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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 20, 2010 0:03:46 GMT 12
Does anyone know of living New Zealanders who served in Malta during the siege in WWII?
I am aware of one Fleet Air Arm pilot in Cheviot, but I don't know and cannot think of any others who served in Malta who were in the battle and are still alive today, sadly. I would love to be able to talk to some Malta veterans and film them for my veterans project if possible.
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Post by oggie2620 on Oct 22, 2010 23:30:53 GMT 12
I am sure one of the experts on Malta on rafcommands might be able to give you some names of Kiwis and then you could perhaps go look see if there are any still around. Is it worth putting a letter in the major newspapers to see if owt comes up?
Dee
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Post by shorty on Oct 23, 2010 7:30:54 GMT 12
I'm pretty sure that A.A."Skip" Watson (a distant relation of mine) is a Malta veteran but I don't know if he is still alive. He was C.O. of 1 Sqn TAF in it's final days.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2010 0:12:20 GMT 12
Hi Shorty, I looked up Skip Watson's history. He was in the 2nd Field Company, New Zealand Engineers, NZ Army, in 1941, and switched to the RNZAF in 1942. he then did one tour in 19 Squadron and three tours in 22 Sqn, flying both P-40's and Corsairs in combat I think. No mention of Malta, but he sounds like a good one to film anyway, and I note he is listed in the phonebook as A A Skip Watson, in Glendowie, so I might have to give him a call when i next go to Auckland, if i can get some more funding to continue filming WWII veterans.
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Post by shorty on Oct 24, 2010 11:40:33 GMT 12
OK, Mum had mentioned two cousins (?) of hers who were fighter pilots, one of whom was at Malta, it must have been That one whose name I can't remember just now, I'll post it as soon as I recall it.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 24, 2010 11:54:13 GMT 12
Thanks Shorty.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 6, 2010 20:54:00 GMT 12
When I went to Malta with Jack Rae in 2002 the other NZer was Colin White a Fleet Air Arm pilot - I got to know him well. Keith Lawrence was also there - I spent some considerable time with these guy and I don't think there were any other NZer from the 1942 period
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 6, 2010 22:04:41 GMT 12
Richard interviewed Keith Lawrence for the project last mointh in the UK, thanks to your help Larry. We really hope to get down to Cheviot to see Colin White too if funds can stretch it. It was him that I referred to in the first paragraph.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 6, 2010 22:08:58 GMT 12
From: www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/88/a1985088.shtmlOn Friday September 2 2005 , the newspaper "Christchurch Star" ran a story headed "Malta Vet On Return Mission ". "Colin White leaves for Malta soon on one of the toughest missions he has undertaken. The 85 year-old war veteran leaves for the tiny Mediterranean island next Friday to join a Battle for Malta veterans re-union,marking the 60th anniversary of the end of the 1942 Siege of Malta. White,who was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his service there ,will be laying a wreath in memory of New Zealanders who died helping defend Malta. White is the only New Zealand Fleet Air Arm pilot left who flew with 828/830 Torpedo squadron and 185 RAF squadron on Hurricanes during 1942. He had arrived on Malta in June 1942 as a 21-year-old aboard the fast minelayer HMS Welshman , having taken up a commission in the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm. The Welshman repeatedly came to Malta's aid with food , medicine,aircraft parts and Bofors shells ,several times running its blockade before finally being sunk. White is thought to be one of only two Kiwis still alive who took part in the Siege of Malta. The other Kiwi is Jack Rae , a distinguished fighter pilot with DFC and bar." The above transcript is but a part of the Christchurch , New Zealand, newspaper story. The article , written by reporter Kim Newth , is accompanied by past and present photographs of Colin White. www.christchurchstar.co.nz |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Nov 27, 2010 11:29:59 GMT 12
Shorty informed me that Colin White sadly passed away this week. I was arranging a trip down to see him, and have now missed the opportunity. RIP
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Post by oggie2620 on Dec 6, 2010 6:13:33 GMT 12
Just ordered a book called Tattered Battlements which is by "A fighter pilot" about Malta. Will let you know if he mentions any NZers... By the way the reason I bought it was that I saw a review in the 1942 Flight Global! There is another book about Malta with the same title by another guy but I will get this one first...
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