Episode Details

Guest: Harold Raymond Kelsey (NZ4213900, Pilot Officer, Royal New Zealand Air Force)

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: 19th of January 2018

Released: 27th of February 2018

Duration: 1 hour 46 minutes 46 seconds

This episode is a conversation with Harold Kelsey, who was an RNZAF Navigator during WWII. He served operationally on Grumman TBF-1c Avengers at Bougainville with No 30 Squadron and No. 31 Squadron. He then joined a Lockheed Ventura crew with No. 2 (BR) Squadron at RNZAF Station Gisborne, followed by a posting to No. 8 (BR) Squadron at RNZAF Station Whenuapai. At the same station he moved onto No. 9 (BR) Squadron, and after a period he moved up to Nausori in Fiji with that unit. And his final posting was to Los Negros with No. 4 (BR) Squadron.

Above: Harold Kelsey in January 2018 (photo Dave Homewood)

Harold has a special upstairs room with all his books, models and other memorabilia from a long, well lived life. Here he proudly points to a 1/48th scale model of his Grumman Avenger, built for him by Wally Hicks.

Harold sits in his special upstairs room looking out of the large window, and ponders the past