Maori aircrew WW2

[wanganui]

It sounds to me that Paul (ngatimozart) should be writing the proposed book & not Brian Cull!!

[andyl]

Can I add F/O Tohunga Riwai to the list. Killed on February 21st 1944 serving with 488 Squadron. His Mosquito crashed on take off from Bradwell Bay, ploughing into the metal anti invasion obstacles on the shoreline.

Photo attached is 488, with F/O Riwai on the front row, second from the left.

[pjw4118]

There area lot more Maori aircrew than I thought. A few years back Maori TV asked us for a list to be used in an ANZAC day programme and we came up with about 30. The problem was the number who had English names and werent obvious from lists. Amongst the BCA photo archive there are numerous Maori aircrew , including some in Canada but most are nameless.
The 'problem "was especially difficult up North were many Dallies had married Maori women, hence you would have say an Ivan Simich who was most certainly half Maori, so the definition became pretty blurred.
Happy to help out with photos when you get to that stage.

[Dave Homewood]

There's a really famous photo of airmen on a ship heading to Canada, or maybe from Canada to the UK, doing a haka, led by a Maori airman. I once saw a caption on that photo naming him but I cannot recall where.

[chinapilot]

There you go Dave,

Pine Takarangi...

[Dave Homewood]

Aha, that's the one. He looks like a great bloke.

[chinapilot]

He certainly does !!

Hopefully Errol will fill in some details

[Dave Homewood]

Jan 14, 2013 23:53:06 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

And here is another Air Force Haka, from the photo collection of the late Dave Howlett. I am certain this is in Canada as the wall has RCAF, RNZAF and RAAF on it. So it will either be at No. 6 SFTS Dunnville, No. 1 ITS Toronto, No. 3 RD Vancouver or Port McDowell, or thereabouts, as those are the places Dave was stationed at while training there. It doesn't look quite like the ones the All Blacks do these days!



Or is it "Let's Do The Time Warp Again"?

[errolmartyn]

Jan 15, 2013 0:08:23 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

He certainly does !!

Hopefully Errol will fill in some details

Sadly, he also appears in my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices):

TAKARANGI, Sergeant Pine Tenga.
NZ39586 (prev A39586); b Rata 6 Mar 18; Wanganui TColl; wool classer - Wright Stephenson & Co, Wanganui. RNZAF Ohakea as Aircrafthand 20 Sep 39, Levin 23 Oct 39, remust as Air Gunner u/t & GTS 1 Sep 40, emb for Canada 9 Oct 40, att RCAF 25 Oct 40, 2WS 26 Oct 40, 1WS 6 Nov 40, 1BGS 15 Mar 41, Air Gunners Badge & remust as Wireless Operator/Air Gunner & Sgt 12 Apr 41, 1 M Depôt 17 Apr 41, att RAF & emb for UK 8 May 41, 3PRC 31 May 41, 10OTU (Whitley) 7 Jun 41, 10 Sqn (Whitley - 1 op) 2 Sep 41, kao 6 Sep 41. Oldebroek General Cemetery - grave 5, Gelderland, Netherlands. Son of Tenga Hore & Rangitaamo Takarangi, Putiki, Wanganui. [phot. TWN 1.10.41].

The photo was taken on board the Aorangi, which sailed from Auckland for Vancouver on 9 October 1940 carrying the first draft of RNZAF personnel for training in Canada under EATS. The ship arrived on the 25th.

The RNZAF draft consisted solely of 70 trainee air gunners destined for wireless and air gunnery schools:

died: Aitchison, C E J; Bishop, O W J; Bond, B A G; Carman, G; Caskey, R W; Christie, A S; Clark, T G; Evans, A W S; Franklin, K G; Gennon, P; Goord, S B; Goulding, C P; Green, C V; Harrison, A H; Haselden, H C M; Hunter, R C; Inder, E C; Kennedy, I; Macdonald, H M; Marshall, K R; McMahon, H T O; Minnis, R J; Newland, K M; Ray, D T; Roberts, A S; Smith, G A; Smith, J M; Takarangi, P T; Wunsch, G H; (29) –
survived: Bidwell, N S*; Brown, J C; Carlyle, R W; Carmichael, D A*; Cockle, J R; Dalton, H T; Dixon, G C; Doak, R T D; Duncum, C C; Galland, G J W*; Gane, G A*; Gibb, R; Gordon, W D; Gratton, J R*; Gregory, G A; Hadfield, H; Hickton, H T; Holmes, P R; Hyde, E A M; Jones, J; Liver, H O (aka Lyver, H O); Lloyd, I S J; Morris, K P; Munro, W W; Naera, J C; Ninness, G W; Oliver, J J; O'Warn, S F; Parkes, F C; Povey, E J; Pratt, S E; Reynolds, R C; Russell, L A C; Stevens, G; Taylor, J K; Temm, A W; Veitch, T E H; Waddell, A M; Wanden, R D; Ward, S H; Wilson, W M; (41).

