I’ve been asked to post this in an attempt to get some info on recent events which are concerning some locals out here in NZ.
During the war Mosquito MM150, and others from its unit, crashed near Newbury when they were returning from a mission and encountered fog. Equipment failures resulted in the crashes and the deaths of the crews. The crews were buried in the local cemetery.
One of the crew was John Parenara Morgan a Maori from the Ngai Tahu tribe from here in the South Island NZ. Over a year ago a Mike Croft from the UK appealed to the local NZ newspapers for info on the crash and the family got in touch. Theywere told by Croft that a dig was being organised and that the recovered items would go on display in a museum he was associated with.
Despite several attempts the family have been unable to ascertain who, if anyone, Croft is associated with. The dig has been verified as taking place but no museum display of the items has been located. Does anyone know what the facts of this are?
After the internment a piece of Pounamu (NZ greenstone or Jade) was engraved with Morgan’s image and affixed to the grave at the base of the headstone. This has now vanished and this is also a concern to the family.
Maori place great stock in matters spiritual and the crash site being the place of death fell under a tapu (a notion in the same context as consecration/cursed/sacred or the like) and the dig should have been preceded by the appropriate ceremony to lift the tapu. Likewise as Morgan was a warrior who fell in battle his mana (you bearing or status) is considerable and the removal of the pounamu a matter of great violation.
As a personal friend of some family members I have agred to make this request for info on their behalf and welcome any input anyone may make.
Thanks.
By: Nachtjagd - 22nd August 2012 at 17:35
Res: be careful. There are several ‘frequent flyers’ on this forum who regularly offer WW2 aircraft wreckage from excavation sites on ebay. This is one of the reasons (IMHO) why the UK MOD tends to frown on some infamous diggers. Personally I cannot support this activity which I find distasteful and very disrespectful. However, they will argue – and I have read this for myself from an interview in a UK archaeological magazine – that the expense of renting excavators etc justifies it. Of course, we will never know what their profit margins actually look like. So, be careful in this minefield.
By: Resmoroh - 22nd August 2012 at 17:07
Quite apart from the Maori spiritual approach to the problem, it seems to me that there are some folk who are still appalled that such WW2 aviation (and similar) sites are desecrated. I agree. But until such time as persons convicted of this sort of crime (and I include stealing metal WW2 memorial sites) are not just given a slap on the wrist and 50 hours Community Service, but are sent to prison for a very, very, long time and/or made to feel real pain by being birched, then this sort of behaviour will not stop. To hell with Human Rights. Make ’em suffer – and then it will (I guarantee you) stop overnight. If it doesn’t then increase the pain and imprisonment. Eventually, even the lower orders will realise (with their reduced intellectual ability) that it’s not worth the candle to steal this sort of thing (and I include those to whom they sell their ‘salvage’). But you can only ensure this by electing a government with the guts to do this via legislation. If not then please just use this forum to bleat about it.
Resmoroh
PS If the Mods find this offensive then remove it – we will all know where their sympathies lie.
By: oldgit158 - 22nd August 2012 at 16:33
I know this is an old thread,but parts from this Mosquito have appeared on ebay recently,offered by a seller in Buckinghamshire.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ww2-aircraft-crash-relic-mosquito-b-xvI-mm150-/110932528673?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item19d4180e21
Is there not something which stops people from selling crashed aircraft items on ebay?
This sticks in my throat when its known that people have died giving thier lives for our freedom and not to make money out of them
By: Mike Parks - 18th August 2012 at 09:02
mystery Solved?.
I know this is an old thread,but parts from this Mosquito have appeared on ebay recently,offered by a seller in Buckinghamshire.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ww2-aircraft-crash-relic-mosquito-b-xvI-mm150-/110932528673?pt=UK_Collectables_Militaria_LE&hash=item19d4180e21
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August 21, 2004 at 9:59 pm