SECRET SEAPLANE BASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26078, 15 February 1946, Page 4

SECRET SEAPLANE BASE

CHATHAM ISLANDS SITE INSPECTED BY OFFICIALS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. 14. The inspection of a seaplane base which was built during the war, the survey of an aerodrome site and discussions with the local authorities on access within the island were the chief business of a party composed of officers of the Public Works and Air Department and two members of Parliament who flew by a R.N.Z.A.F. Catalina flying boat to the Chatham Islands this week. The party spent two days there and arrived back in Wellington this afternoon after a five-hour flight. The flying boat, which was piloted by Flight Lieutenant P. Warnes, was the first Catalina to land at the Chathams. The future of the island’s seaplane base, constructed secretly by the Public Works Department during the war, but never used very extensively, was the subject of the Air and Works Department officers’ visit. This section of the party consisted of Mr L. Langbein, assistant engineer-in-chief of the public works. Mr A. M. Pritchard, Works Department, Pilot D. Haskell, Works Department aerodromes engineer, Squadron Leader J. G. Dunstan, director of operations R.N.Z.A.F.', and Squadron Leader W. H. Lett, air force aerodrdmes inspector. The Air Department now has no further use for the seaplane base on the lagoon at Te Whanga, and on the advice of the inspecting party it will be decided whether or not the base has any peace-time value for civil flying and if it is tt> be used in this capacity on what scale it is to be maintained. The party will furnish an official report on its findings and the Government’s decision on the future of the base will be announced later. Access roads and problems affecting the general welfare of the Chatham Islanders were discussed with the local county by Mr T. H. McCombs, Parliamentary Under-secretary to the Minister of Finance, and member for Lyttelton and the Chathams, and Mr H. T. Ratana, member for Western Maori, who was also interested in visiting several hundred Maoris who comprise the greater part of the population of the Chatham Islands. Plans for improved roading on the islands had been prepared before the war, but were never carried out, and it is now proposed that something shall be done. Yet another separate mission was that of Mr Pritchard, who inspected a site which had been selected as an aerodrome before the war. His inspection was purely for the purpose of obtaining up-to-date information on the site for the Public Works Department. It has not yet been decided whether a base for land planes will be established at the Chathams. An air force meteorological officer. Flight Lieutenant C. G. Green, accompanied the party to organise improvements in the R.N.Z.A.F. meteorological station' on the island. Two local school teachers, Mr and Mrs C. Gilpin, who had been stranded in New Zealand and whose absence was delaying the reopening of the school, also travelled by the Catalina. On the return flight two hospital cases were brought to Wellington for medical attention. The Catalina then came, on to Auckland.