15-05-2025
Honouring unrecognised airmen
Preparing for a memorial wall which will be set up later this year at the South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Centre are Sally Crook and Jeremy Talbot. PHOTO: SHELLEY INON
Long-forgotten heroes are being remembered by a local organisation.
The South Canterbury Aviation Heritage Centre has begun a project aimed at recording and preserving all of the names of the South Canterbury men who lost their lives while serving New Zealand in the Air Force — the majority of who served in World War 2.
Organiser and historian Sally Crook said over 230 men from South Canterbury had served in different roles in the war and in many different types of aircraft.
Miss Crook said some of the men served in Bomber Command, which she had read had an average life expectancy of only two weeks.
"For a long time the contributions of those who served in Bomber Command went unrecognised because bombing campaigns had high civilian losses too."
She said there were many airmen with no known grave, and some families had lost more than one member.
"I'm certain there are people I haven't found, so we will be leaving space on the board to add to."
She said the people on the wall were the "quiet stories".
She was hopeful people in the region could help her along with her task by providing more photographs of the men.
Whether they had been born in the area, gone to school here or worked here, they would be included.
Members from the centre had felt it was important to preserve the names now as it might be the last chance to find photographs before all of the information was lost.
The children born to men who had died in World War 2 would now be at least 80.
Photographs of relatives from South Canterbury who served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force or other Allied air forces and did not make it home, could be sent to aviationheritagecentre@
If someone had a photograph but were not able to send a copy she asked they got in touch with the group and they would see how they could help.
She said the exhibition would be opened with a memorial service later in the year.
An open day would be held this Sunday from 10am-4pm.
Entry was $5 for adults and $2 for children, cash or bank transfer.
