New Zealand Airmen who fought in The Battle of France

[Dave Homewood]

What to people think of this chap, A.W. Mack, was he fighting in the Battle of France? (does the Battle of Belgium get lumped in with the Battle of France, by the way?)

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19400607.2.98?end_date=31-12-1940&items_per_page=10&page=2&query=Zealand+airman+France&sort_by=byDA&start_date=01-05-1940&type=ARTICLE%2CILLUSTRATION

[errolmartyn]

Oct 12, 2018 21:26:05 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

What to people think of this chap, A.W. Mack, was he fighting in the Battle of France? (does the Battle of Belgium get lumped in with the Battle of France, by the way?)

paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19400607.2.98?end_date=31-12-1940&items_per_page=10&page=2&query=Zealand+airman+France&sort_by=byDA&start_date=01-05-1940&type=ARTICLE%2CILLUSTRATION

Mack's detainment in Belgium occurred during a sortie with 102 Squadron that was to drop leaflets over the Ruhr on the night of 8/9 Sep 39.

He returned to 102 Squadron and by 11 May 40 was engaged on a raid 'detailed to carry out attacks on German land forces in order to hinder the enemy advance.'

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Oh right, so he most likely qualifies then? Do you know what his full name was please?

[Dave Homewood]

This has been a very interesting project so far, I had no idea there were so many Kiwis flying Battles for one thing, and it's interesting just how many different squadrons of fighters saw action in the Battle of France too.

It's really sad to think most of the men on the list lost their lives during or not long after the Battle of France. I feel very privileged to have met one of them many years ago who was right in the thick of it with No. 73 Squadron, Bill Kain.

[chinapilot]

Interesting thread - not a ‘New Zealander’ in the true sense of the word but Peter Duggan-Smith, who was a character involved in the NZ aviation scene in the mid 60s,was a Blenheim pilot involved in the battle.

[errolmartyn]

Oct 13, 2018 16:04:08 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

Interesting thread - not a ‘New Zealander’ in the true sense of the word but Peter Duggan-Smith, who was a character involved in the NZ aviation scene in the mid 60s,was a Blenheim pilot involved in the battle.

PDS served as Peter Duggan SMITH (SMITH surname only and no hyphen - including in his own hand). Born at Radcliffe, Lancashire, England, he served variously with RNR, RNZAF, RAF, RNZAF, NZ Army with J Force then RCAF. He was living in New Zealand by April 1937.

Errol

[errolmartyn]

Oct 12, 2018 23:19:04 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Oh right, so he most likely qualifies then? Do you know what his full name was please?

Arthur William MACK.

Errol

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks Errol!

Oh so it seems Peter Duggan Smith should be on the list then?

[marsfka]

A New Zealander named Stratton flew with No 1 Squadron (Hurricanes) in France. My source is "Fighter Pilot" by Paul Richey. I know nothing more except that Stratton survived the war.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks for that, he was already on the list.

Here is his obituary:
www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10365676

[Dave Homewood]

I just added Camille Enright Malfroy DFC, known as Cam. He was born in Hokitika and was a New Zealand representative in the Davis Cup tennis tournament. Wikipedia states:

"Malfroy learned to fly in 1931–32 while a student at Cambridge with the University Air Squadron. Soon after the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 he was mobilised with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and joined No. 501 Squadron RAF. On 10 May 1940, the start of the German offensive against Western Europe and France, his squadron moved across the English Channel as reinforcements for the RAF units already there. It was recorded that Malfroy claimed a Heinkel He 111 of II./KG 53 destroyed on 11 May near Bethienville. Malfroy's squadron continued to fight until the evacuation from Dinard in Brittany on 18 June 1940. The following day, the Hurricanes flew from St Helier on Jersey to cover the British Army's evacuation from Cherbourg."

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_Malfroy

I discovered him when I found this cover of the Auckland Weekly News from 12 June 1940, via the Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19400612-31-1. He is bottom left.

[jaybee]

Do you define the Battle of France as including strikes on the Maastricht bridges (Dutch / Belgian border) on 12 May 1940?

[Dave Homewood]

I personally would consider it all part of the same campaign, yes.

[chinapilot]

Skimming through the April issue of ‘Britain at War’ was surprised to see a feature article on ‘Cobber’ Kain and the Battle of France.

Quite a good write up which includes a copy of the photo of Kain with the group of pilots.

[jaybee]

Thanks Dave - can you add

F/O TG Bassett, 15 Squadron flying Blenheim IV L8847 from Alconbury who was shot down and killed near Geemente of Borgharen, adjacent to Maastricht on Sunday 12 May 1940. That particular attack involved 12 Blenhiems of which 6 were lost. Source (amongst others) is Errol’s For your tomorrow, vol 1.

