E - Gazette Mk II
New Zealand Antique & Historical Arms Association Inc. # 41 May 2014
EDITORIAL Following the AGM in April we welcome a New President and Vice President to the leadership roles of the Association, Steve Privett and Andrew Edgcombe were both elected un-apposed. Kath Arnold had stood down after four years as our National President, during this time she has dealt with two changes of National Secre- tary and two changes of Editor as well as representing our interests at the Police Firearms Advisory Forum and chairing the twice yearly management and general meetings of our organisation. Thank you Kath for all your efforts on our behalf. Congratulations to Noel Taylor who was nominated to receive the Scott Rose Bowl for his article on Long Toms.
April proved an interesting month for me as Pam and I spent nearly six weeks touring the South Island in our campervan. Highlights for me were Warbirds over Wanaka, Omaka WW I Aviation Museum, RNZAF Mu- seum at Wigram, South Canterbury Branch auction and Ted Rogers Militaria auction in Wellington on the way home, not forgetting the many scenic and historic sites we visited along the way. I am also grateful to a couple of our members who kindly showed me their collections. We also stopped at many antique and junk shops looking for treasures; Pam now has a nice collection of vintage cameras, but sadly militaria was very thin on the ground. It was also good to catch up with members at the two auctions.
My thanks to all of you who have contributed material for this edition.
Phil
The e-Gazette Mk II is a monthly news-letter circulated free to members of the NZAHAA and their friends by e-mail only. It may be copied and forwarded to fellow collectors, we ask that any material used by others is acknowledge to this publication.
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2014 AGM AND AUCTION REPORT by Andrew Edgcombe
My 2014 AGM and Auction entailed a trip from Taranaki on the Friday morning with a 4.30 am start to make the management committee meeting. Arriving with time to spare I was able to enjoy the pleasant surroundings of the waterfront while downing a coffee at a local café, setting the mood for the weekend. As always it is great to catch up with my fellow branch representatives and it is satisfying to know that we can positively con- tribute to the future on the New Zealand Antique & Historical Arms Association while being the voice of our own individual branches. It was a pleasure to welcome the new Wellington Branch Representative Mr Alwyn Davies to the Management Committee.
Saturdays AGM was just how we like it before any auction…short and sweet! All relevant points were covered and with Kath Arnold stepping down from the presidency after four years the two candi- dates previously nominated for the role of President and Vice Presi- dent now taking up their respective positions; President Steve Privett, Wellington Branch and Vice President Andrew Edgcombe, Taranaki Branch. Steve’s first official job as President was thanking Kath for all her time and effort over her presidency and the whole Management Committee would be unanimous is agreeing it was a pleasure to work alongside Kath on both an official and informal basis. Kath was presented a bouquet of flowers in appreciation for services rendered and is now enjoying a well deserved rest! The Scott Rose Bowl was awarded to Noel Taylor for his article on the Long Tom which appeared in the September 2013 Gazette.
We were privileged to have Inspector Joe Green attend the meeting where he spoke at length on the recent Arms Act Amendment relating to E category pistol grip definitions and the Police Community Advisory Fo- rum meetings where this issue was discussed. At the conclusion of his talk Joe answered questions from the floor. Sadly Joe will be taking up another role within the New Zealand Police in the near future and we will have a new person taking over from Joe. Let’s hope that we can develop good working relationships and main- tain the standards that we have enjoyed over Joe’s tenure.
How do you judge the measure of success of an auction? The Hawkes Bay Branch managed to rustle up some 500 lots, put together and distribute a well presented catalogue and there were more than a few good sales made and some bargains to be had for the astute buyer. Graeme Barber was auctioneer and ran through the lots quickly and efficiently, a good supply of tea, coffee and snacks was available throughout the day and the arms officer was also in attendance to fulfill purchasers permit requirements. I had a great weekend and the Napier area is a wonderful place for a visit so in my opinion Paul Shoebridge and the Hawkes Bay team turned on a well organized and well run event for all who attended.
Hosting an AGM or Half yearly meeting is something all branches should endeavor to do, its great promotion for your branch, your hobby and your district and it is good for the membership to get together and run an event as a team so maybe put some seri- ous thought into putting your hands up for a national event. As daunting a prospect as it may seem with a team effort it can be a positive experience and a good chance to get your selves “on The Map”
New President Steve and Vice President Andrew
SOUTH CANTERBURY AUCTIONB REPORT by Gordon Hill
The South Canterbury Swap Day and Auction was held on the 6th. April.
