George West - first Maori to be accepted into the RNZAF

[fwx]

Wow, just came across this, the aftermath to the tragic loss of three RNZAF personnel in a Vildebeeste crash at Wigram on the night of 11 May 1939. They were carrying out dual instruction circuits & landings when they hit a tree, killing the pupil pilot, Acting Pilot Officer Reginald James McCrorie of Wanganui. there was a fire and Pilot Officer William Frederick Dawson (the instructor) and Leading Aircraftsman George West (a Fitter) were admitted to the Christchurch Public Hospital with severe burns, but died in the hospital the following day.


Press, 23 May 1939

FUNERAL

LEADING AIRCRAFTSMAN G. WEST

The military funeral of Leading Aircraftsman George West, who lost his life in the recent aeroplane accident at Wigram, was one of the biggest and most impressive seen in Bluff in recent years.

A procession of about 50 cars extended over a long distance behind the hearse. Carried by six bearers, the coffin, draped with the Union Jack, was carried from the house between lines of cadets from the Southland Technical College.

Members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force were bearers at the graveside. They were Corporals J. Claydon and D. Hurley, and Leading Aircraftsmen R. Jones, J. Macintosh, R. Seddon and F. Rutherford. The Air Force was represented by 10 airmen, four of whom travelled to Invercargill from Wigram by aeroplane. With this group was Flight Lieutenant R. J. Cohen, representing the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) and the Chief of the Air Staff (Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders). Six others, friends of Leading Aircraftsman West, escorted the body from Christchurch. Military and civic representatives were also present at the funeral.

Leading Aircraftsman West was the first Maori to be accepted as a member of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. His death ended a promising career. Born in Bluff, he was the eldest son of Mr George West, of Invercargill, and formerly of Bluff, and the late Mrs West. At the Bluff Public School and the Southland Technical College, where he received his education, he showed great promise.

While at the Technical College he won a scholarship which entitled him to train as an air pilot. At that time no Maori was permitted to enter the Air Force and it was not until 1935 that this restriction was relaxed and he was accepted. He was a member of the New Zealand Maori Choir which toured Australia about five years ago. After his return from the Commonwealth and until joining the Air Force, he was employed by Cable and Company, an engineering firm In Wellington.

[Dave Homewood]

John Claydon and Dermot Hurley both went on to have significant careers in the RNZAF. Claydon remustered to pilot during WWII and ended up flying Corsairs.He went to Japan after the war,and later to Antarctica with the RNZAF Beaver. Derm Hurley became a Squadron leader Engineer Officer eventually, serving in the Pacific, and ended WWII as Engineer i/c No. 1 Aircraft Storage Unit at Rukuhia. He continued to serve into the 1960's.

[davidd]

Derm Hurley was also (reputedly) the only serving member of the wartime RNZAF to wear a full beard, apparently because he had a particularly sensitive skin, and must have found a sympathetic medical officer to certify that this was so. Great photograph of him with his beard in one of Geoffrey Bentley's popular histories of the RNZAF. Incidentally I always assumed that the name "Derm" which he was often called was because of his delicate facial skin, but eventually found that this was not true, it was his real name (as mentioned in Dave's posting above)! I don't know of any serving RNZAF members (tradesmen) serving on RNZN ships (from 1966 onwards) for helicopter maintenance duties ever dared to break regulations by trying to cultivate a nice beard - does anybody know of such a thing?
David D

[Dave Homewood]

That is a complete myth David. Firstly there were others who wore a beard in the RNZAF. I have a photo somewhere of a 4SU guy with a beard in the Pacific.

And secondly it had nothing to do with his skin. He was with No. 1(GR) Squadron Detachment at Waipapakauri, which was a very social station. From memory somehow conversation in the Mess turned into a bet, and it was the C.O., S/Ldr Geoff Roberts from memory that bet him to grow a full beard during his month's detachment.He did. Waipap was very remote and no-one ever visited there so there was no likelihood that he'd get in trouble. I'm trying to recall now but I am pretty sure he was at the end of the month and had to go back to Whenuapai so left the beard on, and visited Roberts in his office who had a great laugh and then ordered him to shave. He popped into the base photographer before going and having his shave, to have a memory of the beard. He has no idea how all the silly rumours started. He was James Dermot Hurley and had always been known as Derm, it was not a nickname associated with any facial skin problem.

[fwx]

Anyone know that Maori were not accepted into the Air Force up until 1935??!

Amazing that they were "allowed" to serve (and die) in the Army in WW1, but not in the Air Force, and not for another 17 years!!

I'm presuming that although listed as a Fitter at the time of his death, West was still hoping to become a pilot.

[Dave Homewood]

This may be of interest:

MANAWATU TIMES, 15 JULY 1918

First Maori Airman

"CAN HOLD HIS OWN ANY DAY."

