Page 12 - MFW June 2025

An early history of the

Hurricane Model Aeroplane Club
which led to the formation of the

Tamaki Model Aeroplane Club
after World War Two

Des Jenkinson

I joined the Kestrel Model Aeroplane Club in 1938, I think I After the war the club commenced meeting and flying
was about 14 yrs old. This club was named after the again with some of the older members plus some new
Kestrel Model Supplies Ltd shop, which was located in additions.
Eden Terrace, Auckland and was owned by Mr Harry
Parker. Ray Poole, by now married and living in a flat in Symonds
St became the Chairman and his flat was our club room. I
The club met weekly in his shop where building materials, became the club Secretary.
plans etc were available. My first model, built from scratch
from a plan, was a cabin model with a six-foot wingspan At this time I was working for a Motor firm by the name of
and powered by a Brown Junior 2 stroke motor, using a Seabrook Fowlds Ltd and their main place of business
spark plug, coil, condenser and batteries for ignition of the was in Lower Symonds St. Adjacent to their building on
petrol and oil mixture to get it going. their property was a large shed not being used and I
managed to get permission to use it for our club meetings
The motor cost me £5 and I paid it off over a period before and the club was functioning very well at this stage.
Harry Parker let me have it. I think I finished the model
about the same time which worked out well. By this time, the year was 1951 and I was living in Pt
England after a year in the transit camp called Camp
We used to fly from a field in Richardson Rd, Mt Roskill, Bunn.
between Dominion Rd and Hillsborough Rd. The area is
now occupied by a golf course and a school. When we While there I maintained my contact with the Hurricane
went flying some of the members were Ray and Neville Club, but with a new house and grounds to develop I
Poole, Harry Parker, Wally Hall, Tom Lowe and myself. I gradually dropped away from the club, which eventually
was helped by my nephew George Bell and a young John became defunct.
Whatnall helped everyone. Over time, I began to get the urge again to get a club
going in the Tamaki area. I still had a few models and
Some members such as the Poole brothers were very chuck gliders which attracted some attention when I used
good modellers and had better engines than mine to fly in Merton Road, when it was open land with plenty of
because they flew while I spent time coaxing my gorse. I passed the word around that if anyone was
temperamental Brown Junior to run long enough to get interested in forming a club to contact me.
into the air.
The response was good enough to form a club in 1953
In due course World War Il started in 1939, and Harry and because we lived in the Tamaki Electorate/ the club
Parker closed his business & joined the R.N.Z.A.F. was called the Tamaki M.A.C.

The club members met and decided to keep the club In the early days of the club, we used to share the
going using the Poole boy’s parents house as our meetings at the various members houses while we
headquarters where we met on Friday evenings. Mr & looked around for a more permanent club house. The first
Mrs Poole lived in Owairaka Ave, Mt Albert. committee consisted of:
President Des Jenkinson
Before long, as the war progressed during 1939/40 there Secretary Ted Jarman
were some fierce aerial battles over France and the Treasurer Ted Malatious
Hurricane fighter aircraft, piloted by several Kiwi’s were Club Captain Reg Wade
creating history. One pilot was Cobber Kane, from NZ, Committee Ernie Horne
had become an ace having downed at least five enemy
aircraft and he was posted back to England, however he Some of the members included Ray Harris, Neville
was killed in a low flying accident before his posting took Beatson, John Birch, Alan Clarke, Alan Teede, Alby
place. Symes and Ken Buckley and Peter Taylor. There were
many others that I regretfully cannot recall.
About this time, it was decided to change the club’s name
to the Hurricane M.A.C. in honour of the aircraft and pilots Eventually the club got the use of the Community Hall at
in France. As the war progressed and the members came Camp Bunn which became our first club house until the
of age, so they joined up and the club went into camp was demolished. Meetings were held every Friday
hibernation for the duration. night where building instruction was given to help the
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