Wartime RNZAF Members who became MP's

[Dave Homewood]

It's interesting that a number of New Zealand's Members of Parliament in the past had served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force during WWII.

Some I am aware of include:

John Bowie Gordon QSO, known as Peter (23 July 1921 – 17 March 1991), National, Minister of Transport, was a Hudson pilot
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Gordon_(politician)

Herbert Elmer Lorraine Pickering QSO JP, known as Lorrie Pickering (29 March 1919 – 25 July 2009) National, Minister of Education, was a flying instructor and served two tours overseas during his six years of service - not sure what in.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lorrie_Pickering

Robert James Tizard CNZM, known as Bob (7 June 1924 – 28 January 2016) Labour Deputy PM, Minister of Finance, Health and Defence. he was a navigator on Lancasters 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Tizard

Sir Brian Edward Talboys CH KCB AC PC (7 June 1921 – 3 June 2012), National Deputy PM, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Industry, Industries and Commerce, Education and Agriculture. Trained to fly in RNZAF, never went to operations.

Any others?

[tbf2504]

Thomas Francis Gill CBE, DSO RNZAF 1938 - 1939, RAF 1939 Aug 1944, RNZAF Aug 1944 - Dec 1969 later Hon TF Gill MP, then NZ Ambassador Washington

[classicman]

Frank O’Flynn. MP for Kapiti and Minister of Defence. Served in the Pacific according to Wikipedia.

[angelsonefive]

Arthur Faulkner ( 1921 to 1985 ) Labour Party MP and Cabinet Minister.

RNZAF, flew Spitfires and Typhoons in the RAF.

[angelsonefive]

Robert ( Bob ) Tizard ( 1924 - 2016 ) Labour Party MP, Cabinet Minister, and Deputy Prime Minister.

Joined RNZAF March 1943, trained as navigator, commissioned Pilot Officer February 1945 and promoted to Flying Officer in August 1945.


Oops, sorry for the duplication.

[angelsonefive]

John Gerald O'Brien ( known as Gerald ) 1924 - 2017, Labour Party MP for Island Bay from 1968 to 1978 when he left the Party.

Joined the RNZAF in 1942 at the age of 17 and was trained as a radar operator. He served solely in NZ and was released from the Air Force in 1946.

[davidd]

Don't forget T P (Tom) Shand, Minister of Labour in the National Government in the late 1950s or 1960s, who flew Hudsons in the Pacific, will have to look up with which squadrons! May have been 4 Sqdn in Fiji.

Brian Talboys, mentioned above, was a Minister (Agriculture?) in the National Government in 1960s/70s, but spent most of war in Canada as an aircrew trainee. He almost died there of an unspecified disease and remained in Canada until repatriated to NZ in late 1945 or 1946. He may have been last trainee to be repatriated to NZ from Canada.

Frank O'Flynn, also mentioned above, ended up on Catalinas, possibly with 5 Sqdn. However, he was also a flying instructor at Wigram for quite a while, on Oxfords.

[Dave Homewood]

I just discovered that:

Roger Patrick Blundell Drayton JP (4 January 1925 – 21 June 1986), Labour MP from 1969-1978 was in the Royal New Zealand Air Force from 1944 until 1969, by which time he had risen to the rank of Squadron leader. He served in the administrative section of the RNZAF and served abroad in Australia, Fiji and Singapore. Following World War II he was employed as a computer systems analyst for the Ministry of Defence.

[tbf2504]

The Hon Peter Gordon, wartime pilot and Minister of Labour

[Dave Homewood]

Peter Gordon was the first one I mentioned.

[tbf2504]

sorry missed that!!

[Dave Homewood]

Here is one that went the other way:

M.P. IN AIR FORCE

(0.C.) ROTORUA, Sunday
The first member of the House of Representatives to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Mr. A. F. Moncur, was entertained at a social and dance in the Town Hall concert, chamber on Saturday night. Mr. Moncur is a member of an aerodrome construction unit. He received several presentations on behalf of local organisations.

NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 28 JULY 1941