Post by Dave Homewood on Oct 13, 2014 16:05:31 GMT 12
My friend Pat Green who was a mortar man in 24 Battalion, 2nd NZ Division, told me a chap he trained with when he joined the Army and who went through with him in Italy, to be killed when a shell landed in the shell hole he was resting in, wore a pilots' brevet on his battledress.
When asked why he had Wings he said he'd joined the RNZAF early on, had gone to Canada and trained as a pilot. He'd been presented his brevet but later he decided to take off on an unauthorised flight and did not know there were workmen on the runway, working. The pilot hit the group of people and took one of the chap's head off. So he was sent home to NZ swiftly, and demoted to serve in the Army. I asked if he was still entitled to wear the brevet and Pat said he reckoned no-one had ever challenged him on it.
Pat said his name was Pulman, or Pullman. I'm not sure of the spelling. I cannot see any name like this in the 24 Battalion Roll of Honour nor on the CWGC site.
Perhaps Pat has confused his name? Or maybe he survived the shell that fell on him? Does anyone know more?
When asked why he had Wings he said he'd joined the RNZAF early on, had gone to Canada and trained as a pilot. He'd been presented his brevet but later he decided to take off on an unauthorised flight and did not know there were workmen on the runway, working. The pilot hit the group of people and took one of the chap's head off. So he was sent home to NZ swiftly, and demoted to serve in the Army. I asked if he was still entitled to wear the brevet and Pat said he reckoned no-one had ever challenged him on it.
Pat said his name was Pulman, or Pullman. I'm not sure of the spelling. I cannot see any name like this in the 24 Battalion Roll of Honour nor on the CWGC site.
Perhaps Pat has confused his name? Or maybe he survived the shell that fell on him? Does anyone know more?
