The Wings Over New Zealand Show

Guest: Chris Newey Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎28th of September 2026 Released: 1st of October 2026 Duration: 43 minutes Dave Homewood chats with Chris Newey about his latest book, Evader: On The Run In Wartime Europe – A Brief Account. The book focuses on the story of RNZAF pilot Ron Clark who was shot down in an Avro Lancaster bomber over occupied Europe. Landing by parachute on the Dutch-Belgian border, Ron was helped by locals and was put on the Belgian Lifeline, which was a network of brave people who assisted downed airman to get back to neutral and Allied territory. But unfortunately Ron was eventually betrayed to the Gestapo, and he ends up as a prisoner of war. Chris explained how this book came about: “In March 2020, NZ Bomber Command Association President Bruce Hebbard received an email from a Belgian woman, Evi Verhaert. The subject line read ‘How can I find relatives of a New Zealand aviator shot down in Belgium?’. Evi’s grandmother had guided a shot-down New Zealand pilot from one safe house to another in Antwerp in August 1944, when she was only 17 years old. Her father was a local organiser for ‘De Witte Brigade’, one of the Belgian underground organisations that helped run a sanctuary for evaders in thecellars of a bombed-out hospital. She delivered him safely to the care of the nuns who ran the hospital but never knew what happened to him after that. Over the years she had wondered, and had often told her children and grandchildren the story of “that New Zealand soldier”. Anna Julia “Julleke” Van Craen was by now 93 years old. With time on her hands during the COVID lockdown, Evi had offered to see if she could find him. A previously unseen document amongst her grandmother’s things named one of the hospital “refugees” as “Ronald Thomas Clark, Greystreet 27, Onehunga–Auckland”. She quickly found information online that appeared to confirm Clark had stayed at a hospital in Antwerp. Could we help find him or his family? Bruce passed the enquiry on to NZBCA Executive Officer (the late) Peter Wheeler who passed it on to me, as Ron Clark had served with 75 (NZ) Squadron, my specialist area. I knew a little bit about Ron’s story and had a connection; he was shot down on his very first “second dickey” op in Lancaster ND802 JN-D, the predecessor of my uncle’s Lancaster, HK601 JN-D. I was already in contact with the cousin of the pilot the night they were shot down. Sadly Frank Scott, from Christchurch, had been killed, along with Bomb Aimer Steve Cook from Invercargill, and Wireless Operator Ron Howson from Leicester. The other five survived. Author Max Lambert had written briefly about the incident in his book “Victory”, quoting from Ron Clark’s own account of that night. I emailed Max, who very kindly helped us obtain copies of Ron’s original POW Liberation and Escape & Evasion Reports. These provided further confirmation that Ron was in fact Julleke’s “soldier”. Sadly, we next found that Ron had died in October 2000, but through his funeral records were able to trace his family, in particular Christine, Ron’s oldest daughter and the family historian. Christine has carefully preserved all her father’s letters, photos and memorabilia and is very happy and proudto share them. She explained it was only in later years that Ron opened up about his dramatic wartime story, much to the family’s astonishment, and only then that he attempted to write it down. In 1991 he wrote his most detailed “brief account”, around which this book is based. It is an amazing story of evasion and survival, and one that has only become more fascinating as we have discovered more details through the many letters Ron received from his Belgian helpers after the war, throughdiaries and letters kept by his crewmates, through documents kept by Julleke and through our own research. Dutch aviation historian Henk Brul joined the team, helping us understand the crash and trace the surviving crew members’ evasion efforts. Then Evi made contact with a relative of one of the key DeWitte Brigade operatives who had written about the drama that was playing out behind the scenes as Ron Clark was passed along the compromised escape line. In 2025 I had the privilege of meeting Julleke, Evi and Henk, and of visiting the crash site and the graves of the three crewmates lost that night. Re-tracing Ron’s steps from Holland into Belgium, and eventually Antwerp, and talking with the Verhaert family helped me  understand something of the nightmare it must have been living under occupation. It has been six years. As the story grew it became clear that it needs to be told. As a record of the bravery and resilience of “that New Zealand soldier” and his crewmates, and as a tribute to the selfless bravery of the many unsung civilian heroes of the war, good people like Julleke and her family. Ron’s admiration and gratitude could be passed on, in his own words. Finally, we are able to give Julleke the full story of what became of her New Zealand soldier.