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.
Photos from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s collection:
The Bleriot XI replica “Britannia” hanging from the roof of the Air Force Museum Atrium, where it has greeted visitors for decades. The pilot, Joe Hammond in real life, is represented here by a mannikin cast from John Barry’s own face. MUS1800716RNZAF Museum Headquarters staff at RNZAF Base Wigram. In the background is the unfinished Museum building, 06/08/1986. L-R: Back; Sergeant Kevin Bennett (NCO in charge of Accession and Storage), Aircraftwoman T Melvin (Clerk Typist). Front; R Simpson (volunteer), Flight Lieutenant Bob Angelo (Administration Officer), Squadron Leader John Barry (Commanding Officer), M Watson (Archives volunteer). WgG733-86Air Force Museum staff being interviewed in the glasshouse of No. 1 Hangar on the After the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the RNZAF, at RNZAF Base Wigram, 01/04/1987. L-R: Squadron Leader William “Sandy” Currie BEM (Museum Technical Officer), Squadron Leader John Barry MBE (Museum Director), Rodney Bryant (?). Unknown sound technician in the foreground. PF124-R3-3-87Air Force Museum Defence staff in the Museum Atrium, 11/12/1987. L-R: Back; Leading Aircraftwoman DM Jamieson, Sergeant Les Bell, Corporal Dave Nicholson, Sergeant Lyn Buttle, Corporal John Harris, Flight Sergeant George Jaunzemis. Front; Flight Sergeant AJ “Jerry” Marshall, Flight Sergeant Alan Woodley, Squadron Leader William ‘Sandy’ Currie BEM, Squadron Leader John Barry MBE (Director), Flight Lieutenant Bob Angelo, Therese Dowman, Sergeant Kevin Bennett. WgG1034-6-87Air Force Museum Staff in the Museum Atrium, 11/12/1987. L-R: Back; M Watson, Leading Aircraftwoman DM Jamieson, Sergeant L Bell, Corporal DR Nicholson, Sergeant Lyn Buttle, Corporal John Harris, Flight Sergeant George Jaunzemis. Front; D Shaw, Flight Sergeant AJ ‘Jerry’ Marshall, Flight Sergeant Alan Woodley, Squadron Leader William ‘Sandy’ Currie BEM, Squadron Leader John Barry MBE (Director), Flight Lieutenant Bob Angelo, Therese Dowman, Sergeant Kevin Bennett, J Barry.Air Force Museum Sunday Guides in the Museum Atrium, 11/12/1987. L-R: Back; Betty Barry, Jim Kirk, Rose-Marie Barry. Front; Ian Latter, Les Farnley, Pat Barry, Geoff Harrison. WgG1034-12-87 Air Force Museum No. 7 Hangar Technical Section personnel in the Museum Atrium, 11/12/1987. “The Black Hand Gang”. L-R: Back; Flight Sergeant George Jaunzemis, A Weir, B Roberts, B Vallender, Flight Sergeant Alan Woodley, L Heath, Sergeant L Bell, P Whittington, B Streeter, A Henry. Front; Brian Smith, D Gillian, Flight Sergeant Jerry Marshall, J Wright, Squadron Leader William “Sandy” Currie BEM, J Simpson, Corporal John Harris, R Townshend, T Ramsay. WgG1034-2-87John Barry in 2025 during our Zoom interview.
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