Large Fire Kure Airfield

At lakes

Well-Known Member
Attached photo's are very poor one's but of interest to a couple of members. It was taken near the airfield where 14 Sqn RNZAF was stationed in Japan. Information I was given was that it was just a stock of old contaminated fuel and waste engine oil, and speculation is that 14 Sqn Corsairs are in there as well and a lot of other equipment not being returned to NZ. I think the fire is too big to be just a pile of oil drums. The photo's taken from my late fathers collection.
 

Attachments

ngatimozart

Super Moderator
Staff member
Verified Defense Pro
No speculation. All of the Corsairs that 14 Sqn took to Japan as part of J Force, were destroyed by fire, rather than incur the cost of being shipped back to NZ for destruction here. After the war, the vast majority of US aircraft acquired under lend lease were stored at Rukuhia in the Waikato. They were disposed of by the Government Stores Board by sale and those not sold were destroyed. The same happened with the Mosquitoes (80 acquired) and Mustangs. One Hudson was a chook house just south of Oamaru and I used to drive past it regularly. It's now the Hudson on display in the Air Force Museum at Wigram.
 
Top