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Russell Aitken (pilot)
Group Captain Russell Faulkner Aitken (15 September 1913 – 25 February 1989) was a New Zealand-born officer who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the Second World War. He pioneered the use of amphibious aircraft for rescuing RAF pilots who had been shot down over the English Channel and the North Sea. Born in Outram, in New Zealand, Aitken joined the RAF in 1937. He was initially posted to the Fleet Air Arm as an instructor, but also helped with development of weaponry and the introduction into service of the Blackburn Skua. After briefly being involved in the Norwegian campaign, he was serving at RAF Gosport when he began using a Supermarine Walrus, an amphibian aircraft, to rescue pilots who bailed out or ditched into the English Channel during the Battle of Britain. He later commanded a night fighter squadron and organised intruder missions into occupied France. In September 1942, he was appointed station commander at RAF Hawkinge, the youngest man in the RAF ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Outram, New Zealand
Outram is a rural suburb of Dunedin, New Zealand, with a population of 642 (2006 Census). It is located 28 kilometres west of the central city at the edge of the Taieri Plains, close to the foot of Maungatua. The Taieri River flows close to the southeast of the town. Outram lies on State Highway 87 between Mosgiel and Middlemarch. The original town was formed at a river crossing (ferry then bridge) on a route to the Central Otago goldfields. The village was moved following a flood in the late 19th century and relocated to its current location. It was the first town in New Zealand to have electric street lights and still has the town's library. From 1877 until 1953, Outram was served by a branch line railway that connected with the Main South Line. This line was known as the Outram Branch and it had a relatively unremarkable career. Closure came as a result of an almost total absence of traffic caused by the development of road transport during the first half of the 20t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Sea in the north. It is more than long and wide, covering . It hosts key north European shipping lanes and is a major fishery. The coast is a popular destination for recreation and tourism in bordering countries, and a rich source of energy resources, including wind and wave power. The North Sea has featured prominently in geopolitical and military affairs, particularly in Northern Europe, from the Middle Ages to the modern era. It was also important globally through the power northern Europeans projected worldwide during much of the Middle Ages and into the modern era. The North Sea was the centre of the Vikings' rise. The Hanseatic League, the Dutch Republic, and the British each sought to gain command of the North Sea and access t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Coastal Command
RAF Coastal Command was a formation within the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was founded in 1936, when the RAF was restructured into Fighter, Bomber and Coastal Commands and played an important role during the Second World War. Maritime Aviation had been neglected in the inter-war period, due to disagreements between the Royal Navy (RN) and RAF over the ownership, roles and investment in maritime air power. The Admiralty's main concern until 1937 was the return of the Fleet Air Arm to the Royal Navy while the RAF prioritised the development of a bombing force to provide a deterrent. Coastal Command was referred to as the "Cinderella Service" by A V Alexander, the First Lord of the Admiralty in November 1940. Soon after RAF Coastal Area was elevated to Coastal Command, its headquarters moved from Lee-on-Solent to Northwood in northwest London. During the Second World War, Coastal Command's most important contribution was the protection of Allied convoys from attacks by the Germ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pilot Officer
Pilot officer (Plt Off officially in the RAF; in the RAAF and RNZAF; formerly P/O in all services, and still often used in the RAF) is the lowest commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks immediately below flying officer. It has a NATO ranking code of OF-1 and is equivalent to a second lieutenant in the British Army or the Royal Marines. The Royal Navy has no exact equivalent rank, and a pilot officer is senior to a Royal Navy midshipman and junior to a Royal Navy sub-lieutenant. In the Australian Armed Forces, the rank of pilot officer is equivalent to acting sub lieutenant in the Royal Australian Navy. The equivalent rank in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) was "assistant section officer". Origins In the Royal Flying Corps, officers were designated pilot officers at the end of pilot training. As they retained their commissions in their customary ranks (usually second lieutenant or lieutenant), and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taieri Aerodrome
Taieri Aerodrome is an aerodrome 2.7 NM (5 km) west of Dunedin, New Zealand. History Taieri Aerodrome was the most southerly Royal New Zealand Air Force flying station during World War II. No. 1 Elementary Flying School, No. 307 Elementary Ground Training School and a flight which managed stored Lockheed Hudsons were located there. Present day Taieri Aerodrome is home to the Otago Aero Club, New Zealand's oldest aero club, being established in 1927. In addition to being a social organisation, the aero club offers flying school. There are also a number of businesses that operate from the airfield, including those that specialise in maintenance and aircraft restoration. These include Southair Aviation (GA aircraft maintenance provider), Custom Aviation (light aircraft maintenance and construction), Heliotago, and Highland Helicopters. The aerodrome is host to the popular biennial Wings & Wheels day, which sees a variety of aircraft and vintage cars on display. Operati ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Officer (armed Forces)
