museum to develop a display presence featuring Sir Keith. Firstly, was a copy of a painting gifted by Paul Fahey. Second was the photo of Sir Keith and Lady Dol Park, taken 1941. Both these were mentioned in the last email.

About to be presented for display are:

• Framed copy of the Heraldic Proclamation
• Framed copy of Lois Cordelia’s painting
• Mounted set of Sir Keith’s medals: these are presently with Joanne, and when she has finished with them and their ribbons, these will be returned to the supplier to be properly mounted, after which they will be donated to the museum.

The photo below is from the ACM Sir Keith Park display at the Auckland Museum.

The Aviator:
Craig Saunders of The Aviator is most supportive of our project and we are working together on some common incentives. He has a framed copy of Liis Cordelia’s painting, plus other material relating to the project.
If you have not visited yet, I strongly urge you to, and enjoy the spectacular and realistic aviation delights he has to offer. Maria makes a mean coffee, and a catering menu has just started.

Lady Dol Park’s Malta Scrap Book:
Also received from MOTAT is a digitised copy of Lady Dol’s Malta scrap book from her time there 1942/43. Some great articles! When funds enable, I plan to have a copy of the scrap book recreated for the Thames Museum.

Other Artefacts:
Also, now in my care are Sir Keith’s copies of:

RAF Air Force List: October 1939, in which he has highlighted in pencil, airman that he wanted to work with him when the war developed;

King’s Regulations and Air Council Instructions for the Royal Air Force: 1944, with about 4,000 pages of policy and regulations;

A Selection of Lectures and Essays from the Work of Officers attending the First Course at the Royal Air Force Staff College; 1922-1923: four items marked in the index in pencil by Sir Keith, one as very good: texts also highlighted as he saw fit;

A Selection of Lectures and Essays from the work of Officers attending the First Course at the Royal Air Force Staff College; 1923-1924:
one item marked in the index in pencil by Sir Keith as very good: text also highlighted as he saw fit;

And donated by Alan Beagle, but in need of restoration:

• RNZAF Airframe Fitter’s Manual from World War 2.

Working with Schools:
I am working with Sally Muir and Gail Loane (who amongst many other things generate educational material for the Ministry of Education) to develop educational fliers about ACM Sir Keith Park and his aspirational lifetime of achievements, which will be distributed to schools. The fliers will be supported with suggested in-class material and initially be distributed to schools in the Coromandel/Hauraki Plains areas.

The following story was featured in the recent copy of the King’s College Courier magazine, where Old Collegian Max Nash was reminiscing.

“I was a fighter pilot for the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm. We flew Spitfires that had been modified to land on aircraft carriers. They were renamed Seafires and had a 1,585-horsepower engine. I was top of my class, the equivalent of Top Gun, and so the first of my training group to be sent out to be engaged in fighting. My first posting was to HMS Furious, a modified aircraft carrier that had [served] in the First World War.

One of my favourite stories from this time was the “reluctant passenger”:

It started with bad weather as the planes were taking off from the aircraft carrier. Normally they would have to undertake pre-flight preparation tests of the Seafire fighter’s engine ignition system. This involved revving the engine until the tail lifted off the ground and one of the crew would have to sit on the tail to weigh it down, which stopped the aircraft going over on its nose.

However, on this occasion, due to the bad weather, the captain had given his permission to forego this test. The plane in front of mine revved up to the flight position. Just then someone dashed past and launched himself across the tail fuselage, right as the pilot let go of the handbrake and the plane left the deck – disappearing over the end of the carrier’s bow.

The plane eventually lifted up into sight and the carrier radioed the pilot to let him know “there’s a man on your tail”. The reply came back: “Yes, I know”. The pilot flew to Hatston Aerodrome, the best place to drop the man off.

At Hatston the pilot radioed the tower to advise that he was coming into land but had a man on his tail. The tower replied: “God, are you guys still drunk?!” It was just after Christmas Day and it was known that the crew had been celebrating on board the carrier.

The pilot landed the plane without incident and the man was rescued off the tail OK, but shaped like a horseshoe!

11:00am Sunday 15th September 2024.