This year saw a new venue, the old one now closed. The Phar Lap raceway proved ideal as it had room for sales tables, displays, the auction lots, had good off street parking and food and drink available all day. For many years Russell Wood was our auction convenor but his death nearly a year ago made us change course. An enthusiastic committee of eight people plus Graeme Barber from Canterbury as auctioneer all worked well together.
We wanted a small catalogue plus items brought along on the day. There was no commission on sales either for vendors or buyers but vendors paid a small entry fee per item. This enabled auction lots to be bought or sold at minimal cost. The catalogue was distributed via the E Gazette.
Because some members do not get the E Gazette or indeed still do not have a computer, the branches were sent the catalogue to be distributed electronically. We think very few people were disadvantaged by that. Every member should make a point of subscribing to the E Gazette
Members from Whangarei to Invercargill attended. Phill Cregeen consented to judge the displays. First prize went to Malcolm Brady for his display of WW1 officers equipment. Second prize went to Mark Twiname for his display of a Japanese samurai warrior with his weapons and equipment. Third prize went to Phil Moore for his bayonet display.
No decision has yet been made about another event next year, but the favourable comments received make a repeat almost mandatory. Watch this Space!
Three winning displays below and others over the page
South Canterbury Auction Prices 57 WD 117 70 58 WD 118 45 59 80 LOT # SALE PRICE 119 60 60 50 1 300 120 10 61 50 2 170 121 55 62 150 3 425 122 25 63 150 4 75 123 25 64 250 5 75 124 70 65 70 6 WD 125 45 66 WD 7 150 126 40 67 WD 8 60 127 30 68 WD 9 60 128 40 69 70 10 WD 129 35 70 70 11 WD 130 110 71 35 12 WD 131 40 72 60 13 WD 132 400 73 WD 14 WD 133 90 74 WD 15 25 134 WD 75 850 16 10 135 750 76 450 17 WD 136 WD 77 95 18 WD 137 WD 78 5 19 2 138 199 79 3 20 28 139 WD 80 WD 21 150 140 450 81 40 22 170 141 40 82 WD 23 60 142 50 83 99 24 30 143 30 84 4 25 25 144 WD 85 120 26 35 145 10 86 8 27 80 146 WD 87 50 28 45 147 WD 88 50 29 5 148 600 89 WD 30 25 149 WD 90 50 31 25 150 60 91 WD 32 24 151 WD 92 WD 33 10 152 WD 93 14 34 WD 153 WD 94 WD 35 60 154 WD 95 1250 36 60 155 WD 96 WD 37 80 156 WD 97 120 38 10 157 WD 98 WD 39 40 158 WD 99 40 40 150 159 WD 100 10 41 30 160 WD 101 50 42 50 161 200 102 50 43 90 162 WD 103 100 44 50 163 WD 104 80 45 WD 164 WD 105 50 46 75 165 WD 106 50 47 WD 166 WD 107 WD 48 210 167 WD 108 99 49 WD 168 WD 109 150 50 110 169 WD 110 500 51 WD 170 WD 111 25 52 WD 171 200 112 14 53 130 172 30 54 WD 113 55 55 WD 114 50 56 WD 115 25 116 45 Kumeu Militaria Show Report by Danny Paton A Success! That was the announcement made by the organisers of the 1st annual Kumeu Militaria Show. Event promoters Danny Paton and Clayton Gillespie are happy that there is a future for this type of event in Auckland after more than two thousand people attended the show on Saturday.
Large indoor displays from private collectors, placed beside a huge array of firearms and Militaria for sale, gave the public an opportunity to see the passion New Zealanders have in remembering and honouring our military history.
Outside was a fantastic combination of static and mobile displays, ranging from educational to pure fun for the family.
Support organisations and local community groups were present and provided information and assistance (plus the odd fundraising sausage or kebab!) This allowed patrons to learn more about what support services are available to them and their families
The ability to talk face to face with our Defence Force members and our Veterans proved to be educational and rewarding. Watching the hordes of young children climbing over tanks, working the Army’s field gun, and just enjoying themselves was great to see.
The Kumeu Showgrounds has proven to be an ideal venue with its large indoor exhibition areas, plenty of room for outdoor displays and mountains of room for easy access and parking.
