My VC Winner.
Sergeant James Allen Ward, RNZAF (attached to RAF)
Date of action: 7 July 1941 (over The Netherlands)
Date of award: 5 August 1941
Date of award: 5 August 1941
James Ward was the first New Zealand airman to win the VC. The Whanganui-born schoolteacher joined the RNZAF in July 1940 and left for Great Britain to serve with the RAF after completing his pilot training. He won his VC while returning from a raid on the German city of Münster on 7 July 1941. When his Vickers Wellington bomber was set alight by an enemy fighter plane, Ward climbed out onto the burning wing (several thousand feet in the air) and smothered the fire. Although he was unable to block the leaking petrol pipe that was feeding it, the fire eventually burnt itself out and the badly damaged bomber limped back to base. Because of this he saved the lives of 6 people on board the plane.
Kia ora Hamish,
ReplyDeleteI like how you have found extra information about the number of lives he saved through his heroic act. Great job! Maybe you could think about summarising the information about Sergeant James Allen Ward into your own words. This will make your learning more meaningful. A good strategy to use is choosing only the most important parts and then writing it again into your own words.
I don't think I would be brave enough to climb out of an aircraft high in the air, let alone one that was on fire!! Jame Ward sounds like he was truly a brave man who was very deserving of the VC award.
The bravest thing I have done is walk around the top of the Sky Tower in Auckland. For my birthday, my friend Neena and I did the Sky Walk 220 metres in the air! It was pretty scary being up that high, but I knew I was safe with the safety harness attached to me. I'll send you a picture of me doing the Sky Walk.
Sky Walk picture link: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/1/my-drive
Are you able to explain to me the bravest thing that you have done?
Keep up the great blogging!
Noho ora mai,
Emiely :)