Hi, i am trying to find out more info about Wanganui flares used by bomber command to mark targets. Wanganui is a local city (would have been a town) in New Zealand and i was wondering the history and whether it was designed by or used by RNZAF aircrew flying over Europe (75 squadron?)
Is it a particular design or a way it was implimented that the term Wanganui flare refers to?
I have done a google and wiki search and it is mentioned in wiki but no details about the flare.
I think you’ll find it more to do with the “Christmas Tree” flares used by Bomber Command.
Wanganui was one of the earliest cities in NZ to adopt the custom of “lighting a Christmas Tree” in electric lights in a park near the city center.
I think you’ll find that various crews in Bomber Command, being New Zealanders, called the marker flares “Wanganui Flares” instead of the more usual “Christmas Tree Flares” as used by Master Bombers and Path Finder Force aircraft for target marking.
Respectful Regards, Uyraell.
These sites may help you a little with what they were and how they were used
Description
http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/BombLoads.htm
Specifically
http://www.harringtonmuseum.org.uk/4.5Skymarker.htm
Uses
http://www.97squadronassociation.co.uk/flightops5.html
http://www.dambusters.org.uk/saumar.htm
In combination with and descriptions of how used
http://www.raf.mod.uk/bombercommand/target.html
‘Waganui’, ‘Paramatta’ and ‘Newhaven’ were the names of the three different marking schemes used by the Pathfinder Force; the choice of names signified nothing in themselves and were probably devised by Bomber Command staff officers at High Wycombe.