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Post by Dave Homewood on Mar 31, 2016 11:12:53 GMT 12
31st of March - On this day in 1944, Flying Officer Porokoru Patapu (John) Pohe RNZAF was murdered by the Gestapo on Hitler's orders following his recapture after escaping from Stalag Luft III at Sagan on the night of the 24/25 of March 1944. He'd been a POW since being taken prisoner following being shot down in a Spitfire on the 22/23 of September 1943. This cametwo days after fellow Great Escaper Flight Lieutenant Arnold Christensen was also murdered by the Gestapo. Here is a documentary about John Pohe www.nzonscreen.com/title/turangaarere-the-john-pohe-story-2008 |
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Post by noooby on Apr 1, 2016 10:33:43 GMT 12
Dave, by Spitfire, you mean Halifax???
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 1, 2016 11:30:43 GMT 12
Maybe, I was going by memory. Have you got details?
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Post by noooby on Apr 2, 2016 2:23:42 GMT 12
The movie you link to says Halifax and shows a Halifax and Wiki (always to be trusted!!!!!) gives details of his time in the RNZAF and says that it has a Halifax of 51 Sqn, where he had just come back for his second tour, having completed one tour with 51 Sqn on the Whitley. Evidently he had requested a return to operational flying (he was instructing on Wellington's after his first tour was complete). en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_PoheThe movie that you link to is actually very good. Has an interview with a Canadian member of his crew. |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 2, 2016 13:42:46 GMT 12
Yep,my mistake. Sorry.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 2, 2016 13:43:46 GMT 12
I should have known he was a bomber pilot because one of my later Cambridge airmen veteran friends, Gordon Easter, trained with him, and he was also a bomber boy.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 14, 2019 14:01:34 GMT 12
So there was a third New Zealander murdered by the Nazis as well as John Pohe and Arnold Christensen. He was John Edwin Ashley Williams, known as Willy. he was born on Wellington on the 6th of May 1919, and lived there till he was 12 when he and his family moved to Australia. But he remained a New Zealand citizen. He served with No. 460 Squadron RAAF. He was murdered on the 29th of March 1944. Wikipedia reckons he grew up in Manly but his niece posted to Facebook that he grew up in Wellington. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Edwin_Ashley_WilliamsShe, Louise Elizabeth Ashley Williams, wrote, "My uncle Squadron Leader John 'Willy' Williams was a NZ citizen, he was born in Wellington, but moved to Australia at the age of 12. However, his headstone lists him as a New Zealander." It's a closed group but this is the link for reference: www.facebook.com/groups/GESL3/permalink/2463021613725927/ |
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