Warbird Information Exchange

A home for wayward chickens? Or do you mean a wartime military use rather than a postwar civilian use?

I dunno. But I like the chickens answer.

NZ2013 was manufactured in 1941 by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation at Burbank, California. It was part of a diverted RAF order and was shipped directly to Auckland from Los Angeles. It was brought on charge 18 September 1941 and was issued to No 1 Squadron at Whenuapai following assembly at Hobsonville.

The aircraft later served with No 4 Squadron, Fiji. It also served briefly in New Caledonia in August/September 1942. The aircraft suffered a major accident in Fiji in early 1942 and was out of commission for several months. NZ2013 returned to New Zealand in July 1944 and served with the School of Navigation and Reconnaissance at New Plymouth. After the war, the School moved to Wigram where the aircraft continued to serve until July 1948. It was then sold to Mr Clarke of Oamaru on 2 May 1949. It was used as a shed and chicken coop on Mr Clark’s farm until being purchased by the Museum Trust Board and No 26 Squadron, Air Training Corps in 1985.

Restoration of this aircraft was completed by the Museum in July 1996 and it is finished in the colour scheme that it would have been in when serving with No 4 Squadron in Fiji in 1943-44.

BDK's a sharp internet researcher

It was, thus, a wartime military use - a most secret one, and certainly not one I'd like to try and undertake. It involved special operations by the RAF, and very, very brave civilians...