Warbird Information Exchange

PO Geoffrey Fisken RNZAF 14 Squadron Guadalcanal June 1943

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Don't touch my junk!!

I love that first pic. I assume he is waiting to climb in, smoking one last one before he has to head out. By that time he had some pretty serious injuries that weren't really healing and he was still knocking them down.

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

Ex RNZAF P-40E painted as Fisken's aircraft ( Wanaka 1996 - I think!)

Dave

Wanaka 1998.

AFC's Miss Torque was painted up as Jack Cleland's Isabel III for that year's airshow. Isabel Cleland was a guest of honour.

Geoff Fisken was also at the show that year to see the OFMC P-40 painted up in his colours.

Cheers,

Brett

I am a little confused. Thought he flew a buffalo. Or do you mean his first warhawk?

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"I knew the jig was up when I saw the P-51D-20-NA Mustang blue-nosed bastards from Bodney, and by the way the blue was more of a royal blue than an indigo and the inner landing gear interiors were NOT green, over Berlin."

He did fly Buffalos in Singapore, Burma etc.

This explains it better than I would:

http://www.nzfpm.co.nz/article.asp?id=fisken

Cheers,

Brett

Nice to see some RNZAF shots Jack. Have you any more RNZAF subjects?

The kill markings on the cowl beside the famous furious cat nose art were the kills of Fisken himself, not of the aircraft. However Geoff Fisken only made two kills in NZ3072, but the aircraft was an 'ace' itself with six confirmed kills.

The NZ3072 kills were:

F/O Geoff Fisken
14 Squadron
Two Zekes destroyed
12 June 1943

F/Sgt Noel Pirie
16 Squadron
One Hamp destroyed
26 Aug 1943

F/Lt Robert 'Jim' Balfour
18 Squadron
Two Zekes destroyed
1 Nov 1943

F/O Len Rayner
18 Squadron
One Val destroyed
17 Nov 1943

NZ3072 served with No 15 Squadron, then 14 Squadron, then 16 Squadron and finally 18 Squadon. It suffered a slight accident and was repaired and then returned to New Zealand.

It was then used as an operational trainer at No. 2 OTU, Ohakea for the rest of the war. Sadly it ended its days at Rukuhia and was cut up for scrap. I wonder if it was the RNZAF's highest scoring airframe, as well as personal mount of its higest scoring Pacific pilot?

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