The first member of the Maori race to qualify as an airman is Lieutenant E. Taniwha Sutherland, of Rangitikei, and a nephew of Mr Tuiti Macdonald, the well-known Maori patriot of Levin. In a spirited letter to his kinsman Lieutenant Sutherland says:— "Your despatch of the 8th, which came to hand to-day, I can assure, helps to raise the fighting spirit, besides recalling vivid reflections of my last happy days in New Zealand with you and your friends. Personally I am at present doing fine, and another six weeks from now (May 14) should find me trying conclusions with the Huns. Some weeks ago I was seriously ill owing to an accident I had in South Surrey, and then I contracted tonsilitis; however, now I'm Al and can hold my own any day. We are leaving here this week for our final course of instruction in aeronautics. Undoubtedly, Tuiti, this is the service d 'elite of the Empire, especially when you have got your wings up, but of course you have to take all risks, but that's all in the game. I am quite proud of myself as an airman, especially being the first representative of the race. I'm making sure I'm going to master all the stunts in trick flying before I return. When all's said and done, it's nothing but common sense and determination that will lead you through. I am attached to the Royal Air Force. The aeroplanes we pilot vary in speed from 60 to 152 miles per hour; the slow ones are only used for tuition, of course, while the fast scout and fighter to their respective uses. I think it's up to you and I to teach our race something about flying. Practically, of course, one must be efficient in education, wireless, navigation by stars and compass, topography, and physically fit sound nerves, normal blood pressure. To my estimation, one with a strong will — determined and confident — will eventually make a pilot, no matter how old you are. However, we'll see after the war what we can do. There's nothing like making a name and then dying. We don't live long at this game, but we don't seem to worry about it. It's undone that pinch me. Kia ora, nato teina tamaiti."

[errolmartyn]

May 22, 2019 11:31:28 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

This may be of interest:

MANAWATU TIMES, 15 JULY 1918

First Maori Airman

"CAN HOLD HIS OWN ANY DAY."

The first member of the Maori race to qualify as an airman is Lieutenant E. Taniwha Sutherland, of Rangitikei, and a nephew of Mr Tuiti Macdonald, the well-known Maori patriot of Levin. In a spirited letter to his kinsman Lieutenant Sutherland says:— "Your despatch of the 8th, which came to hand to-day, I can assure, helps to raise the fighting spirit, besides recalling vivid reflections of my last happy days in New Zealand with you and your friends. Personally I am at present doing fine, and another six weeks from now (May 14) should find me trying conclusions with the Huns. Some weeks ago I was seriously ill owing to an accident I had in South Surrey, and then I contracted tonsilitis; however, now I'm Al and can hold my own any day. We are leaving here this week for our final course of instruction in aeronautics. Undoubtedly, Tuiti, this is the service d 'elite of the Empire, especially when you have got your wings up, but of course you have to take all risks, but that's all in the game. I am quite proud of myself as an airman, especially being the first representative of the race. I'm making sure I'm going to master all the stunts in trick flying before I return. When all's said and done, it's nothing but common sense and determination that will lead you through. I am attached to the Royal Air Force. The aeroplanes we pilot vary in speed from 60 to 152 miles per hour; the slow ones are only used for tuition, of course, while the fast scout and fighter to their respective uses. I think it's up to you and I to teach our race something about flying. Practically, of course, one must be efficient in education, wireless, navigation by stars and compass, topography, and physically fit sound nerves, normal blood pressure. To my estimation, one with a strong will — determined and confident — will eventually make a pilot, no matter how old you are. However, we'll see after the war what we can do. There's nothing like making a name and then dying. We don't live long at this game, but we don't seem to worry about it. It's undone that pinch me. Kia ora, nato teina tamaiti."

Sutherland's letter was written on 14 May 18, at which time he was at No. 2 Cadet Wing at Hastings, but was posted to No. 6 School of Aeronautics at Bristol 3 days later. He didn't make pilot but graduated as an observer, in October, and was posted to 236 Squadron (DH.6 & DH.9) that same month.

Errol

[fwx]

So Sutherland was RAF, but is that correct about the exclusion of Maori from the NZPAF / RNZAF up until 1935?

[Dave Homewood]

I cannot find anything in Papers Past mentioning an exclusion of Maori from Air Force service (other than the article you quoted). Maori served with the NZ Army from its very beginning when formed in 1860 or so. I don't know the exact answer yet Chris but I suspect rather than a "colour bar" type situation, it may actually be more a matter of Maori applicants were among those turned down when jobs were advertised because of a lack of education and experience. In those early days men were clambering to join the Air Force. I think it was 1925 when they advertised to fill 15 positions in the NZPAF groundstaff and got over 600 applicants. In 1929 a similar number of vacancies saw over 1000 applicants. The Air Force was tiny up till around 1937-38 when a proper expansion programme was in place, so competition for any role was fierce, and often successful applicants had already served in the RAF ad other Air arms.

[isc]

Before the NZPAF there was Second Lt William Barnard Rhodes-Moorhouse VC of the RFC who was part Maori on his mothers side of the family, but educated in England. He was the first airman to receive the VC, also the first Maori to receive the VC.   isc

[fwx]

From the Air Force News Anniversary Issue, April 2017:



Leading Aircraftman George West – 1938

George West (Ngāi Tahu) became the first Māori member of the RNZAF when he joined as an aero engine fitter in 1936.

Aside from his regular duties at Wigram, George served as the station’s bugler, responsible for playing the 6.30am reveille (wake-up call). He quickly discovered that if he set his alarm for 6.25am he could wake, climb out of bed, raise the window, lean out with his bugle, play the wake-up call, close the window and go back to bed!

Sadly, George died on 12 May, 1939, when the Vickers Vildebeest he was flying in as a passenger crashed on the airfield at Wigram.

[Dave Homewood]

I am trying to work out what the building/s behind them are. Is that No. 2 Officer's Mess?