1930 Car Keeps U.S. Airmen To Speed Limit

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29010, 26 September 1959, Page 12

1930 Car Keeps U.S. Airmen To Speed Limit

The only “brown boon bomb, travelling United States Marine Corps recruiting office in Christchurch”—in the whole world, for that matter —is being driven about the city by two Marine Corps pilots now stationed at Wigram. “Boon” is a VX-6 squadron slang reference to a United States marine. “Bomb” is the owners' description of their car; and the “travelling United States Marine Corps recruiting office” is a 1930 Austin 12 sedan.

The owners of the car are Major Edgar D. Pitman, of Tustin, California, and Captain Richard M. Johnson, of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Both are serving with Air Development Squadon Six (VX-6) and are pilots of the RSD Skymaster, frequently used to transport Rear-Admiral David M. Tyree, the United States Antarctic Expedition’s commanding officer, and his staff. After arriving at Christchurch

on September 7, the officers intended to hire a car for the time they are to be in the city. But they sighted the 1930 Austin and immediately bought it. The change in speeds is drastic. In the air, the officers are accustomed to cruising at 180 knots an hour. “Our maximum speed in the ‘brown bomb’ is 29} miles an hour,” said Captain Johnson. Neither Major Pitman nor Captain Johnson has driven an Austin before—nor have they driven a car of such an age. • Since their arrival, they have offered to use the car for semiofficial purposes. When the VX-6 squadron’s commanding officer (Captain William H. Munson, U.S.N.), arrived on September 17. they met him at Harewood and offered to drive him in the Austin. Yesterday, when the squadron’s executive officer (Commander Jerry M. Barlow, U.S.N.) arrived at Wigram in a P2V-7 Neptune, they repeated the offer. Captain Munson and Commander Barlow, being adventurous, accepted. “The beauty of this vehicle,” said Major Pitman, “is that we can drive at top speed all over New Zealand and never exceed the posted speed limit.”