“ EVADER – ‘A Brief Account’, by Chris Newey, with Evi Verhaert & Henk Brul Publisher ‏ : ‎ Aviation Books Limited, UK (25 August 2026)Paperback: ‎ 148 pagesISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1915335884ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1915335883Dimensions: 22.9 x 15.2 x 0.8 cm •  The New Zealand Bomber Command Association •  The New Zealand Bomber Command Association Facebook Page By The Book Here •  Air Force Museum of New Zealand Shop  •  The Great British Book Shop •  Amazon The front cover of Evader The back cover Ron Clark’s POW photo taken at Dulag Luft-ID on the 13th of September 1944 No longer wondering what happened to her ‘soldier’. Julleke with her book, photographed on the 7th of September 2026. The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Wing Commander Donald Ferguson Fleming, retired, RNZAF, known as Don Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎22nd of January 2026 Released: 26th of September 2026 Duration: 2 hour 37 minutes 27 seconds Dave Homewood sits down with Don Fleming, who grew up in the wild back blocks of the Whanganui River in the 1930s and early 40s. He got interested in aviation while at New Plymouth Boy’s High School as a boarder. And he was inspired when Squadron Leader Bob McKay flew the country’s first jet, Gloster Meteor NZ6001, over his school. Don joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1950, hoping to become a pilot, but instead finding himself training as an engineer. After training he was posted to No. 75 Squadron who were still operating de Havilland Mosquitoes, but this did not last long because he swapped his posting with a friend, and he ended up on No. 14 Squadron RNZAF which had just been re-equipped with and were converting onto de Havilland Vampire jets. Don was on the Advanced Party of No. 14 Squadron when they deployed to Nicosia in Cyprus in October 1952, and he was assigned as the mechanic who looked after pilot Stuart McIntyre’s Vampire. He talks about life on the squadron at Cyprus, and the squadron’s Coronation tour in Africa. He tells how at the end of his Cyprus tour, a last minute decision to fly to England to meet the RNZAF Handley Page Hastings there and catch it to fly home (instead of waiting for it to reach Cyprus) nearly ended in disaster with him stuck there. But he ended up at Pembroke Dock in Wales where he joined the crew of newly purchased Short Sunderland MR.5 NZ4115, which was being ferried to New Zealand. He tells about how the hull was holed in Egypt and he had to find a way to stop water rushing in. And then further incidents along the trip to New Zealand. Don was commissioned and spent time as a Transport Officer at RNZAF Shelly Bay. During that time he studied by correspondence for a New Zealand Certificate in Engineering. He passed that and was then sent off by the RNZAF Engineering Branch to England for a post-gradate course at the College at RAF Henlow. Following the RAF course, Don was posted in as second-in-charge of the Airframe Reconditioning Squadron at No. 1 Repair Depot, RNZAF Base Woodbourne. He then did a crash course at No. 2 Technical Training School, Wigram, to refresh his avionics knowledge, before being sent to NAS Moffett Field in the USA where he joined the RNZAF team who were learning all about the Lockheed P-3B Orion. They were responsible for receiving the RNZAF’s new fleet of five Orions from Lockheed. Once the Orion mission was completed, Don was back at Whenuapai and posted to No. 40 Squadron, looking after the Lockheed C-130H Hercules. And then he was back to Wellington, working in Air Department. After three years at Air Department Don was planning to leave the RNZAF, but instead he found himself posted to London as the Engineer Officer representative. He was involved in overseeing the building of the BAC167 Strikemaster fleet and the Westland Wasps. He was at the launch of the Royal New Zealand Navy’s frigate HMNZS Canterbury and went on its sea trials with the Wasp Flight. When his London posting ended, Don returned to New Zealand as chief training officer of the RNZAF, looking after all the training and exams. He retired with the rank of Wing Commander in 1976, or 1977. When he left the RNZAF after more than quarter of a century, he went to work with U.E.B (United Empire Box), and he ended up managing and rescuing a paper bag factory in Wellington. Once he had put that factory back on it’s feet, he was then shifted to manage the Bremworth Carpet Mill. And then he was shifted again to manage Roxburgh Furniture, in Te Atatu. Don’s next role was heading up the textile and apparel trade training board. And he became trade training officer for the security guard industry. And then he joined Hawker Pacific as quality control manager and worked there for eleven years, till he retired in 1983. In retirement Don kept busy, serving for around a decade as a member of the Aeronautical Council of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and Chairman of the Auckland Branch of the RAeS. He also worked with for years with Geoff Rodliffe in building a replica of Richard Pearse’s Flyer, in association with MOTAT. They even took the aeroplane to England and displayed it with the engine running at Old Warden, and in Cornwall. Don also talks about working at Buckingham Palace Garden Parties, and working with Governor-General Sir Denis Blundall. The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud. Don Fleming in January 2026

