WONZ 186 – Russell Brodie and Errol Martyn

Guest: Russell Brodie and Errol Martyn

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 30th of June 2018

Released: 27th of July 2018

Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes 16 seconds

This episode features the fourth and fifth speakers at the recent WONZ Forum Meet held at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, at Wigram, Christchurch.

Russell Brodie of Rangitata Island, South Canterbury, was an impromptu speaker, giving a short talk about the amazing discovery only a few days before this event of the remains of ex-RNZAF Curtiss P-40N Warhawk, NZ3240, on a farm in South Canterbury. This is an amazing discovery of an unknown surviving RNZAF fighter from WWII. He also talked a little about his Tiger Moth, NZ1443 (ZK-BRL) which the following day 93 year old Bryan Cox was going to go flying in.

Here are the photos that Russell refers to in his talk. Photos via Russell Brodie.

Russell Brodie, right, giving his talk, with Bryan Cox on the left (Dave Homewood photo)

And next, very well known and respected Air Force historian Errol Martyn gives an interesting talk about two young New Zealanders, Hugh Blackwell and Ross Brodie who learned to fly in New Zealand and joined the Royal Flying Corps during World War One. Errol tells their stories using their personal diaries. This gives a really interesting insight into both the Canterbury Aviation Company at Sockburn (now Wigram), and the New Zealand Flying School at Kohimarama. And it’s a really fascinating personal insight into two pilots who went on to join the Royal Flying Corps.

Errol Martyn during his presentation (Dave Homewood photo)