Post by Dave Homewood on Apr 19, 2012 18:55:06 GMT 12
Downed Kiwi died to save a German village
TRACY NEAL
Last updated 13:21 18/04/2012
On September 6, 1943, a flaming World War Two bomber carrying two Nelson men crashed in enemy territory in Germany.
The pilot, Ernest Stanley Wilkinson, of Brightwater – also known as Tom Wilkinson – was killed after his valiant effort to steer the burning plane away from the village of Schwanheim.
Navigator Gordon Simes, of Nelson, was one of three crew members of RNZAF 75 Squadron to survive the crash, albeit severely injured after parachuting to safety.
He and the two other survivors were captured.
The four remaining crew, including Mr Wilkinson, were killed.
In April last year remnants of the crashed Stirling bomber were unearthed, which has stirred the residents of Schwanheim, in a district of Frankfurt, to honour the memory of how Mr Wilkinson saved the village.
Mr Simes' son and daughter, Will Simes of Marahau, and Nola Muller of Stoke, have been tracked down by village resident, local fireman Roland Gotz, with help from a researcher.
Mr Simes will represent his father at a special memorial service in the village next month in honour of the heroic pilot and crew.
Gordon Simes died in January.
"What started out as being just a `hello' has turned into a civic reception," Mr Simes said.
The story would be complete if Mr Simes could track down any of Mr Wilkinson's relatives to let them know he is to be honoured, but the trail has gone cold. All he and his sister know is that Mr Wilkinson owned his own Brightwater trucking company.
His parents were Stanley Milton Wilkinson and Merle Jane Wilkinson.
Mr Simes is asking anyone who knew him, or is related to him, to come forward.
"I want to get as many of the relatives involved as I can. I want to let them know what's happening," he said. Mrs Muller said it wasn't until they were adults that they learned what their father had been through. It wasn't until much later he talked about his time in the POW camp and being force-marched across Poland, when he was spat upon by locals and called a murderer.
"Dad would have struggled to shoot a rabbit before he went to war," she said.
Their father's memory of Mr Wilkinson, for whom he was a navigator on many missions, has created a picture of a brave young man who was proud of his Brightwater roots.
He was also an excellent pilot, putting the welfare of his crew first.
"Dad used to talk about making it back to base with the plane severely disabled; sometimes it was so bad they could barely hold the plane on its path."
Mr Wilkinson was 25 when he was killed. He is buried in Germany's Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Ad Feedback "He would have looked down on the village of Schwanheim and thought of Brightwater, and avoided it," Mrs Muller said.
Little is known of what caused their bomber to crash, but an artist's interpretation based on witness accounts shows it in flames before it hit the ground.
"We don't know a lot about what happened except the villagers saw the plane coming in on fire, and saw it change course to avoid them," Mr Simes said.
His father had bailed out, presumably at low level given the nature of his injuries, which suggested his parachute had not fully opened.
Mr Simes will attend the ceremony in Schwanheim with his wife Jenny, as part of a trip to England and Europe.
"It will be an emotional time," he said.Anyone who has information on Mr Wilkinson, or is a relative, please contact Mr Simes by email: wilkinsoninfo@ecokiwi.co.nz or contact the chief reporter at the Nelson Mail, ph 035462881.
- © Fairfax NZ News
Nelson Mail
4 comments
Newest First
Oldest First Tracy Neal #4 02:05 pm Apr 19 2012
Good idea Paul - I'll find out and post details on the online follow-up story.
Paul #3 04:13 am Apr 19 2012
If you can let us know the time and place of the memorial service I am sure any NZ's in London or Europe may like to attend also if they can get there.
Tracy #2 07:07 pm Apr 18 2012
Thanks Vivien, I'm sure plenty of veterans will appreciate your sentiments. We have tracked down a relative of Tom Wilkinson. The follow-up story will run in tomorrow's Nelson Mail.
Vivien #1 05:27 pm Apr 18 2012
I watched the Battle of Britain from 'underneath' and was told by my mother that a lot of the brave pilots had come from New Zealand and Australia to fight for England. As I watched the trails of smoke, I didn't know which pilot was from where, just that they were fighting to save England, so I just kept on yelling "Go England! Go New Zealand! Go Australia!". I want to thank all the families of those gallant men - they saved England.
www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/6764899/Downed-Kiwi-died-to-save-a-German-village
TRACY NEAL
Last updated 13:21 18/04/2012
On September 6, 1943, a flaming World War Two bomber carrying two Nelson men crashed in enemy territory in Germany.