Danny and Clayton would like to thank the following groups and organisations for making the Kumeu Mili- taria Show a success and they look forward to seeing a bigger show and a greater attendance next year. New Zealand Defence Force New Zealand Cadet Force NZ Antique and Historical Arms Association International Military Arms Society Firearms dealers and traders MOTAT Living History Unit Military Re-enactment Society NZ Historical Re-enactment Society (NZ) Inc NZ Military Vehicles Collectors club MOTAT Returned Services Association Kings Empire Veterans Patriots NZ Defence Force MC Motutara Waimauku Scout group Sporting Shooters Association of NZ
For further great pictures and info from the day, check them out on the their Facebook page; for any feedback on how we can improve the experience, please contact Danny at [email protected] (Photos from Noel Taylor)
WARBIRDS OVER WANAKA by Phil Cregeen
As members of the NZ Motor Caravan Association we were able to book a 3 day pass and a site on the terrace overlooking Wanaka airfield for Easter weekend, this gave us a grandstand view of Warbirds over Wanaka air display and also the opportunity to walk down the steep hill and view the ground displays. The aerial displays ranged from WW I biplanes to modern (Australian) fighter jets, and included many vintage warplanes as well as civilian light aircraft and helicopters, and the NZ Defence Forces latest helicopters.
Wanaka Airfield viewed from the terrace
Douglas C-47 Dakota - DC-3
Bristol F 2 Fighter Sopwith Triplane For me seeing a Spitfire in flight for the first time since I was a young boy was a moving experience, and see- ing two vampires, a DC 3 and an Avro Anson doing their stuff was icing on the cake. I also discovered that a Hercules can taxi in reverse and land and take off on an incredibly short runway. The choreography of the air display was most impressive, one act following on seamlessly from another with an excellent commentary.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk IX
Mustang and Spitfire
North American P 51D Mustang Curtiss P 40 Kittyhawk
Vought FG-1D Corsair Grumman Avenger TBF/TBM
De Havilland Vampires
Avro Anson Mk I Series II 150 ANNIVERSARY COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE AT ORAKAU 1 & 2 April 2014 Photos provided by John Osborne
The ceremony commenced at 6.30 am on 1 April with raising of the flags and karakia (prayers) at the battle site, at 7.30 the host tribes performed a powhiri and welcome speeches for the hundreds of guest and this was followed by breakfast. From 10.30 am another powhiri was performed to welcome the Crown guest which included the Governor General and Prime Minister. After lunch a special commemorative plaque was dedi- cated with prayers and speeches, several haka and a guard of soldiers and warriors mounted on a cenotaph. The day concluded with a formal dinner in the evening .
Following the raising of flags and karakia at the battle site on 2 April a memorial service was held at 7.30 am for the fallen at St Johns Anglican Church. At 10.30 am a hiikoi (walk) was taken along the axis of maori re- treat to the Puuniu River where speakers talked about their ancestors involvement. The day closed with clos- ing address and lowering of flags at the battle site at 3.30 pm.
Powhiri to the Crown ‐ Welcome to the Governor General, Prime Minister and Dignitaries
Memorial Service for the Fallen The first British fatality by John Litchfield
John Lichfield tells the moving story of Private John Parr, the first of a million soldiers fighting for Britain to die in the first industrialised conflict What a lark it must have been for the young men in khaki as they bumped over the cobbles of the dreary mining villages north of Mons. What a shock they must have had when they ran into the grey ranks of General Alexander von Kluck's German First Army. The British top brass knew that the Germans were approaching but had no idea that they had moved so far and so fast. And what a shock it must have been to the Germans that evening when they collided with John Parr and his mates. De- spite the existence of military aeroplanes and the telegraph, and even the telephone, the German top brass had no idea that the British Army was already in northern France, let alone Belgium. German army headquarters in Koblenz had telegraphed a message to General Kluck the day before: "The opinion here is that large English disembarkations have not yet taken place." John Parr, from Finchley, north London, is believed to have dismounted from his bike to cover his comrades as they ped- alled away to warn the British that the Germans were coming. His mates never saw him again. Private Parr, of Fourth Battalion the Middlesex Regiment, is generally accepted to have been the first British Empire combat casualty of the world's first industrial war – the first of more than a million British Empire deaths; of these, more than 700,000 servicemen came from the British Isles. He was 16. He had lied about his age when he left his job as a golf caddy at the North Middlesex Golf Course in Friern Barnet Lane, north London, and joined the regiment in the summer of 1913. John Parr was also the first British combat casualty in western Europe since the battle of Waterloo, fought 30 miles away, 99 years and two months earlier. Parr's story, such as we know of it, helps us to understand the nature of the early fighting in August 1914. It reminds us that the first battles – and in some respects the whole war – were fought in a No Man's Land between two ages. A Contribution from Dave Craze
