New Zealanders with the RAF in WWII

Lately there seems to be a huge push to recognise the Polish pilots and aircrew who served with the Royal Air Force in WWII. Whilst I completely recognise and realise their contribution, I am also left wondering why that particular country is being singled out for greatest praise, while others that contributed seem to be all but forgotten.

I’d like to impart a few facts about the New Zealanders that contributed, against the contribution of the Poles.

– In September 1939 Poland had a population of approximately 35,000,000 people. New Zealand had a population of 1,641,600 people

– Despite having a very tiny Air Force ourselves, by September 1939 New Zealand had already contributed over 600 pilots and aircrew to the RAF under a mid-1930’s scheme where they were initially trained in this country and completed their training in Britain. By September 1939 many were already in key roles. This is also not counting numerous New Zealanders who’d served in the RFC, RNAS and RAF during WWI and stayed on, to rise to high rank by WWII – people like Keith Park and Arthur Coningham. Many thousands more were to come after that with 10,550 aircrew and groundcrew eventually going through the Empire Air Training Scheme.

– Before the war, and until well into the war (1942!) the RNZAF did not even have any fighter squadrons, with our Air Force concentrating on training men for the RAF and our own needs, and protecting our shores using General Reconnaissance bombers. But despite no fighter squadrons in the RNZAF, New Zealand produced some of the finest fighter pilots of the war.

– In 1939 Poland’s Air Force was thrust into the war without any choice after they were invaded by Germany. Every single man and woman in New Zealand’s Air Force however were volunteers, and thousands of them made the personal choice to get involved in the air war in Europe.

– New Zealanders had to travel the furthest distance in the world of any nationality to join the European war

– The Poles are much celebrated for fielding up to 145 aircrew who took part during the Battle of Britain. New Zealand provided 135 or possibly more pilots to Fighter Command during the Battle, and there were also many hundreds more serving operationally in Bomber Command and Coastal Command in the Battle, and non-operationally with Training Command, or in planning and strategic roles and in other areas during that crucial period contributing vitally to the victory. Many of the New Zealanders had served in France and Norway too and spent a much longer period operationally than the Poles,and the Czechs and others during the Battle of Britain.

– New Zealand produced the most fighter aces per capita of any country in the war. Many of the top scoring aces of the Battle of Britain were kiwis. People like Colin Gray, Alan Deere, Brian Carbury, Bill ‘Hawkeye’ Wells and others all contributed magnificently to the RAF’s tally during the Battle of Britain and in the years to follow.

– New Zealand was the first nation to form its own squadron within the RAF, when the New Zealand Squadron (converting to Wellingtons) was offered to the RAF by the New Zealand Government in August 1939. They were renamed No. 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF in April 1940. They were to fly in the first and the last offensive bomber operations of WWII. They flew the highest number of ops, and had the second highest number of casualties.

– New Zealand also formed six more squadrons within the RAF, No. 485 (NZ) Squadron [Spitfires, Tempests], No. 486 (NZ) Squadron [Hurricanes, Typhoons, Tempests], No. 487 (NZ) Squadron [Venturas, Mosquitos], No. 488 (NZ) Squadron [Blenheims, Beauforts, Beaufighters, Mosquitos], No. 489 (NZ) Squadron [Blenheims, Hampdens, Beaufighters, Mosquitos], and No. 490 (NZ) Squadron [Catalinas, Sunderlands]. Not bad for a tiny nation that was also maintaining 12 fighter squadrons, 7 bomber reconnaissance, 2 flying boat, 3 Army Co-op and 3 transport squadrons at home and in the Pacific, not to mention all the training establishments, OTU’s, and all the other flying and ground units. PLUS New Zealanders apparently served on every RAF squadron in WWII at one time or another.

– Many New Zealanders ended up leading famous RAF squadrons and stations. Some led whole Groups.

– New Zealand aircrew and groundcrew members served with RAF Squadrons not only in Britain but also in Singapore, Malaya, Burma, India, Ceylon, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, other parts of Africa and the Middle East, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Russia, Canada, the USA, and anywhere else the RAF was established.

These are just a few facts about the airmen of my country who served in or attached to the Royal Air Force in WWII, and when I read that there’s a political movement afoot to create a special £1,000,000 memorial in London to the Poles who served in the RAF, I cannot help thinking about the others who did an equal share. We should not forget any of them.