A Boatload of PVs

JDK · **Posted:** Wed Dec 10, 2008 10:58 pm

IndyJen wrote:

That Austrailian War Museum website, btw, was well worth visiting.

It is, isn't it? To be precise it's the Australian War Memorial - a core part of its mandate, in addition to the museum bit.

For those interested, their website search is: http://cas.awm.gov.au/

The caption the the photograph above is:
ID Number: 077586
Maker: Martin, William Donald
Place made: Pacific Islands: Solomon Islands, Green Island
Date made: 21 December 1944
Physical description: Black & white
Summary: GROUND STAFF PERSONNEL OF NO. 30 SERVICING UNIT, ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE OVERHAULING LOCKHEED "VENTURA" PV1 MEDIUM BOMBER.
Copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
Copyright holder: Copyright Expired

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 12:22 am

Well that caption explains the ramshackle, makeshift nature of the equipment if it is indeed members of No. 30 SU, as that unit was at that time servicing Corsairs. They did not have any association with Venturas as far as I know.

No. 30 SU was origianlly attached to no. 30 Squadron with the TBF-1C Avengers, and when that squadron's tour finished they stayed on in the pacific and serviced No. 31 Sqn's Avengers. When they went home 30 SU was split, some men going to 2 SU (Corsairs) and some staying in No. 30 SU with Corsairs.

30 SU was at Green island servicing Corsairs of No.'s 14 and 16 Squadrons RNZAF and were present when the RNZAf suffered its blackest day, The Green Island Affair.

Green Island also had a Ventura Squadron based there, serviced by No. 11 SU, so I'm not sure why Corsair mechanics were looking after a bomber. I'll have to check 11 SU's dates, maybe they'd moved on up the chain by this time.

PJ · **Posted:** Thu Dec 11, 2008 9:53 am

looks like a perfectly safe set up to me :wink:

I'm here to tell you that the skin on the old PV gets very hot in the sun! That guy on the wing is using the preferred stance when wearing shorts.
I have a fine little book entitles "Classic Warbirds pacific Twins" by Ventura Publications. Has P-38, B-25 and PV-1 Ventura units (with a few PV-2's thrown in for good measure). Lots of Australian and New Zealand Venturas.

Dave Homewood · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 12:51 am

Yeah, that's a very good little book. I have been interviewing lots of Ventura crew members for my book too, some really interesting stories out there.

I know in the Pacific they reckoned they could fry eggs on the wings in the heat of the day. If you dropped a tool onto the wing you wouldn't pick it up again. Bryan Cox's books also detail the inside temperature of the various RNZAF aircraft while sitting on the coral strip and I'd have to check to be sure but from memory they seemed to range between 50 and 70 degrees Celcius. You wouldn't want to be inside one working on wiring or that sort of thing.

PJ · **Posted:** Fri Dec 12, 2008 8:09 am

Dave, be sure and let us know when your book is published. I will be interested to read it. Since we don't have a hangar, we do all of our maintenance outdoors. Any interior work in the summer is like working inside of an oven. I found the best place to work this summer---inside the bomb bay. Shady, and a nice draft of air.

PJ
PV-2 Harpoon "Hot Stuff"
www.amhf.org

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A Boatload of PVs

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