Captain Jerry Roberts: Bletchley Park codebreaker who helped crack the Tunny code Hitler used to communicate with generals. By Martin Childs Raymond Roberts, codebreaker and businessman: born Wembley, London 18 No- vember 1920; MBE 2013; married Mei (seven children); died Liphook, Hampshire 25 March 2014. Captain Raymond "Jerry" Roberts was the last survivor of an elite four-man team at Bletchley Park that cracked the German High Command's Tunny code, the system of high-level Nazi communications en- cryption machines used by Hitler and Mussolini to communicate with their generals in the field. Roberts, a French and German linguist, was recruited to the British listening post in Buckinghamshire in 1941 following a recommendation from Professor Leonard Willoughby, his tutor at University College London. Roberts was interviewed and accepted by the renowned Colonel John "The Brig" Tiltman as a cryptographer and linguist at the Government Code and Cypher School. Roberts was one of four founder-members of the Testery, an exclusive unit established in October 1941 and named after the man leading it, Major Ralph Tester, and including Captain Peter Ericsson and Major Denis Oswald. All four were fluent in German. After a few months of breaking of a Double Playfair cipher system used by the German Military Police from 1 July 1942, the team was given the task of breaking Tunny, a cipher that only carried the highest-grade intelligence, messages from a handful of Hitler's top Generals and Field Marshals – including von Rundstedt, Rommel, Keitel and Jodl – to German Army HQ in Berlin, and des- patches from the Führer himself. The Germans were convinced that the Tunny cipher system was unbreakable. The system used 12 encryption wheels, four times as many as the famous Enigma machine, which was used in the field and carried standard military communications. Though the Tunny was more advanced and complex, faster and far more secure. it was less well-known than Enigma partly because it was only declas- sified in 2002. The Tunny traffic was produced by a Lorenz CZ cryptography machine which the Bletchley Park mathematicians were able to repli- cate without seeing it. When German signallers mistakenly sent the same message twice with the same settings, the British team were able to reverse-engineer the process and build the machines responsible for the messages, a process later described by Bletchley Park as "an incredible feat of dedication". Initially, the codes were broken by hand before basic computers called Robin- sons were used, while from 1943 the Colossus computer was introduced. The stream of intelligence proved vital at key junctures of the war. The Russians were warned three or four months in advance of a major German offensive, Operation Citadel, the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, which went down in history as the biggest ever tank battle. The Russians were told how the attack would be carried out – a pincer movement – as well as the numbers involved. If the Germans had been successful they would then have been available to fight on the Western Front. Other intelligence enabled the Al- lies to ascertain German movements when planning D-Day, helping save thousands of lives. Sir Harry Hinsley, a Bletchley veteran and official historian of British Intelligence during the Second World War, has estimated that the intelligence shortened the war by at least two years By the end of the war the Testery had grown to nine cryptanalysts among a total staff of 118, organised in three shifts working round the clock. Roberts never forgot his past and became a tireless ambassador for the memory of those who had served their country in secret. Pas- sionate about what he and his colleagues had achieved, he spent years campaigning for greater acknowledgement of his colleagues in the Testery, and the three men responsible for major discoveries – Alan Turing, who broke the naval Enigma; Bill Tutte, who broke the Tunny system in spring 1942; and Tommy Flowers, who designed and built the Colossus, which sped up some stages of the process of breaking Tunny. "It was a war where we knew comprehensively what the other side were doing, and that was thanks to Alan Turing, who basically saved the country by breaking Enigma in 1941," Roberts said. In recognition of his wartime service, Roberts was awarded the MBE in 2013, and in April the same year was honoured with a set of commemorative stamps, which feature him receiving his MBE from the Queen. He said it was "extraordinary to be on the same stamp as Her Majesty, not many people have that privilege". Roberts wrote two books on his time at Bletchley Park, published in 2006 and 2009. MARTIN CHILDS A Contribution from Dave Craze MYSTERY OBJECT (below right), answer please to [email protected] Last month (below left) attracted only one answer which was from Kevin Adams who thought it was a “150mm HE German Artillery Shell Booster, model dmz Np10”. And he may be correct, however according to Andrew Edgcombe who supplied the image it is a impact fuse for a German WWII Panzerfaust Hollow Charge Anti Tank Grenade.
FROM THE WWW (ctrl+click to follow the link or copy and paste to your browser)
From Tony Bruce: What is life really like for the soldier of 2012? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/9329265/What-is-life-really-like-for-the-soldier-of-2012.html
Another from Tony Bruce: New California Gun Law http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/01/24/smith-wesson-to-stop-selling-some-pistols-in-california-due-to-gun-law/
*ATTTENTION COLLECTORS
Here is an opportunity for you to acquire a 7.62 mm Bren L4A4. These guns are being assembled in the UK from a container of parts but will arrive in fully working order but numbers will not be matching. Estimated cost will be in the region of $4,000 with a delivery date in September this year.
