Post by Steve on Nov 3, 2021 10:19:37 GMT 12
I love this picture - its from the photograph album of the Radio Corp NZ crew (with Bill Heinz Sr.) that went high into the Southern Alps in 1944/45 to extract mica to keep wartime production going after the usual Indian-sourced rose-mica supplies could no longer make it here (I believe due to German U-boat attacks on freighters).
Landrovers hadn't been invented yet but that was no problem - it always amazes me where these early cars used to go. I wonder how they explained the half-torn-off bumper to William Marks on their return (and I wonder what other battlescars that car suffered from in its adventures).
Interestingly, John Shears who worked at Radio Corp from 1946 tells me he used to work with this Mica, manufacturing silver mica caps in the factory, and had the distinction of opening the first supply of rose mica from India when hostilities ceased. The NZ mica was a brown colour and the sheets smaller - I believe the Indian mica was preferred.
Cheers, Steve