ARTHUR LEONARD HUMPHRIES QSO, DFM, JP

Interview: 21 April 1999

Interviewer: Alva M Faul

Abstracter: Alva M Faul

Total Duration: 1 hour 25 mins

PLEASE NOTE THAT THE TIMINGS RELATE TO THE ORIGINAL TAPE RECORDING

0’48” Introduction and Identification of Family

48' 75" Schooling: Tutarau School and RNZAF

75' 78" Ethnic origin

78' 96" Lived at Tutarau, Rotorua, Canada (Airforce Training School) England (in RNZAF), Southland

96' 142” Outline of Interests: Local Government. Education, Farming, Golf, Tennis, Bowls, Fishing, Hiking, Masonic Lodge, Justice of the Peace Association

142' 148" Wife - Doreen. Officer in RAF. Married July 1946

148' 160" Family. 2 daughters, 1 son.

160' 166" Good Health

166' 178" Service with Education Boards, Schools and Colleges; Early involvement with Edendale school and Education Board

178' 184" Edendale School Committee. 10 years, Chairman.

184' 188 Elected to Southland Education Board. Served 28 years. Appointed to many allied parts of the Education Board

188' 206" Edendale School burnt down 1962. 130-150 pupils housed elsewhere in community.

206’ 236” Establishment of School Bus service.

236' 243" Southland Education Board. Deputy Chairman 1981 - 1984. Chairman 1984 - 89

243' 260" Chairman Cargill High School Board. Education Board representative on Southland Technical College Board. Chairman during transition to Southland Polytechnic.

260' 268" Building of Cargill High School. Good report with the Education Department in Christchurch.

268 '290" Served on Secondary School Boards Association. Head Office in Wellington. Represented- the Southern Region which was from Christchurch south. Met quarterly. Worked with Post Primary Teachers Association.

288' 296" Worked with Ministers of Education. Mr Wellington, Mr -Lange, Mr Gander and Sir Brian Talboys.

298' 323" Served on Education Boards Association. Made up of Chairmen and General Managers of Boards. Met in Wellington quarterly and had Annual Conference. Worked with Primary Teachers Association.

323' 345" Served on Board of Governors of St Peter's College, Gore. Dealt with integration of the school to a Form I to Form 7 school. Strong local objection to transition.

345' 354" Had a good relationship with staff

354' 384" Life as an airman. First stationed at Brighton England before being posted to 75 Bomber Squadron. Prior to World War 1 1 New Zealand Government had bought bomber planes from UK. 75 Squadron was manned mainly by New Zealanders and were under the control of the RAF

384' 392" Bomber Aircraft were Wellingtons, Stirlings and then Lancasters. Arthur was a navigator.

392' 413" Ranks: Flight Sergeant, granted Commission as Pilot Officer. After war while still in Britain promoted to Flight Lieutenant.

409' 415" Flew 32 1/2 operations.

415' 428" Had a number of "hair-raising flights". Daylight raids after Normandy landing. Shelled ahead of the army. Targeted the big guns at Calais and the flying bomb sights. Much damage done by flying bombs in London and South East England.

428' 452" Most successful raids were the bombing of oil refineries and railway marshalling yards.

458' 472" Had some flights to drop mines outside Norwegian harbours.

472' 496" On one flight the bomb aimer’s dome was shot off. This allowed the air in, blowing out all the windows in the plane. They were flying at about 20,000 feet. They dived down and returned to base at very low altitude without instruments. The temperature was extremely cold. The pilot suffered severe frost bite. The pilot was awarded the DFC.

496' 506" Arthur -was awarded the DFM for guiding the plane back to base. October 1944

506' 510" On another flight the aircraft returned to base with 140 bullet holes. Considered lucky to get back.

End of side 1 of Tape 1

Tape 1 Side 2

512' 527" Shot down over Munster, in Rhur Valley in Germany on his 33rd. raid. The plane was hit by anti-aircraft fire. One engine shot off and the other on fire. Ordered to bale out. Escape hatch stuck.

527’ 538" Arthur parachuted into a field. Twisted ankle on landing. Captured and taken prisoner by German youths.

538’ 583” Seven on plane; 3 killed, 4 survived. Bomb Aimer, Upper Gunner and Pilot ki8lled. All but wireless operator had been with the crew since its beginning. The crew had a very close relationship. German youths had one rifle between them. Arthur afraid they were going to use it. Crew members did not attempt to evade capture.

583' 610" Prisoner of War Camp for 3 months. Was on the first truck load of prisoners released. Allied troops came through. Had a 10 day “Cooks Tour” of Germany. Most places had been evacuated. Finished up at Lubeck on the Baltic until flown back to England on a Lancaster. Arthur comments on the devastation of Germany. Mentions Hanover was a heap of rubble.

610' 622" Arthur returned to Brighton where the NZ Manning -Pool was. No records of him were found. He had been posted as missing and never recorded as a POW. He returned to 75 Squadron. While in Germany- he had swapped his Airman's uniform for an American wind-breaker jacket, for safety reasons. The Germans understandably didn't like airmen very much. Arthur comments that one or two had been strung up to telephone poles.

622' 635" Arthur had no pay, was short of clothes and was running up a bill in the mess until he met Bill Jordan, (the NZ High Commissioner, in London) who, when visiting the Air Base, learnt of Arthur's plight, ordered him to present himself at the High Commissioner's office where he received clothing coupons and money. Arthur spoke highly of Mr Jordan.

635' 640" Arthur explained that because he had been posted as missing, his records had been sent to a central depot hence the problems he experienced at the Manning Pool and the Air Base.

640' 652" Arthur returned to Brighten where he was offered a position. He had the opportunity to return home but chose to stay to have a look around. He worked at PDRC (Personnel, Despatch, and Reception Centre) sending people home to NZ.

652' 657 Played rugby with some very good N Z players.

657’ 670” Met his wife Doreen who was an accountants officer at PDRC. NZ airmen had been paid by RAF. Wages and savings had to be converted to NZ rates. The Centre also dealt with possessions and left luggage

670’ 677” Arthur and Doreen married in London July 1946

677’ 687” PDRC, which had been housed in the Grand hotel in Brighton was moved to Gloucester for a few months. The hotel owners wished to return to operating as a hotel.

687’ 712” PDRC Was moved to -Pembray, Wales

712’ 725” Arthur and Doreen returned to NZ by ship. Left England in November and arrived in Wellington early December 1946 on the same day that the "Wanganella" foundered on Barrett's Reef in Wellington Harbour.

725” 40” Citation for DFM read by Abstracter.

740’ 763” Arthur speaks of the investiture at Buckingham Palace. He spoke with King George VI. He found the King easy to converse with and remembers the grandeur of the palace and the beautiful art works.

764' 795" Return to Tutarau and Farming: Returned to Tutarau to live at parents place. Arthur worked on his uncle's farm, named "Waitui", at Kamahi. They settled at Kamahi (near to Edendale hill), on a back road. Doreen had to walk about a mile across the paddocks to the main road to catch a bus to Invercargill

795' 818" 1949 Arthur took over half of his Uncles property which was about 1 1/2 miles south of the Edendale Hill on the right hand side of the road, travelling north. The district was Spurhead.

818’ 845" Arthur explains the ownership of the properties. Land was taken over by the Government for the settlement of Returned Servicemen. Didn't have a car. They used to ride a horse to the railway siding where the butcher and baker would leave their provisions.

845' 861" Farm was 290 acres. It carried 800 sheep and 20 to 30 cattle at first. About 100 acres was swamp which Arthur drained to bring into pastures. At retirement the farm carried 2,000 sheep and no cattle.

861' 876" For many years 70 to 80 acres of wheat were grown. With his brother Arthur built a dryer and erected storage sheds. The wheat was sold to mills and some was shipped away from Bluff.

876' 893" Shearing: At first open shearing with local shearers employed. Later contract shearers. A shearing shed was built and adjacent kitchen. No accommodation.

893' 923" Farm machinery: Arthur had basic machinery and shared a tractor with his brother until he started the cultivation of wheat. He also shared machinery with three neighbours who were very cooperative....this cut down on overheads. Arthur and his brother bought a header.

923' 946" Federated Farmers: Belonged to the Morton Mains branch. 2 -years as president at an interesting time when the Alliance Freezing Company was being -formed and also the Fertiliser Works. The branch sold a lot of shares.

946' 962" Retired to Invercargill about 15 years ago. Son took over the farm.

962' 989" Son sold most of the farm retaining just 50 acres which he grazes. He works shift work as a warder at the Justice Department.

989' 013" Justice of the Peace: Nominated by the Morton Mains Federated Farmers in 1959. During first years he dealt with affidavits, and witnessing documents. Attended many trainings.

013' 019" Became involved with administration. Assisted in the establishment of the J P Association in Gore. Arthur was involved in the settling of the boundaries of the Police Districts.

End of Side 2 of Tape 1.

Tape 2 side 1

0’ 17’ A member of the inaugural committee of the Gore JPs Association. A lot of work with petrol rebates. Served on the Executive commenting on the suitability of nominations for JPs. very confidential work. No court work. Voluntary.

17’ 30” On transferring to Invercargill Arthur joined the Court panel. 1984. At first dealt with minor cases. People who had not paid parking fines etc. The jurisdiction -for JPs was- expanded to deal with cases up to $1000 fines....loss of licence, careless use of motor vehicle. Worked a lot with the late Keith Drummond and the late Raymond Wilson.

30' 37" Dealt with Preliminary Hearings. Made assessments of whether there was sufficient evidence for a case to go before a jury.

37' 44 ' Heard evidence of a murder case when a young man was murdered at Curio Bay. Took more than a week. Heard a lot of assault cases. Quite time consuming

44' 59" Attended a week long educational seminar in Christchurch held at Canterbury University. Went to lectures from 7am to 9pm. Set up an educational system in Southland. Planned a year’s programme for education of local JPs. Dealt with changes in legislation, had mock trials, involved Judges who gave advice. Arthur found this most interesting.

59' 79" Was president of Invercargill JPs Association for 2 years. 40 years as JP. Has had no honorariums. It is against the JPs Code of Ethics to receive same. All their work is voluntary.

79” 93” Awarded QSO for Community Service 1989: Service to Education, RSA (2 terms as president at Edendale) and JPs.

93’ 105” Arthur was particularly interested in the welfare aspect of RSA. Pensions for people in need, looking after widows etc.

105' 120" Went to Wellington for investiture along with Doreen and his sister. Sir Paul Reeves presented QSO. Arthur comments on the dignity of the service and the grandeur of Government House.

120' 134" RETIREMENT: Arthur doesn't know the meaning of this word. Plays bowls as a way of getting to know the local people.

134' 139" Became involved with people in his street. Assisted a neighbour in clearing bush where a reserve has now been created for children to play on.

139' 149" Served on Community Board for 1 term but did not enjoy this.

149' 155" Arthur was a member of the Rate Payers Association.

155' 160" Travels with Doreen to visit family. I daughter in Nelson, the other in Auckland. .2 Trips to Australia. 160' 270" Hydroponics: Arthur •talks at length about his hobby of growing fruit, vegetables and flowers by this method.

270' 308" Arthur enjoys residing at Otatara and explains why.

308' 320" Thanks, to which Arthur's reply was, "Public Service is not a one way street. I have gained as much as I have ever put into it. "

Side 1 of Tape 2 Ends.