Episode Details

Sub-Series: The Duxbury Files

Guest: David Duxbury

Host: Dave Homewood

Archive Voices: Geoff Fisken, Noel Hanna, Joe McVicar and Owen Hicks

Recorded: 3rd of August 2017

Released: 1st of September 2017

Duration: 2 hours 18 seconds

Aviation historian David Duxbury once again joins Dave Homewood on the WONZ Show for another in The Duxbury Files series. Together they look at the history of the Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk and Warhawk fighter series which served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force as its front line fighter from April 1942 till June 1944, and then as an important second line fighter till the end of WWII and the last of the type finally retired from RNZAF service in 1946.

The RNZAF operated 297 P-40’s in total, equipping No’s 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 (Fighter) Squadrons, plus No. 2 and No. 4 Operational Training Units, and with smaller numbers serving with the Central Flying School of the RNZAF, the Fighter Gunnery School, the Electrical & Wireless School, and the Corsair Conversion Unit.

The RNZAF operated P-40E’s, P-40K’s, P-40M’s and P-40N’s, plus for a short time one Packard Merlin engined P-40L that was mistakenly sent to New Zealand.

The RNZAF Fighter Wing saw air to air combat in the Solomon Islands, particularly in the defence of Guadalcanal. They also escorted RNZAF, USAAF, US Navy and USMC heavy, medium and dive bombers to targets as far away as Rabaul. The RNZAF Fighter Wing P-40 pilots acquired a fantastic reputation for providing the best escort for the bombers, always staying in close to protect them and seemingly not losing any of the bombers to enemy aircraft. The Fighter Wing pilots shot down 100 Japanese aircraft in aerial combat in the Pacific, with a loss rate of only a fifth of that amount of their own fighters to enemy action.

In this episode David and Dave delve deep into the history of the Kittyhawk in RNZAF service, looking at as many aspects of the type as possible, and unearthing some information not widely known to fans of the RNZAF P-40’s. They also answer questions that were sent in by WONZ Show listeners.

This is Part One, there is definitely more to come following this episode so stay tuned once you’ve listened to this one.

Recommended Further Reading
Some recommended books about the P-40 squadrons or by pilots who flew in them

•  Air To Air – by Chris Rudge

•  Too Young To Die – by Bryan Cox

•  Kittyhawks And Coconuts – by Keith Mulligan

•  The Blue Arena – by Bob Spurdle

•  Tiger Moths And Butterflies – by Peter Norman

•  Wings Over The Pacific – by Alex Horn

•  RNZAF: The First Decade – by Charles Darby

•  RNZAF: A Short History – by Geoffrey Bentley

•  Portrait of an Air Force – – by Geoffrey Bentley and Maurice Conly

Quick Links: