New Zealanders in the Air War

[Calum]

Just bought New Zealanders in the Air War from a guy on aussie modeller.



Any opinions...

[Dave Homewood]

I assume you mean the 1944 book by Alan W. Mitchell?

It is a superb book. Mitchell was one of the few (only?) reporters sent from NZ to specifically cover the RNZAF activities in Britain and Europe. He got on well with the aircrews there and so they gave him some great interviews. He wrote for newspapers back home, but by 1944 he decided to compile a lot of his best work into a book.

So this covers a lot of the better known NZ airmen, from Cobber Kain through to Jimmy Ward, and I found his writings of these men to be really personal, he genuinely got to know these men in many cases. There are some others there not so highly sung about, like the chapter on the crew of Thomas Frederick Duck, the Wellington and Lancaster who's nose art is in the RNZAF Museum.

He covers most of the RNZAF Squadrons, but I recall Ron Watts telling me that he used to visit them at 488 Sqn, and ask if he could do stories on them too, but he was never allowed to as their activities were so top secret. It annoyed the crews and Mitchell both, because there was a feeling in the public that 488 was never in action unlike all the others he reported on in the papers, which was quite untrue. I cannot recall if by 1944 when he compiled the book if he was finally allowed to mention them.

I have been looking for a personal copy for some time, but it's usually very expensive to pick up so I'm waiting for the right one to come along.

Seriously, I don't think you'll be disappointed. I think it's a great book.

[phasselgren]

I made a search on Abebooks (http://dogbert.abebooks.com) and found 19 copies of this book with prices from 8,47 to 70,00 USD. Abebooks is a good source for second-hand and new books.

Peter

[Calum]

Thanks all

[Calum]

Got the book today, it's a bit rough but hey it's 70 years old :-) Looks like it will be a good read, although I was hoping for a fe wmore pictures.

[Calum]

Been reading this book during the Week. What a great read. I've learnt heaps...

So many famous airmen I never realised were kiwis ......

I was going to on sell it once read but I'm going to keep it....

[phil82]

Yes, and one of them was a Marshal of The Royal Air Force!

Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy
Marshal of the Royal Air Force Samuel Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy KG GCB CBE DSO LVO DFC AFC (born 23 March 1911, died 4 April 1993) was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force.

Elworthy was Chief of the Air Staff from 1 September 1963 to 31 March 1967 and then Chief of the Defence Staff until his retirement in 1971. He served

And I met him! He retired to NZ after a stint at Windsor Castle, and he performed some official function or other at Taupo for which the RNZAF laid on a VIP Dakota, the very aircraft which is now in the RNZAF Museum. I was sent to Taupo as the liaision officer, to meet and greet him aftr his function.It would have been 1976-77. Myself and the crew were standing under the wing of the Dak because it was hosing down, and his car arrived at the steps, and I dutifully stepped forward and slauted as you do, and he went around to the back of the car to get a bag! I suggested he might like to get out of the rain and I would get his bag, and he said, No, it's alright, if you're going to get wet then we'll both get wet".

Now this guy was a MRAF, I'd never even seen one before, let alone met one, especially one who was prepared to carry his own bag. A memorable occasion for me! He was one of the Elworthy family of Timaru, who own half the South Island apparently.

[phil82]

....and, I had more than a beer or two with Air Commdore Jamie Jameson after he retired to NZ. He was a Hutt Valley High School boy who joined the RAF, and was involved in the 1940 Norway campaign. They were told to destroy their Hurricanes [46 Sqn] but decided instead to attampt what none of them had ever done before, and that was fly out to sea to land on an aircraft carrier, HMS Glorious. but which was unfortunately sunk. Jamieson was one of only two pilots to survive because, as he said to me one day, "I used to swim in the Hutt river every day".

From the three British vessels 1,519 lost their lives, including 1,207 from the carrier alone; 41 of the latter were RAF ground personnel, and 18 were pilots.
Squadron Leader Cross and Flight Lieutenant Jameson from 46 Squadron managed to get aboard a Carley float with 61 seamen, but 25 of the latter died of exposure and exhaustion before the 38 survivors, the two RAF men amongst them, were finally picked up by a passing fishing vessel.
Petty Officer Richard T. ‘Dick’ Leggot, 802 Squadron FAA was also one of the survivors.


He stayed on in the RAF after the war, then inherited a castle in Ireland due to being a part of the Jameson Whiskie crowd. He hated the dampness however, so came home to NZ. A lovely guy.