To secure your L4 Bren contact Alec at [email protected]
Photo courtesy of Rod Woods
UP COMING EVENTS - If you have dates for events in 2014 please advise [email protected]
2014
24 May Ruahine Branch Gun Show, Feilding
25 May Carvell’s Auction, Auckland
1 June Northland Branch Fun Shoot-Oramahoe Range
21 June Whangarei Hunting Shooting & Fishing Show
6 July Auckland Branch Gun Show, Mt Eden
12 & 13 July Wellington Branch Auction, Kilbirnie
26 July Mainland Arms & Militaria Show, Christchurch
16 & 17 August Tauranga Arms & Militari Show
13 September Canterbury Branch Swapmeet, Riccarton
25 & 26 October Ted Rogers Militaria Auction, Kilbirnie, Wellington
1 & 2 November Taranaki Branch Gun Show.
GUNS WHERE ARE THEY ? Send me a photo and details of your local guns
105 mm L5A1 Pack Howitzer outside Napier RSA on the corner of Hastings and Vautier St. From Tom Cartwright.
BUY SELL OR SWAP List items free for two months
FOR SALE : U.S. WW I Model 1903 Springfield Sniper Rifle fitted with Warner & Swasey Model 1913 Musket Sight and original leather Scope Carry Case; U.S. WW I Issue inert V.B. Rifle Grenades; U.S. Krag M1896 & M1898 Rifle barrels, Krag Rifle rear sights, M1903 Rifle barrels ( S.A. & R.I.A. ) & M1903 rear sights; U.S. Leather Slings for M1898 & M1903 Rifles; U.S. Vietnam Issue ART II Scope with Mount and complete with Original Fibreglass Carry Case; M.L.E. Rifle fitted with Winchester A5 Scope, stock with R.M.C. Duntroon markings and possibly came from their reference collection; Scarce British SMLE & Pat- tern 14 Rifle combination tools and early brass oil bottles; German WW I set of front & rear Auxiliary Night Sights for GEW 98 Rifle; Australian A.O.C. Pattern 1918 Telescopic Sights with Carry Case for WW II Lithgow Sniper Rifles;
WANTED : British Commonwealth Trials Rifles especially Pattern 1913, No I MK VI & No 4 Trials Ri- fles; WW I Lattey, Gibbs, Martin, and similar Optical Sights; Rifle Grenade Cups & Spigots, and Wire Cut- ters & Breakers.
CONTACT : Colin Green, 5 Tiffany Grove, Templestowe, Victoria 3106, Australia. Phone : ....61 3 98462070. Email : [email protected]
*FOR SALE : U.S. WW I Model 1903 Springfield Sniper Rifle complete with Winchester A5 Telescopic Sight and original Scope Carry Case; Rare Japanese Type 99 Special Naval Rifle; Australian A.O.C. Pattern 1918 Telescopic Sights with Carry Case for WW II Lithgow Sniper Rifles; Inert U.S. WW I Issue V.B. Rifle Grenades; U.S. Vietnam Issue ART II Scope with Mount and complete with Original Fibreglass Carry Case; Various U.S. Rifle parts and accessories : U.S. M1896 & M1898 Krag Rifle barrels, Krag Rifle rear sights, M1903 Rifle barrels ( S.A. & R.I.A. ) & M1903 rear sights; U.S. Leather Slings for M1898 & M1903 Rifles; Scarce British SMLE & Pattern 14 Rifle combination tools and early brass oil bottles; German WW I set of front & rear Auxiliary Night Sights for GEW 98 Rifle.
*WANTED : British Commonwealth Trials Rifles especially Pattern 1913, No I MK VI & No 4 Trials Ri- fles; WW I Lattey, Gibbs, Martin, and similar Optical Sights; Rifle Grenade Cups & Spigots, and Wire Cut- ters & Breakers.
CONTACT : Colin Green, 5 Tiffany Grove, Templestowe, Victoria 3106, Australia. Phone : ....61 3 98462070. Email : [email protected]
WHANGAREI
HUNTING, SHOOTING & FISHING SHOW
FORUM NORTH RUST AVENUE
SATURDAY 21 JUNE
10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Contact Phil for Sales or Display Tables
Contact: Vic on 06 3268685
Have you paid your 2014
NZAHAA Subs?
If you haven’t then the June printed Gazette will be the last you will re- ceive until you do. Contact your Branch Secretary
WANTED
Your articles for both the Gazette and e-Gazette
RUAHINE BRANCH ANNUAL AUCTION
6 September 2014
We are seeking auction items of good quality.
Cut off date for lots is 31 May 2014
Commission: 5% for both Buyer & Vendor
Contact: Tony Matthews Email: [email protected] Or phone: evenings 06 3749164 daytime 027 2445186