Post by flyinghilly on Jul 16, 2016 13:13:25 GMT 12
New Zealand WW2 fighter ace Keith Lawrence DFC died on 2 June 2016 aged 96. His obituary in the UK news papers declared that he was the last New Zealand Battle of Britain fighter pilot. I had the pleasure of having dinner with Keith and his wife a number of times over the course of a week some years back and he was a remarkable man - very likeable and modest.
He was not the last NZ Battle of Britain pilot still alive. Bernard Brown is still alive and I visited him a couple of weeks back. Bernard is 98 and in quite good health and well looked after by his lovely wife Elizabeth. Bernard was shot down during the Battle and very badly injured and there is some conjecture that he was shot down by Adolf Galland who was operating in the area where Bernard was shot down that day. I have search the Luftwaffe claims register for the day and note that while Bernard was shot down at 9:40 in the morning and Galland's claims were for 2 Hurricane's at 10:00. Fritz Schweser, a Luftwaffe pilot, claimed a Spitfire in the same area at 9:35 so it was likely that it was he that shot Bernard down.
It is quite sad that time marches on and we are steadily losing some remarkable people - it is inevitable and sad that we are nearing the era as there are now only a few of our WW2 veterans left - we on the cusp of a transition from being able to talk to these people about their memories and recollections to a time when it all becomes simply history which can be read about.
Bernard Brown - Last NZ battle of Britain pilot
Alan Peart - last WW2 fighter ace living in NZ (Owen Hardy is still alive but now lives in the UK - I am not sure is Guy Newton is still alive as it is some years since I visited him but he would be 98 now.
Arthur Joplin - last 617 Squadron pilot still alive in NZ - Arthur did not fly on the Dams Raid but he did fly on the last 2 raids on the Tirpitz.
He was not the last NZ Battle of Britain pilot still alive. Bernard Brown is still alive and I visited him a couple of weeks back. Bernard is 98 and in quite good health and well looked after by his lovely wife Elizabeth. Bernard was shot down during the Battle and very badly injured and there is some conjecture that he was shot down by Adolf Galland who was operating in the area where Bernard was shot down that day. I have search the Luftwaffe claims register for the day and note that while Bernard was shot down at 9:40 in the morning and Galland's claims were for 2 Hurricane's at 10:00. Fritz Schweser, a Luftwaffe pilot, claimed a Spitfire in the same area at 9:35 so it was likely that it was he that shot Bernard down.
It is quite sad that time marches on and we are steadily losing some remarkable people - it is inevitable and sad that we are nearing the era as there are now only a few of our WW2 veterans left - we on the cusp of a transition from being able to talk to these people about their memories and recollections to a time when it all becomes simply history which can be read about.
Bernard Brown - Last NZ battle of Britain pilot
Alan Peart - last WW2 fighter ace living in NZ (Owen Hardy is still alive but now lives in the UK - I am not sure is Guy Newton is still alive as it is some years since I visited him but he would be 98 now.
Arthur Joplin - last 617 Squadron pilot still alive in NZ - Arthur did not fly on the Dams Raid but he did fly on the last 2 raids on the Tirpitz.