[suthg]

Did Sir Keith Park ever have any active involvement in the early war? On further study, he was in War Office Planning and attack strategies under Dowding already. My bad.

[chinapilot]

Footage of ‘Cobber’ Kain and other pilots in France.

streaming.britishpathe.com/hls-vod/MEDIA-5/archive/S5KS/2010-07-03T150337Z_1_LVA3M1WA8X8OLTVICQESU5IMSK5S_RTRWNEV_F_DEFENCE-COBBER-FLYING-OFFICER-MAIN-AWARDED-DFC.MP4.m3u8

[Dave Homewood]

I have just revisited the list on page one, which you can jump to by clicking HERE, and I have added in colour coded asterisks denoted this who died during the Battle of France in red, those who went on to die in the Battle of Britain in gold, and those who died later in the war in blue.

It's sad to see that 39 of the 85 names on the list did not survive the war. That is just under half the Kiwi airmen that served in France between May and June 1940, died before May 1945. And I noted a few more died just after the war too. It's no wonder our nation's participation in the Battle of France has been forgotten, with only just over half the participants surviving, and of those participants most went into the Battle of Britain which overshadowed France in their history, and many of them stayed on in the RAF postwar so never returned to New Zealand.

[Dave Homewood]

I just came across, and have added to the list on page one, the name Squadron Leader H.S. Hennah in this article from the EVENING POST, dated 16 August 1943.

N.Z. RECEPTION CENTRE

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, August 14.

Members of the R.N.Z.A.F. on arriving in England from New Zealand and Canada spend an average of five weeks at a personnel reception centre. It is the centre for both New Zealanders and Australians, who continue their training and are formed up into crews preparatory to proceeding to their operational training units. Squadron Leader H. S. Hennah. Wellington, who is a nephew of Richard Seddon, and was at Wellington College with General Freyberg, is the commanding officer of the New Zealand section. He served in France and Norway in this war, and also at several operational bombing stations. While waiting to go on to the operational training units, the New Zealanders take courses in signals, armament, aircraft recognition, and the link trainer, and also have lectures on security. Those who are not formed up into crews in Canada are crewed up and recommended to fly various types of aircraft. Flying Officer R. A. Colville, Christchurch, interviews the pilots, and Flying Officer E. Redshaw, Auckland, is in charge of the observers. A hotel has been commandeered for the centre, and there are many opportunities for recreation and sport. Last winter the New Zealanders maintained an unbeaten Rugby team. 

So it seems he was also in France. A bit of Googling revealed he was Squadron Leader Harold Spotswoode Hennah 74520, RAFVR, and he subsequently died on 15/11/1944. Does anyone know more about him? Was he flying in France and Norway?

[errolmartyn]

Dec 20, 2019 20:46:23 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

I just came across, and have added to the list on page one, the name Squadron Leader H.S. Hennah in this article from the EVENING POST, dated 16 August 1943.

N.Z. RECEPTION CENTRE

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, August 14.

Members of the R.N.Z.A.F. on arriving in England from New Zealand and Canada spend an average of five weeks at a personnel reception centre. It is the centre for both New Zealanders and Australians, who continue their training and are formed up into crews preparatory to proceeding to their operational training units. Squadron Leader H. S. Hennah. Wellington, who is a nephew of Richard Seddon, and was at Wellington College with General Freyberg, is the commanding officer of the New Zealand section. He served in France and Norway in this war, and also at several operational bombing stations. While waiting to go on to the operational training units, the New Zealanders take courses in signals, armament, aircraft recognition, and the link trainer, and also have lectures on security. Those who are not formed up into crews in Canada are crewed up and recommended to fly various types of aircraft. Flying Officer R. A. Colville, Christchurch, interviews the pilots, and Flying Officer E. Redshaw, Auckland, is in charge of the observers. A hotel has been commandeered for the centre, and there are many opportunities for recreation and sport. Last winter the New Zealanders maintained an unbeaten Rugby team. 

So it seems he was also in France. A bit of Googling revealed he was Squadron Leader Harold Spotswoode Hennah 74520, RAFVR, and he subsequently died on 15/11/1944. Does anyone know more about him? Was he flying in France and Norway?

Hennah was born in Ballart, Australia in 1888 and in WWI served with the AIF. In WWII he was an officer with the Administrative & Special Duties Branch of the RAF, serving in the former capacity. Appears to have died of natural causes, judging by an entry about him in the London Gazette.

Errol