|
 The
Royal New Zealand Air Force had 56 Catalina's in all between 1943 and
1953. They were registered NZ4001-4056 inclusive and included 22 PBY-5s
(mostly MklVAs) with the remainder being PB2B-1 s. All were flying
boats, with no amphibian models being taken on charge. The aircraft were
operated initially by No 6 Squadron (the squadron code used was XX-)
from Lauthala Bay, Fiji, before moving to Havalo Bay, on Florida Island
near Guadalcanal. No 3 Operational Training Unit was at Lauthala Bay and
used the squadron code GF-). A second squadron, No 5 Sqn (code was PA-),
then formed and moved to the US base at Segond Channel, on Espirito
Santo. Both squadrons were used on long-range maritime patrol and
shipping escort patrols, with "Dumbo" air sea rescue and transport as
secondary roles. Seven Catalina's were written off in wartime accidents.
After the war only half a
dozen or so of the best aircraft were maintained in service with No 5
Sqn (squadron code became KN-) and fitted with the latest search radar
which had a large radome behind the cockpit. The remainder were put into
storage.
In the
post-war period the aircraft were used for maritime surveillance and
search and rescue missions including a number of "mercy missions" to
isolated Pacific islands.
Eight Catalina's
were written off in the post-war period. Two PB2B-ls
were loaned to Tasman Empire Airways (TEAL) for short periods after the
war, one (which became ZK-AMI) as a crew trainer,
the other (ZK-AMP) to survey a flying boat route from Fiji to Tahiti,
later to become known as "The Coral Route" and used by TEAL's Solent
flying boats.
These
two aircraft were eventually returned to the RNZAF before being
scrapped. All Catalina's were eventually scrapped, 28 in August 1952 and
the last six in December 1955.
Catalina's
in retirement: NZ4044 (Top) and NZ-4053 (below). The photos were taken
at
Hobsonville in late 1953, at the time
the aircraft were still making sporadic flights.
(Photos from the M.E. Follas collection)
The "Graveyard" at RNZAF Hobsonville,
1952. A storm during 1951 was
responsible for
many of the overturned aircraft. The aircraft in the foreground
appears to be coded XX-T
(NZ4017), the upright aircraft in the middle
distance is coded PA-B (NZ4030). (Photo from
the M.E Follas collection.)
The New Zealand
Catalina Fleet
|
No. |
MODEL |
SERIAL No. |
PREVIOUS ID. |
REMARKS |
|
NZ4001PREVIOPREVIO
|
PBY-5 |
1194 |
Bu8280 |
Beaching accident Lauthala Bay 9/8/45
W/O |
|
NZ4002 |
PBY-5PREVI |
1334 |
JX232 |
RAF Lend Lease.
Crashed on takeoff Lauthala Bay 9/43
|
|
NZ4003 |
PBY-5 |
1336 |
JX234 |
RAF Lend Lease. Damaged Segond Channel
10/43 W/O |
|
NZ4004 |
PBY-5 |
1297 |
Bu8373 |
1946-51 instructional airframe, scrapped, DSR
1951 |
|
NZ4005 |
PBY-5 |
1335 |
JX233 |
RAF Lend Lease DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4006 |
PBY-5 |
1338 |
JX236 |
RAF Lend Lease, Missing on ferry flight
15/6/43 |
|
NZ4007 |
PBY-5 |
1339 |
JX237 |
RAF Lend Lease, DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4008 |
PBY-5 |
1332 |
JX230
12
|
RAF Lend Lease, DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4009 |
PBY-5 |
1333 |
JX231
12
|
RAF Lend Lease, DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4010 |
PBY-5 |
1251 |
JX228 |
RAF Lend Lease, DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4011 |
PBY-5 |
1337 |
JX235 |
RAF Lend Lease, DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4012 |
PBY-5 |
1384 |
Bu8450 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4013 |
PBY-5 |
1402 |
Bu8468 |
Damaged and sunk 11/10/44, Espitu
Santo. |
|
NZ4014 |
PBY-5 |
1398
|
Bu8464 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4015 |
PBY-5 |
1387 |
Bu8453 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4016 |
PBY-5 |
1400 |
Bu8466 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4017 |
PBY-5 |
1401 |
Bu8467 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4018 |
PBY-5 |
1432 |
Bu8488 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4019 |
PBY-5 |
1372 |
Bu8438 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4020 |
PBY-5 |
1369 |
Bu8435 |
Heavy landing Hobsonville, 28/5/45 W/O.
