The people & planes of the HKAAF, 1949-53

Submitted by David on Sat, 11/01/2014 - 22:00

Thanks to the late Gordon Randall for sharing these photos with us. They were taken while he was serving with the Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force (HKAAF) between 1949 and 1953.

 


 

Year Title
1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 Is this an Invasion?
Is this an Invasion?

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 Two RAF Chaps with A W Wood in Background
Two RAF Chaps with A W Wood in Background

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 Arthur Garcia dreaming
Arthur Garcia dreaming

1950 Gordon Randall
Gordon Randall

1950 The New Pierced Steel Planking Runway
The New Pierced Steel Planking Runway

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 Norman Marsh's maybe
Norman Marsh's maybe

1950 Welcome to the Shek Kong Hilton
Welcome to the Shek Kong Hilton

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1950 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 Lew Mose, ano, George Bain, Gordon Randall
Lew Mose, ano, George Bain, Gordon Randall

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 Raffle Presentation by Flt Lt Greta Eardley to Plt Off Gordon Randall
Raffle Presentation by Flt Lt Greta Eardley to Plt Off Gordon Randall

1951 Plt Off Bretling on Rescue Exercise
Plt Off Bretling on Rescue Exercise

1951 Flt Lt George B Scotty Munroe QFI RAF
Flt Lt George B Scotty Munroe QFI RAF

1951 Scotty Munroe Exhausted after Exercise
Scotty Munroe Exhausted after Exercise

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 Yvonne and Lew Mose
Yvonne and Lew Mose

1951 Gordon Randall
Gordon Randall

1951 Lew Mose
Lew Mose

1951 Lew Mose, ???, Arthur Garcia
Lew Mose, ???, Arthur Garcia

1951 Eric McKenzie, Lew Mose, plus 3
Eric McKenzie, Lew Mose, plus 3

1951 Sgt Akeroid flanked by two Other RAF
Sgt Akeroid flanked by two Other RAF

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1951 HKAAF
HKAAF

1952 Operational low level
Operational low level

1952 HKAAF-crashed Harvard recovery-1952
HKAAF-crashed Harvard recovery-1952

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 HKAAF at Kai Tak
HKAAF at Kai Tak

1952 Plt Off Gordon Randall
Plt Off Gordon Randall

1952 Plt Off Gordon Randall
Plt Off Gordon Randall

1952 Plt Off Gordon Randall receives his Wings from Air Cdre S E Faber
Plt Off Gordon Randall receives his Wings from Air Cdre S E Faber

1952 Plt Off Lew Mose
Plt Off Lew Mose

1952 Plt Off Lew Mose receives his Wings. Flt Lt Cooke QFI RAF looks on.
Plt Off Lew Mose receives his Wings.  Flt Lt Cooke QFI RAF looks on.

1952 Gordon Randall and Leo Strange
Gordon Randall and Leo Strange

1952 HKAAF function at KCC
HKAAF function at KCC

1952 Alice Oei and Plt Off Gordon Randall
Alice Oei and Plt Off Gordon Randall

1952 Alice Oei and Plt Off Gordon Randall
Alice Oei and Plt Off Gordon Randall

1952 Plt Off Gordon Randall, Flt Lt Donald Malcolm and Guests
Plt Off Gordon Randall, Flt Lt Donald Malcolm and Guests

1952 Plt Off Randall and Guests
Plt Off Randall and Guests

1953 Armistice Day
Armistice Day

1953 Armistice Day
Armistice Day

1953 Seaplanes returning from Korea
Seaplanes returning from Korea

1953 Seaplane returning from Korea
Seaplane returning from Korea

1953 Gordon Randall, Lelaine Mok, Tracy Brown and Archie Lang
Gordon Randall, Lelaine Mok, Tracy Brown and Archie Lang

1953 Lelaine Mok, Gordon Randall, Tracy Brown, Hazel and Dr Eddie Gosano
Lelaine Mok, Gordon Randall, Tracy Brown, Hazel and Dr Eddie Gosano

1953 HKAAF social function
HKAAF social function

1953 Happy Valley maybe HE and Colonel Ride
Happy Valley maybe HE and Colonel Ride

1953 RAF Meteor at Sek Kong
RAF Meteor at Sek Kong

1953 At RAF Sek Kong
At RAF Sek Kong

1953 At Sek Kong
At Sek Kong

1950s Time for Tea
Time for Tea

1950s Another job well done
Another job well done

1950s Kai Tak dispersal
Kai Tak dispersal

1950s HKAAF
HKAAF

1950s HKAAF
HKAAF

1950s Harvards taking off
Harvards taking off

1950s Flt Lt Rake, Wg Cdr Wood, Sqn Ldr Jones
Flt Lt Rake, Wg Cdr Wood, Sqn Ldr Jones

1950s Spitfires' turn
Spitfires' turn

 


 

The photos were originally scanned and posted online at the rhkaaf.com website:

 

http://rhkaaf.com/semperparatus.html?submit=LAND

Comments

"The Wings became the symbol of qualification worn by trained pilots.", see https://www.rafmuseum.org.uk/research/online-exhibitions/taking-flight/…

So this photo would have been taken after Gordon completed his training and was awarded his wings:

G C Randall receives wings (newspaper clippings)
G C Randall receives wings (newspaper clippings), by Admin

 

The wings were an embroidered badge, worn on the pilot's uniform - you can see them at the bottom right corner of this photo:

Plt Off Gordon Randall
Plt Off Gordon Randall, by Gordon Randall