The pilot, Ernest Stanley Wilkinson, of Brightwater – also known as Tom Wilkinson – was killed after his valiant effort to steer the burning plane away from the village of Schwanheim.
Navigator Gordon Simes, of Nelson, was one of three crew members of RNZAF 75 Squadron to survive the crash, albeit severely injured after parachuting to safety.
He and the two other survivors were captured.
The four remaining crew, including Mr Wilkinson, were killed.
In April last year remnants of the crashed Stirling bomber were unearthed, which has stirred the residents of Schwanheim, in a district of Frankfurt, to honour the memory of how Mr Wilkinson saved the village.
Mr Simes' son and daughter, Will Simes of Marahau, and Nola Muller of Stoke, have been tracked down by village resident, local fireman Roland Gotz, with help from a researcher.
Mr Simes will represent his father at a special memorial service in the village next month in honour of the heroic pilot and crew.
Gordon Simes died in January.
"What started out as being just a `hello' has turned into a civic reception," Mr Simes said.
The story would be complete if Mr Simes could track down any of Mr Wilkinson's relatives to let them know he is to be honoured, but the trail has gone cold. All he and his sister know is that Mr Wilkinson owned his own Brightwater trucking company.
His parents were Stanley Milton Wilkinson and Merle Jane Wilkinson.
Mr Simes is asking anyone who knew him, or is related to him, to come forward.
"I want to get as many of the relatives involved as I can. I want to let them know what's happening," he said. Mrs Muller said it wasn't until they were adults that they learned what their father had been through. It wasn't until much later he talked about his time in the POW camp and being force-marched across Poland, when he was spat upon by locals and called a murderer.
"Dad would have struggled to shoot a rabbit before he went to war," she said.
Their father's memory of Mr Wilkinson, for whom he was a navigator on many missions, has created a picture of a brave young man who was proud of his Brightwater roots.
He was also an excellent pilot, putting the welfare of his crew first.
"Dad used to talk about making it back to base with the plane severely disabled; sometimes it was so bad they could barely hold the plane on its path."
Mr Wilkinson was 25 when he was killed. He is buried in Germany's Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Ad Feedback "He would have looked down on the village of Schwanheim and thought of Brightwater, and avoided it," Mrs Muller said.
Little is known of what caused their bomber to crash, but an artist's interpretation based on witness accounts shows it in flames before it hit the ground.
"We don't know a lot about what happened except the villagers saw the plane coming in on fire, and saw it change course to avoid them," Mr Simes said.
His father had bailed out, presumably at low level given the nature of his injuries, which suggested his parachute had not fully opened.
Mr Simes will attend the ceremony in Schwanheim with his wife Jenny, as part of a trip to England and Europe.
"It will be an emotional time," he said.Anyone who has information on Mr Wilkinson, or is a relative, please contact Mr Simes by email: wilkinsoninfo@ecokiwi.co.nz or contact the chief reporter at the Nelson Mail, ph 035462881.
- © Fairfax NZ News
Nelson Mail
4 comments
Newest First
Oldest First Tracy Neal #4 02:05 pm Apr 19 2012
Good idea Paul - I'll find out and post details on the online follow-up story.
Paul #3 04:13 am Apr 19 2012
If you can let us know the time and place of the memorial service I am sure any NZ's in London or Europe may like to attend also if they can get there.
Tracy #2 07:07 pm Apr 18 2012
Thanks Vivien, I'm sure plenty of veterans will appreciate your sentiments. We have tracked down a relative of Tom Wilkinson. The follow-up story will run in tomorrow's Nelson Mail.
Vivien #1 05:27 pm Apr 18 2012
I watched the Battle of Britain from 'underneath' and was told by my mother that a lot of the brave pilots had come from New Zealand and Australia to fight for England. As I watched the trails of smoke, I didn't know which pilot was from where, just that they were fighting to save England, so I just kept on yelling "Go England! Go New Zealand! Go Australia!". I want to thank all the families of those gallant men - they saved England.
www.stuff.co.nz/nelson-mail/news/6764899/Downed-Kiwi-died-to-save-a-German-village
