Missed Their Flip
Thirty-nine Regular Force soldiers of 3 Troop, No. 1 Construction Squadron, based in Christchurch, missed the Royal New Zealand Air Force Hercules which came down specially on Saturday to take them to begin their annual camp at Waiouru. The Hercules was due to leave Christchurch Airport at 8.15 a.m. On Friday, after the soldiers had returned home from duty, the departure dime was amended to 7.15 a.m.
About 90 per cent of the men were notified of the change. But when they assembled at the depot in Riccarton Road on Saturday
it was found that a key man, the driver of the vehicle which was to take them to the airport, had not been informed by a member of his family who had been told the previous night. Because the Hercules had an appointment at the Royal New Zealand Aero Club’s annual pageant at Tauranga it took off on time almost empty. The troops left Christchurch aboard an N.A.C. Friendship for Palmerston North on Sunday. The plane was flying there for a charter hire and without the soldiers It would have flown empty.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 1
Word Count
186Missed Their Flip Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31922, 25 February 1969, Page 1
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