Memorial honours wartime air staff

Men and women who served with New Zealand defence forces at the former RNZAF Waipapakauri airfield 12km north of Kaitaia during World War II will be remembered when a memorial to them is formally unveiled this month.

The airfield, now farmland behind the Waipapakauri Hotel on the highway north to Cape Reinga, was a forward defence base for Air Force and Army personnel.

It hosted reconnaissance aircraft, bombers and transport planes from RNZAF and American Air Force units throughout the early 1940s.

The base was also home to medical units, with the hotel serving as a hospital at one time, while local and other civilians worked in supporting roles to keep the airfield operational.

A community effort over several years has resulted in the construction of a concrete plinth memorial on which will soon be mounted a restored and painted DC 3 propeller.

A plaque and enlarged photograph of the former airfield will be attached to the memorial. All work and installation is expected to be completed by Wednesday next week in time for the memorial's unveiling on the following Saturday.

Memorial organising committee chairman Millie Srhoj said a lot of interest had been shown in the project, including by many people from outside the district who had a direct or family connection with the base.

Mr Srhoj said anyone who served at Waipapakauri in a defence force, medical, civilian or support role, or whose family members were stationed there in the 1940s, would be welcome at the 1pm unveiling, which will be done by a senior RNZAF representative.

Old wartime photographs of the base and its personnel are intended for display inside the nearby hotel, but more are needed.

The Minister of Veterans Affairs, George Hawkins, whose department granted $5000 towards the $42,000 cost of the project, will also speak at the ceremony.

Ongoing care of the memorial is expected to be undertaken by the Kaitaia Returned Services Association.