An officer is a person who holds a position of authority as a member of an armed force or uniformed service. Broadly speaking, "officer" means a commissioned officer, a non-commissioned officer, or a warrant officer. However, absent contextual qualification, the term typically refers only to a force's ''commissioned officers'', the more senior members who derive their authority from a commission from the head of state. Numbers The proportion of officers varies greatly. Commissioned officers typically make up between an eighth and a fifth of modern armed forces personnel. In 2013, officers were the senior 17% of the British armed forces, and the senior 13.7% of the French armed forces. In 2012, officers made up about 18% of the German armed forces, and about 17.2% of the United States armed forces. Historically, however, armed forces have generally had much lower proportions of officers. During the First World War, fewer than 5% of British soldiers were officers (partly ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Timaru Boys' High School
Timaru Boys' High School (also known as TBHS), established in 1880, is a single sex state (public) secondary school located in the port city of Timaru, South Canterbury, New Zealand. TBHS caters for years 9 to 13 (ages 12 to 19 years). At the beginning of the 2017 school year, the school had more than 650 students. Traditions There are four houses, each named after a former rector and led by a house captain. Every one in the school competes in inter-house programs to earn points for their house. These include cross country, athletics, swimming sports, singing, volleyball, basketball and quadball tournaments. The houses compete annually for the Cleland Cup. Sport TBHS plays in 5 traditional interschool fixtures: * Christchurch Boys' High School * St Andrew's College, Christchurch * Otago Boys' High School * Waitaki Boys' High School. This is the longest running non-stop inter-school fixture in New Zealand. * John McGlashan College. This fixture begun in 2018. Rugby ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gore High School
Gore High School is one of two secondary schools in Gore, New Zealand, the other being St Peter's College, Gore. It is located on Coutts Road in the west of Gore. Notable staff *Johnny Borland – high jumper, athletics official *George Jobberns – geographer, university professor *James Ernest Strachan – school principal Notable alumni *Aaron Barclay (born 1992), triathlete *Todd Barclay (born 1990), Member of Parliament for Clutha-Southland *Jimmy Cowan (born 1982), former Highlanders and All Blacks half back *Amanda Hooper (née Christie, 1980–2011), professional field hockey player *Justin Marshall (born 1973), former Crusaders and All Black Half Back *Marty McKenzie (rugby union), Marty McKenzie (born 1992), current Chiefs, Taranaki and New Zealand Maori All Blacks First-Five *Penny Simmonds, Member of Parliament for Invercargill References Secondary schools in Southland, New Zealand Boarding schools in New Zealand Gore, New Zealand {{NewZealand-school-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Otago
Otago (, ; mi, Ōtākou ) is a region of New Zealand located in the southern half of the South Island administered by the Otago Regional Council. It has an area of approximately , making it the country's second largest local government region. Its population was The name "Otago" is the local southern Māori dialect pronunciation of "Ōtākou", the name of the Māori village near the entrance to Otago Harbour. The exact meaning of the term is disputed, with common translations being "isolated village" and "place of red earth", the latter referring to the reddish-ochre clay which is common in the area around Dunedin. "Otago" is also the old name of the European settlement on the harbour, established by the Weller Brothers in 1831, which lies close to Otakou. The upper harbour later became the focus of the Otago Association, an offshoot of the Free Church of Scotland, notable for its adoption of the principle that ordinary people, not the landowner, should choose the ministe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mentioned In Despatches
To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy is described. In some countries, a service member's name must be mentioned in dispatches as a condition for receiving certain decorations. United Kingdom, British Empire, and Commonwealth of Nations Servicemen and women of the British Empire or the Commonwealth who are mentioned in despatches (MiD) are not awarded a medal for their actions, but receive a certificate and wear an oak leaf device on the ribbon of the appropriate campaign medal. A smaller version of the oak leaf device is attached to the ribbon when worn alone. Prior to 2014, only one device could be worn on a ribbon, irrespective of the number of times the recipient was mentioned in despatches. Where no campaign medal is awarded, the oak leaf is worn direc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Intruder (air Combat)
An intruder is a military aircraft and its crew that is tasked with penetrating deep into enemy air space, to disrupt operations. Intruders are usually fighters, attackers or light bombers. The intruder concept dates from World War II, the first radar-equipped night and all-weather fighters were able to take advantage of the cover provided by night-time and meteorological conditions. Intruder crews attack enemy fighters, airfields, radar and other infrastructure; stage diversionary attacks; and escort bombers. Intruders often loiter in the vicinity of enemy airbases to attack aircraft as they take off or land. The technique was first used in World War II. Starting in July 1940, small numbers of German fast bombers would merge into streams of Royal Air Force bombers returning from night missions over Europe. Once past the Chain Home radars, where they appeared to be returning bombers, they were free to attack RAF air bases. This often took the form of dropping light bombs, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supermarine Walrus
The Supermarine Walrus (originally designated the Supermarine Seagull V) was a British single-engine amphibious biplane reconnaissance aircraft designed by R. J. Mitchell and manufactured by Supermarine at Woolston, Southampton. The Walrus first flew in 1933, the design effort having commenced as a private venture four years earlier. It shared its general configuration with that of the earlier Supermarine Seagull. Having been designed to serve as a fleet spotter for catapult launching from cruisers or battleships, the aircraft was largely employed in other roles, notably as a maritime patrol aircraft and as a rescue aircraft for ditched aircrew. The Walrus featured numerous innovations for the period, being the first British squadron-service aircraft to incorporate in one airframe a fully retractable main undercarriage, completely enclosed crew accommodation and an all-metal fuselage. Early-build aircraft featured the original metal hull design for its greater longevity in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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