1953 London - Christchurch Air Race

I am interested in this info. Flight L/tnt R L E Burton R.A.F. won the race in 23 hrs 53 mins in an R A F Canberra.I saw this plane in the RAF Museum Hendon England during a celebration of the Canberra's 60th birthday.

My dad, Alan Parrish was on the ground crew, he was an airframe mechanic and has told me a little bit about this. He is a modest man and I would love to surprise him with some photographs or a book on the subject if anyone has any! Even better if he is in them. He said he saw himself on some TV footage a while back but can't remember what the programme was. Any info or reference to dad or the event would be great.

I am an 80 year old man but remember the klm plane
arriving in CHCH very well .We were all so very proud of being Dutchies on that day.There were lots of Dutch flags , where they duck them up from I wouldn't know, b ut it brought tears to my eyes, we had no cars in those early days and hondreds of us biked to Harewood as it was then called to see our KLM.[ Koningklijke luchtvaart maatschappij,] don't try to say that for you'll be all day Lots of water has flowed through the Avon since those early day's. I have over the years had lots of lip, but most people
agree that the Dutch made good immigrants.I am on my last legs so to speak but I have learned to love this country and CHCH is great,
Yours Adrian
Just a little rhyme
at the wars weary end , we left our dear land
our cities and towns all bombed out
with hope in our heart ,looking for a new start
in the land of the long white cloud

The funny money we earned, the new language we
learned, took long months to make them our own
but we did persevere, and in less then a year
the seeds for a new life were sown.

in a fifty year span, I became an old man, and
sometimes I feel sad and blue, You did right by me
but did I do right by thee ?I hope so for I love you true
Adrian CHCH NZ

I have a letter to my Grandmother from someone she sent air mail to in the Air Race, thanking her for her trouble. Now i know what the Air Race was about and how old the letter is. My father immigrated to NZ from Breda, Holland - his trip over was on a ship in to Lyttelton - i have a clipping of their arrival as well. My Grandparents immigrated to NZ from Holland a few years after his arrival. So neat to have some history of this time.

To whom it may concern

Please tell me where is might message to Yolanda van der Erf?
adrian van dorp

Dear Yolanda van der Erf, i don't seem to be able to get in touch with you, but if you read this
please give me a reason
Regards adrian van Dorp

My brother Peter Ryan was an RAF mechanic who worked on the 1953 Air Race. He flew to the places where they serviced the aircraft, and he was briefly stationed at Perth in W Australia and Auckland NZ.
He has a photo of himself and another RAF mechanic in the Cocos Islands.
It was the highlight of his service, he really enjoyed the experience and the travel.
He was stationed at RAF Scampton with 617 Squadron working on Canberra bombers.
He lives in Yorkshire, I live in Florida and will be visiting him next month for his 80th birthday (July 2010)

i was a R.A.F' engine mechanicon the air race i was at perth to stage the canberras through, we then flew on to wellington by solent flying boet from sydney. and then ferry to christchurch.after we finished the job there we sailed back to the uk in the s.s.rangitata. on boardthis ship i won a fancy dress competion and was presented with a model of the ship.i had happy times in kiwi land and though i am 77yrs old it s a great memory