Group Captain Geoffrey Wallingford LVO, AFC, RNZAF

       Huntley 1945-1946, Haileybury & ISC 1947-48, Wanganui Collegiate 1948-1951     

  

RAF College Cranwell, Sword of Honour 1954. Malayan Emergency 1956-1958. 

Malaysia Confrontation 1964-66. Vietnam 1970. OC No 14 Squadron RNZAF 1964-1966.  

NZ Equerry to HM The Queen 1970, OC Flying Training, Wigram 1972-1973.

Defence Adviser, Singapore 1974-1976.   CO Base Woodbourne 1982-1984.

 

Memories of Huntley include the train or bus trip from Wellington; once settled in the strict daily class and dormitory routine; chapel, Sunday afternoon walks and periodic “exeats” kindly hosted by local parents. I was lucky to be in the XV for two years and the XI in my last year competing, home or away, against Hereworth and St Georges and also as a member of the relay held at the Easter Collegiate athletic sports at Wanganui. Daily mental arithmetic classes with Mr Noel Rix Trott were to stand me in good stead later in my air force career with pilot navigation. Frowned upon now, boxing taught us to stand up for ourselves. We had to swim. We walked into Marton for dancing classes. Some of the weekly meals such as tripe and boiled wheat, would not have prompted Oliver twist to ask for more, though golden syrup “sticky wicket” had some merit!

I left Huntley just before the end of my final term to sail to England. Attended Haileybury and Imperial Service College near Hertford.For a year. On return to New Zealand began four years at Wanganui Collegiate School, joining up again with my contemporaries from Huntley for the second term. Selected for a cadetship at the RAF College Cranwell, set sail again for England having completed a 12 week initial flying training course at Taieri on the Tiger Moth. Basic cadet training was followed by two years of academic work and flying training on Chipmunk, Harvard and Balliol aircraft. Graduated in 1954 with the Sword of Honour.

On return to New Zealand carried out re-conversion to the Harvard aircraft and air weapons training at Wigram before attending a Vampire conversion course at Ohakea. Joined No 75 Squadron flying the Vampire FB5 aircraft. Posted to No 14 Squadron in Singapore flying the Venom FB1 aircraft, a high performance, swept-wing jet fighter that had at one stage held the World height record. Flew in a close air support role against the Malayan communist terrorist threat in South East Asia. The Venom was armed with two 1000lb bombs, or high velocity rockets and 20 mm cannon in air strikes against suspected terrorist jungle strongholds.

After a period of ground appointments returned again to Ohakea and.appointed Flight Commander on No 14 Squadron now equipped with the Canberra B12 aircraft, training in the interdiction and ground attack role. Flew on periodic deployments to Tengah in Singapore. After spending a year as an instructor at Wigram on Harvard and Devon aircraft, took command of No 14 Squadron. In September 1964 deployed at short notice with six aircraft to Tengah, Singapore at the height of Confrontation with Indonesia following incursions into the newly formed Malaysian states of Malaya and Borneo. The squadron was part of a 96 aircraft strike force targeting Indonesian airfields and infrastructure. The Squadron mission, armed with 72 high velocity rockets, was to attack Halim Airbase and destroy Russian Badger and other aircraft on the ground. In the event, the threat to Malaysia gradually lessened and the Squadron finally deployed back to Ohakea in November 19Returned to staff work at Defence Headquarters. Went to the United States as a member of the Skyhawk evaluation team. Flew the Skyhawk from the Douglas Test Centre at Palmdale across the mountains from Los Angeles. Visited operational flying units at Le Moor naval air station, and maintenance facilities at the Alameda naval base in San Francisco. Then, negotiated the Skyhawk purchase at the Pentagon, Washington.

 

Selected as New Zealand Equerry to Her Majesty the Queen for the 1970 Royal Tour of New Zealand. Spent a month in the Royal Household at the Palace in London attending the Queen’s engagements and duties. Joined the Royal Flight flying by British Airways VC10 via Newfoundland and Vancouver to Nadi, Fiji and boarded the Royal Yacht Britannia. As Equerry accompanied Her Majesty the Queen on ceremonial visits to Suva and Nukualofa, Tonga before sailing on to Wellington for the month long Royal Tour in New Zealand

Having volunteered for Viet nam service, flew to Saigon via Singapore arriving there on Anzac Day. One needed no reminder that it was a war zone. On the coastal flight to Cam Ranh Bay that first evening the night sky was lit by flares and tracer ammunition. Mortar fire hit the taxiways barely 100 metres from our billets. Completed two week forward air control indoctrination, followed by flight conversion on the OV10 Bronco aircraft at Danang. Flew in support of the American Division at Chu Lai, living on the Beach under the casuarina trees. As Assistant Air Liaison Officer (ALO), flew under call sign Helix 02 on missions in support of the American 96^th Brigade. The Area of Operations (AO) extended from the coast to the Laos border overlooking the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and involved directing air strikes by a wide range of strike aircraft including Phantom, Skyraider, Intruder and naval carrier based Skyhawk and other aircraft launching a variety of weaponry - bombs, rockets, guns, napalm, etc. We marked the intended target, firing white phosphorus (willie pete) rockets that showed up clearly as a white smoke above the jungle canopy, often in close proximity to our ground troops. This period in Viet Nam was a culmination of my operational flying experience.

Later military service included the six month Joint Services Staff College Course (JSSC) in Canberra and command of Flying Training at Wigram. Posted to Singapore (1974-1977) as Defence Adviser at the High Commission. Enjoyed an interesting and busy diplomatic life working with the Singapore Armed Forces and the NZ Forces based there. Returned to New Zealand as Director Training and then Director Operations (Air) in Wellington. Commanded RNZAF Base Woodbourne (1981-1983). During this period hosted Prince Edward for a few days in the summer of 1982 that included a yachting cruise in the outer Sounds. My final appointment before retirement was Defence Director of Operations and Training (1984-1986). This spanned an interesting era – attending ANZUS conferences and exercises, in Hawaii and Canberra, until the severance of US/NZ military ties as a result of the ban on US Navy nuclear ship visits, the Rainbow Warrior sinking by French undercover agents, and demonstrations surrounding the 1985 Springbok rugby tour – all of which had direct involvement for Defence.

Postscript

Married to Diana with son, Philip (Huntley 1983-86) and daughter, Julia, I have enjoyed an interesting and exciting life of travel and military experience and appreciate the opportunities that came from a good education. A cadetship at Cranwell set me on a path of real challenge. In a career spanning thirty four years I managed to meet most challenges. There was a joy in flying the jet fighter and attack aircraft - Vampire, Venom, Canberra – at that time we ruled the skies - and there was the urgency of the operational flying to take part in the communist terrorist Malayan Emergency, Confrontation with Indonesia and a tour as a forward air controller in Viet Nam. I was always glad when I could return from staff to operational flying. Command of No 14 Squadron in an operational theatre was a highlight and a privilege, as was command of RNZAF Base Woodbourne. That said, I felt that it was a big mistake for a number of reasons for the RNZAF to be pushed into selling off Base Wigram in favour of keeping Woodbourne. Then, a Government decision to disband our operational “strike” force and “mothballing” of the Skyhawk and Aeromachi aircraft relegated the RNZAF to a transport and coastguard support role - with pilots denied modern jet experience - an air force without “teeth” and no attack capability. That said, a military flying career would still hold real attraction.