The Wings Over New Zealand Show by Dave Homewood
Dave Homewood
Categories: Sports & Recreation
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Guest: Roy Boston – de Havilland Apprentice and Engineer, and RNZAF Instructor
Host: Dave Homewood
Recorded: 26th of April 2024
Released: 30th of April 2024
Duration: 1 hour 34 minutes 45 seconds
In this episode Dave Homewood talks with 96-year-old Roy Boston, who was born and grew up in London, and became an apprentice at the de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited at Stag Lane Aerodrome, Edgeware. He ended up working in various roles testing engines and propellers that were being developed for aircraft for both de Havilland and for other companies. He was involved with all sorts of aeroplanes, and witnessed other projects under development including jet engines and turboprops. He also reveals some interesting stories and secrets about the company’s projects, an may well be the last living witness to some of those developments of the 1940s by de Havilland.
He talks about flying in all sorts of aeroplanes during test flying too, from Lancaster and Halifax bombers to the rarities like the Vickers Warwick and the de Havilland Hornet!
After leaving the company in 1950 he emigrated to New Zealand, to rejoin his family who’d moved here some years beforehand. He ended up working first as a civilian instructor on engines with the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and then was commissioned as a serving officer in the Education branch of the RNZAF.
These days Roy is a celebrated artist, and he also volunteers as a guide at the Aviation Heritage Centre at Omaka, Blenheim.
Quick Links:• Roy’s artworks• The Aviation Heritage Centre, Omaka
Thanks to: Huge thanks to Roy’s son Dean Boston for setting this interview up via Zoom, and sitting in to prompt facts when needed, and also thanks to Bevan Dewes and Lucy Newell for the use of their office to record this while I was staying with them.
The music heard in this episode is Wild Flower by Joakim Karud.
Above: Roy Boston on the day of the interview, aged 96 and sharp as a tack. (Dean Boston photo)
Above: Roy Boston at Dog3 ROC,1945. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: The Ghost Lancastrian. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: Roy carrying out the engine cylinder vibration test at full chat on the DHC-1 Chipmunk prototype. Note the ballast in the back seat as discussed, and also the Vickers Warwick bomber in the background. (Roy Boston collection)
Above: The Askania Hand Vibrograph 1.
Above: The de Havilland Goblin on the test bed. (Roy Boston collection)
Previous episodes
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582 - WONZ 304 – Roy Boston Tue, 30 Apr 2024
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581 - WONZ 303 – The Great Escape 80th Anniversary Sun, 24 Mar 2024
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580 - WONZ 302 – Wings Over Britain: OFMC’s Sarah Carr Fri, 08 Mar 2024
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579 - WONZ 301 – Warbirds Over Wanaka 2024 Mon, 04 Mar 2024 - 0h
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578 - WONZ 300 – Brendon Deere’s Mustang Sat, 02 Mar 2024
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577 - WONZ 299 – Bomber Memories Sun, 25 Feb 2024 - 0h
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576 - WONZ 298 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Hunsdon Sat, 17 Feb 2024
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575 - WONZ 297 – Wings Over Britain: Bottisham Thu, 15 Feb 2024 - 0h
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574 - WONZ 296 – Wings Over Britain: IWM Duxford Mon, 05 Feb 2024 - 0h
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573 - WONZ 295 – Wings Over Britain: Hornchurch Fri, 19 Jan 2024 - 0h
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572 - WONZ 294 – Wings Over Britain: Steve Bridgewater Wed, 20 Dec 2023
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571 - WONZ 293 – Fletcher McKenzie Wed, 13 Dec 2023 - 0h
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570 - WONZ 292 – Wings Over Britain: Andy Saunders Sun, 10 Dec 2023
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569 - WONZ 291 – Wings Over Britain: RAF Museum Midlands Sat, 18 Nov 2023 - 0h
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568 - WONZ 290 – Wings Over Wairarapa 2023 Tue, 14 Nov 2023 - 0h
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567 - WONZ 289 – Wings Over Britain: The de Havilland Aircraft Museum Fri, 10 Nov 2023 - 0h
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566 - WONZ 288 – Wings Over Britain: The BBMF Fri, 03 Nov 2023
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565 - WONZ 287 – Wings Over Britain: Dave Gledhill Sun, 29 Oct 2023 - 0h
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564 - WONZ 286 – Wings Over Britain: The International Bomber Command Centre Thu, 05 Oct 2023 - 0h
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563 - WONZ 285 – Wings Over Britain: East Kirkby Thu, 28 Sep 2023
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562 - WONZ 284 – Grace Hills Fri, 22 Sep 2023 - 0h
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561 - WONZ 283 – Wings Over Britain: Conversations from Shuttleworth Sat, 16 Sep 2023
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560 - WONZ 282 – David Barnston Sun, 10 Sep 2023
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559 - Warbird Radio Downunder Ep 1 – John Parker Fri, 08 Sep 2023 - 0h
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558 - WONZ 281 – Wings Over Britain: Sandy’s Spitfire Sun, 20 Aug 2023
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557 - WONZ 280 – Wings Over Britain: The Fleet Air Arm Museum Tue, 15 Aug 2023
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556 - WONZ 279 – Wings Over Britain: Biggin Hill Tue, 08 Aug 2023
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555 - WONZ 278 – Wings Over Britain: Brooklands Museum Sat, 22 Jul 2023
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554 - WONZ 277 – Wings Over Britain: Navy Wings Sat, 15 Jul 2023 - 0h
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553 - WONZ 276 – Wings Over Britain: Ross Boyens Fri, 30 Jun 2023
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552 - WONZ 275 – Lew Day Mon, 19 Jun 2023
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551 - WONZ 274 – Jason “Easty” Easthope Tue, 16 May 2023
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550 - WONZ 273 – Harvard NZ1044 Fri, 28 Apr 2023
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549 - WONZ 272 – Classic Fighters 2023 Sat, 01 Apr 2023 - 0h
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548 - WONZ 271 – Wings Over Britain Preview Thu, 09 Mar 2023
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547 - WONZ 270 – Wally Steward: Army Pilot Sun, 29 Jan 2023
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546 - WONZ 269 – To The Four Winds: No. 40 Squadron Thu, 22 Dec 2022 - 0h
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545 - WONZ 268 – Changing Times at No. 5 Squadron Mon, 12 Dec 2022
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544 - WONZ 267 – Vampire Month: Brett Emeny Tue, 29 Nov 2022
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543 - WONZ 266 – Vampire Month: Jim Barclay Thu, 24 Nov 2022
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542 - WONZ 265 – Vampire Month: Mayn Hawkins Thu, 17 Nov 2022
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541 - WONZ 264 – Vampire Month: Dave Greenlees Thu, 10 Nov 2022
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540 - WONZ 263 – Vampire Month: Tommy Thompson Fri, 04 Nov 2022
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539 - WONZ 262 – 2022-2023 Airshow Season Thu, 20 Oct 2022 - 0h
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538 - WONZ 261 – Lancaster Tue, 30 Aug 2022
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537 - WONZ 260 – Dave Cohu Sun, 17 Jul 2022
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536 - WONZ 259 – Larry Olsen: Strikemaster 50th Sun, 15 May 2022
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535 - WONZ 258 – Great Escapes: Sean Singleton-Turner Fri, 22 Apr 2022 - 0h
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534 - WONZ 257 – The Air Force Heritage Flight Thu, 07 Apr 2022
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533 - WONZ 256 – The Falklands Air War Fri, 01 Apr 2022
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