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Guest: Squadron Leader Peter Pennell, retired, RNZAF Navigator
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 17th of August 2026
Released: 27th of August 2026
Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes 6 seconds
Dave Homewood sits down with Peter Pennell, a former RNZAF Navigator, for a chat. Peter was posted straight from completion of his training at Wigram to England where he joined No. 75 Squadron RNZAF and began conversion to the English Electric Canberra bomber. The squadron then collected six Canberra B.2’s and ferried them to their new base at Tengah, Singapore. The unit replaced No. 14 Squadron and were soon involved in operations as part of the Malayan Emergency.
Peter talks in detail and tells some classic stories about those days in Canberras, particularly with No. 75 Squadron in Singapore for 2.5 years, and also about his next posting to No. 14 Squadron back home at Ohakea in the Canberra B(I).12 bombers and T.13 trainers. Peter was again deployed to Singapore with the Canberras, this time on No. 14 Squadron during the Indonesian Confrontation.
After a year with No. 14 Squadron, Peter was posted to the Transport Support Unit at RNZAF Station Whenuapai where he converted onto Bristol Freighter transport planes. Once trained up as a navigator on the Freighter, he was then posted to No. 41 Squadron RNZAF, and made his way back to Singapore. The squadron was flying in support of Australian and US forces in South East Asia.
He had a stint in Douglas C-47 Dakotas of No. 42 Squadron next at Ohakea, and then was posted back to Whenuapai to a non-flying role in Base Operations. He ended up having control of every aircraft movement in the RNZAF throughout New Zealand and overseas.
Peter tells some absolutely classic stories, and in detailed clarity.
These are the first bombs dropped by No. 75 Squadron in the Malaya Emergency. Photo taken by Peter Pennell from the lead Canberra. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DPRSEA228-58.
Hi Dave,thank you for a most interesting interview with Peter Pennell. I remember him as one of the aircrew on 14 Sqdn B12s at Ohakea and Tengah.I was Sgt i/c Electrical Section in Tengah.I was interested to hear of his trip to Fiji in a B12. In 1963 I was posted to Laucala Bay from Ohakea. Not long after arriving in Fiji, I was put in charge of a small team of techs,as the only Tech NCO (CPL) with B12 experience on Base, to look after 2 B12s over a weekend at Nandi Airport. I cannot recall who the 2 crews were. His mention of spare seating arrangements in the B2s, reminded me of my own experience in a B12, when in 1966 I spent some 8 hrs in the Navs crash seat, on a return trip between Tengah and Cocos islands to repair a B12 that had gone u/s on a trip back to Ohakea for major servicing. The stranded crew were pilot Max Daisley and nav Chub Roberts.The crew I flew with were pilot John Lay (?) and nav Peter Barron (?) I hope this is of interest to you. Regards, George Gardner. PS. I was in the UK 1957 to 1960 at Halton doing a three year Apprenticeship with the RAF as a Electrical Fitter(Air). 1957, ship to UK, Rangitata, 1960 RNZAF Hastings back to NZ
Thanks for your memories George. Feel free to share other memories of your RNZAF service on the Wings Over New Zealand Forum at https://rnzaf.proboards.com as I am sure a lot of people there would find them of interest. Cheers, Dave