Waitemata
Opened
Closed
Meaning: water as smooth as the surface of Obsidian
Auckland’s main Harbour, where most of the flying boats operated from.
Units known to have been Stationed there
No 3 Operational Training Unit
No 5 Squadron
No 6 Squadron
MOCU
TEAL
Manukau
Opened 1943
Closed
Meaning: Wading Birds
Another Harbour, on the other side of the Auckland peninsular,
Used for operating flying Boats from.
No known units Stationed there.
Tauranga
Opened 18th January 1939
Requisitioned for RNZAF use in 1940
Closed Nov 44
The hangers were built by Public Works Department in 1942
Central Flying School was used to teach pilots how to become instructors.
flying Tiger Moths, Harvards and Oxfords,
It moved to Woodbourne in Nov 1944, effectively ending the RNZAF
use of the Station.
Units known to have been permanently stationed there
Central Flying School 1941 to Nov 44
[Instructors training]
No 303 Elementary Ground Training Squadron
Raglan
Built by the Public Works Department as a defence precaution
No known units were stationed there.
Waharoa
Nearest town was Matamata
Named after the rural area
Built just north of Matamata
Intended as an auxiliary bomber airfield in case of a Japanese invasion.
The site was chosen by F/O Arthur Bradshaw of the Aerodrome Services
Branch of Air Department.
It was constructed with reinforced grass runways capable of handling a B17,
if required.
A small skeleton staff was kept there, administered from RNZAF Hamilton.
Fuel was kept at the AR 9 Fuel depot in Cambridge.
No known units were stationed there
with thanks to son-of-satire for the banner
