Taking pride of place in Waikouaiti man Athol Murray’s backyard is the cockpit of a Douglas DC-3 Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) plane that was used in the war.
It clocked up more than 41,000 hours in the air and travelled all over the world.
"I really enjoy having it actually — really it’s a tribute to my grandfather."
Mr Murray’s grandfather, James Murray, was Squadron Leader of No. 41 Squadron, which flew DC-3s all over the world.
Before that, he was a bomber pilot, flying 45 missions over Germany and North Africa.
Mr Murray’s father was also a pilot, as is Mr Murray.
When he saw the DC-3 cockpit come up for sale online about a decade ago, he knew he needed to get it.
Mr Murray won the auction, and headed to the North Island to fetch his prize.
It took three days and along the way the shiny cockpit and nose garnered significant attention from other motorists.
"People were just nearly driving off the road when they were coming down and spotting us."
Towards the end of World War 2, the plane was used as one of the RNZAF’s first air ambulances, taking the sickest of prisoners of war back to New Zealand from Japan.
After the war, the RNZAF donated many planes, including Mr Murray’s, to the government to be used in the country’s first airline, the National Airways Corporation (NAC).
The plane was renamed Popotea and flew for 20 years with the airline.
The first night flight to the Pacific was made in his plane when it was part of the NAC fleet, Mr Murray said.
After it was retired in the 1980s, the owner sold it and the new owner placed it overlooking the waterfront in Wellington.
As one of the oldest DC-3s in the country, it was stripped of many of its parts for repairs on other aircraft, but the cockpit became a landmark after it was mounted above the Aerodrome Tavern in Miramar.
The plane then ended up in a scrap heap before being saved by the Sport and Vintage Aviation Society in Masterton, which kept it in storage for 10 years.
Now, it is in Waikouaiti and was a favourite toy of Mr Murray’s son, Angus, when he was growing up.
"We got the Bluetooth speaker to play aircraft noises ... and I’d stand outside of it and shake it."
Mr Murray was thinking about showing it during the Otago Aero Club’s 100th anniversary celebration next year.
"It’s been sitting here for five years and hasn’t moved — so I look forward to that."