|
|
NZ4021 |
PBY-5 |
1431 |
Bu8487 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4022 |
PBY-5 |
1470 |
Bu8516 |
Crashed at sea, Fiji, 27/1/45, 12
killed |
|
NZ4023 |
P2B-1 |
28086 |
Bu72997 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4024 |
P2B-1
|
28088 |
Bu72999 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4025 |
P2B-1 |
28089 |
Bu73000 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4026 |
P2B-1 |
28102 |
Bu73013 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4027 |
P2B-1 |
28087 |
Bu72998 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4028 |
P2B-1 |
28104 |
Bu73015 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4029 |
P2B-1 |
28119 |
Bu73030 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4030 |
P2B-1 |
28105 |
Bu73016 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4031 |
P2B-1 |
28120 |
Bu73031 |
Crashed on take off Funafuti Lagoon
12/4/45, 12 killed |
|
NZ4032 |
P2B-1 |
28121 |
Bu73032 |
DSR 1954 |
|
NZ4033 |
P2B-1 |
28132 |
Bu73043 |
Heavy landing Mechanics Bay 14/2/46
|
|
NZ4034 |
P2B-1 |
28133 |
Bu73044 |
DSR 1954 |
|
NZ4035 |
P2B-1 |
28134 |
Bu73045 |
Became TEAL ZK-AMI, DSR and
broken up 11/48 |
|
NZ4036 |
P2B-1 |
28135 |
Bu73046 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4037 |
P2B-1 |
28136 |
Bu73047
|
DSR 1956 |
|
NZ4038
|
P2B-1 |
28137 |
Bu73048
|
Became TEAL ZK-AMP, DSR 1951.
|
|
NZ4039 |
P2B-1 |
28144 |
Bu73055 |
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4040 |
P2B-1 |
28146 |
Bu73057
|
No record of disposal |
|
NZ4041 |
P2B-1 |
28147 |
Bu73058 |
DSR 1954 |
|
NZ4042 |
P2B-1 |
28118 |
Bu73029 |
DSR 1956 |
|
NZ4043 |
P2B-1 |
28103 |
Bu73014
|
DSR 1954
|
|
NZ4044 |
P2B-1 |
28148 |
Bu73059 |
DSR 1956
|
|
NZ4045 |
P2B-1 |
28149 |
Bu73060 |
Crew /Ground Trainer DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4046 |
P2B-1 |
28145 |
Bu73056
|
Ditched and sank 7/10/52, Fiji.
|
|
NZ4047 |
P2B-1 |
60956 |
Bu73059 |
DSR 1950 |
|
NZ4048 |
P2B-1 |
73098 |
Bu73098 |
Crashed 15/12/50
Satapuala, 7 killed, 8 injured |
|
NZ4049 |
P2B-1 |
60974 |
Bu73113
|
DSR 1956 |
|
NZ4050 |
P2B-1 |
60957 |
Bu73096 |
DSR 1951 |
|
NZ4051 |
P2B-1 |
60958 |
Bu73097 |
Damaged Evans Bay,
Wellington 7/2/50 W/O |
|
NZ4052 |
P2B-1 |
60976 |
Bu73115
|
DSR 1951
|
|
NZ4053 |
P2B-1 |
60977 |
Bu73116 |
DSR 1956 |
|
NZ4054 |
P2B-1 |
60975 |
Bu73114 |
DSR 1954 |
|
NZ4055 |
P2B-1 |
61108 |
Bu44202
|
DSR 1956, sold to J. Sellars
|
|
NZ4056 |
P2B-1 |
61109 |
Bu44203
|
Declared unfit to fly, reduced to spares
29/1/53 |
DSR
= Declared Surplus to Requirements W/O = Written
Off
Sources:
Ewing,
Ross, Catalina Dreaming, David Ling Publishing Ltd., 1996,
Auckland
Harrison, Paul; Lockstone, Brian; Anderson, Andy, The Golden Age of
New Zealand Flying
Boats,
Random House NZ LTD., 1997, Auckland.
Rennie, Neil, Conquering Isolation, The First 50 Years Of Air New
Zealand, Heinemann
Reed, 1990,
Auckland
|