* = PoW

Harry O'Brian Liver/Lyver, DFC is the subject of Francis Jackson's 1944 book Airgunner.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for that Errol.

[chinapilot]

Thanks Errol..bummer

[Luther Moore]

Could be the Macarena Dave. Can I please use the second photo to see if the place is Canada?

[Dave Homewood]

You can if you credit it to the late Dave Howlett's collection, via me (in case his daughter sees it). I am certain it must be in Canada somewhere.

[Luther Moore]

Looks like it is Canada.

[mit]

That is Lake Louise not far from Banff Alberta, Canada

[fwx]

Another member of 75 (NZ) Sqdn, presumably related to persons referred to by Dee in Reply #27 above:

KEREAMA, F/O William Laurence RNZAF. (NZ425585) WO/AG 1 Sep 1944 to 24 Jan 1945, c/w A C Baxter as W/Op.

[fwx]

Two more candidates from 75 (NZ) Sqdn, both in the same Wellington crew, 1942:

Pilot:
RAHARUHI, Sgt Roy William RNZAF. (NZ412737) Pilot 19 Aug to 10 Nov 1942 c/w J L Wright as 2P then own crew.

Wireless Operator:
PARATA Sgt Marama Tahu O’Tangi Potiki Te Whaiti RNZAF. NZ391069, WOAG 18 Aug to 10 Nov 1942. c/w R W Raharuhi.

Cheers, Chris

[chinapilot]

Saw a great shot of a Maori pilot in front of his Typhoon...was on another forum but seems to have been deleted...

[fwx]

Re my post #18 above, I had meant to check on details of "Ben", the Wireless Operator in the Eric Witting crew featured in the May 1944 short film about 75 (NZ) Sqdn, Maximum Effort.

It turns out that I mis-heard the name on the film's soundtrack, and he is actually another that by name would not be identifiable as Maori:

MARSHALL P/O, Glen Osmond RNZAF, NZ416011, 75 (NZ) Sqdn, 8 Sep 1943 to 10 Jul 1944. c/w E F Witting as W/Op.



Cheers,
Chris

[iwmdjm]

Kia ora:

I have been following the conversation about Maori airmen with interest and offer up the following.

My father was Inia Whangataua Maaka (NZ421741), RNZAF 75th Squadron (Bomber Command). He was a bomb aimer (Lancasters).

His iwi were Ngati Kahungunu and Ngai Tahu.

I believe that he flew, at different times, with crew in N-Nan, S-Sugar and P-Peter. In the years after the war, he talked with great fondness of men like Bill Birnie (NZ), Arch Bain (NZ), Bill Ottway (NZ), Harry Yates (UK), Geoff Fallowfield (UK), Norrie Close (UK) and Tubby Westell (UK) to name some. His skipper Harry Yates wrote extensively about their experiences in his book "Luck and a Lancaster." On many occasions Mac and his kiwi mates would meet to recount their antics over a few beers. And, sometimes, they had opportunities to reunite with their British mates (e.g., the 1978 reunion in Mepal, UK). When all these mates got together they would spend hours recounting with great hilarity their exploits. It was only on very rare occasions that they would let their guards down and talk about the very raw and very frightening experiences they had, especially during their raids into the interior of Germany. For example, in July 1944, the 75th Squadron, from Mepal, lost 7 of its 25 aircraft on a raid. If I recall correctly, N-Nan was shot down shortly after a new crew took over. I believe that the crew, very sadly, perished.

I have my father's flight log, letters, and photos (from during the war and post war). Among many things, these materials detail a unique camaraderie among those mentioned above. In all of them were strengths of character that were remarkable considering how very young they all were when they went to war.

Mac, as we (including my brother Graham and me) called him, returned from the war and settled into civilian life, distinguishing himself as an awesome husband, father, and community member. My brother and I share the honor and privilege of being raised by a man who was loved and respected by all.

Mac died in 1996 (January 16) at his home in Taradale, Napier. He is greatly loved and missed.

Ake ake kia kaha.

Margaret Maaka (his daughter)