Guest: Squadron Leader Peter Pennell, retired, RNZAF Navigator Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎17th of August 2026 Released: 27th of August 2026 Duration: 1 hour 59 minutes 6 seconds Dave Homewood sits down with Peter Pennell, a former RNZAF Navigator, for a chat. Peter was posted straight from completion of his training at Wigram to England where he joined No. 75 Squadron RNZAF and began conversion to the English Electric Canberra bomber. The squadron then collected six Canberra B.2’s and ferried them to their new base at Tengah, Singapore. The unit replaced No. 14 Squadron and were soon involved in operations as part of the Malayan Emergency. Peter talks in detail and tells some classic stories about those days in Canberras, particularly with No. 75 Squadron in Singapore for 2.5 years, and also about his next posting to No. 14 Squadron back home at Ohakea in the Canberra B(I).12 bombers and T.13 trainers. Peter was again deployed to Singapore with the Canberras, this time on No. 14 Squadron during the Indonesian Confrontation. After a year with No. 14 Squadron, Peter was posted to the Transport Support Unit at RNZAF Station Whenuapai where he converted onto Bristol Freighter transport planes. Once trained up as a navigator on the Freighter, he was then posted to No. 41 Squadron RNZAF, and made his way back to Singapore. The squadron was flying in support of Australian and US forces in South East Asia. He had a stint in Douglas C-47 Dakotas of No. 42 Squadron next at Ohakea, and then was posted back to Whenuapai to a non-flying role in Base Operations. He ended up having control of every aircraft movement in the RNZAF throughout New Zealand and overseas. Peter tells some absolutely classic stories, and in detailed clarity. Air to air view of No. 75 Squadron Canberra WH739 dropping bombs over Malaya.These are the first bombs dropped by No. 75 Squadron in the Malaya Emergency. Photo taken by Peter Pennell from the lead Canberra. Air Force Museum of New Zealand photo DPRSEA228-58. Above: Peter Pennell The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.

Guest: Dr. Dan Ellin of the International Bomber Command Centre, and Andrew Panton of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎28th of July 2026 Released: 21st of August 2026 Duration: 58 minutes 56 seconds Lincolnshire is Bomber County, remembered as the heart and home of RAF Bomber Command in WWII (even though a lot of Bomber Command stations were also situated in Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire and beyond, too.) In this episode Dave Homewood revisited the amazing Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre at East Kirkby in Lincolnshire with Dr. Dan Ellin of the International Bomber Command Centre, which is based in Lincoln. Dan, who was last on the WONZ Show three years ago, updates Dave on everything that is now happening at the of the International Bomber Command Centre’s archive. This is an amazing and ever growing collection of Bomber Command photos, logbooks, documents and ephemera. And Dave and Dan then caught up with Andrew Panton, the General Manager of the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre. Andrew gives an update on the different things happening around the museum, including the restoration on Lancaster ‘Just Jane’, as well as plans to expand the collection and to build a new hangar and display building. He also talks about the recent visit of the Avro Anson Mk. 1 which used to be in New Zealand. Andrew also talks about their then-upcoming airshow (which took place on the 1st of August.) Quick Links: •  The International Bomber Command Centre •  The IBCC Digital Archive •  The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre, East Kirkby Previous WONZ Show Episodes •  WONZ 285 Andrew Panton on East Kirkby •  WONZ 286 Dr Dan Ellin at the International Bomber Command Centre The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud. Dr Dan Ellin watching Lancaster ‘Just Jane’ complete her taxi run.

Guest: Paul Waite of the Tangmere Aviation Museum Host: Dave Homewood Recorded: ‎18th of July 2026 Released: 15th of August 2026 Duration: 53 minutes 25 seconds In this episode Dave Homewood visits the Tangmere Aviation Museum and he speaks with the museum manager Paul Waite. The museum is situated on the former RAF Tangmere airfield, famous as a front line station in the defence of the United Kingdom during the Battle of Britain, and as a base for numerous Fighter Command an No. 2 Tactical Air Force squadrons taking the offensive back to the Germans thereafter. In the postwar years it also became the base of the High Speed Flight of the Central Fighter Establishment, whose pilots set some of the world speed records of the 1950s. Paul Waite outside the Tangmere Aviation Museum. Quick Links: •  Tangmere Aviation Museum Website •  Tangmere Military Aviation Museum Community on Facebook •  Tangmere Aviation Museum – Founder’s Page The music at the end of this episode is Wild Flower by Joachim Karud.