Issue No. 319 - 12 July 2007
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Issue No. 319 - 12 July 2007 |
Time to properly commemorate Wanganui's war hero: James Ward VC
James Ward (right) was a Wanganui schoolteacher who was educated at Wanganui Technical College (now Wanganui City College) and won the Victoria Cross for exceptional bravery in July 1941. The citation below from the London Gazette details Sergeant Ward's bravery. Sergeant Ward was eventually killed in action over Hamburg, Germany, on 15 September 1941. He is buried at the Hamburg (Ohlsdorf) Cemetery, Germany. Mayor Laws said that a "city and a district are built on its heritage, its ancestors and pioneers, and its heroes. Jimmy Ward was a homegrown hero and deserves formal recognition. He is currently commemorated at City College but it is time for our region to properly embrace his feats". "I would like council to commission a statue of Sergeant Ward in his bomber uniform that might be prominently displayed in the Queens Park area. Just outside the War Memorial Hall, perhaps facing the Veterans' Steps, would be ideal." Mayor Laws said that Wanganui had a "stunning, unique and vivid heritage and history. Corporal Apiata's honour rightly reminds us that heroism is immortal. It is time for Wanganui to make it so".
He was in charge of a small party in an attack on the enemy's position at La Basses-Ville, France, on 31 July 1917. His objective was a machine-gun post which had been located in an isolated building. On leading his men forward he encountered a machine-gun post which was holding up the advance of another company. His party attacked, capturing the machine-gun and killing several of the crew. He then continued the attack on the machine-gun post which had been his original objective. Leslie Andrew grew up in Wanganui where his father was headmaster of Wanganui East School. The day after he was awarded the VC he was promoted to Sergeant. He retired from the army in 1952 with the rank of brigadier. James Ward's Citation The citation from the London Gazette dated 5 August 1941 reads: On the night of July 7, 1941, Sergeant Ward was second pilot of a Wellington bomber of 75 (NZ) Squadron returning from an attack on Munster. While flying over the Zuider Zee at 13,000 feet his aircraft was attacked from beneath by a German ME110, which secured hits with cannon-shell and incendiary bullets. The rear gunner was wounded in the foot but delivered a burst of fire sending the enemy fighter down, apparently out of control. Fire then broke out in the Wellington's starboard engine and, fed by petrol from a split pipe, quickly gained an alarming hold and threatened to spread to the entire wing. The crew forced a hole in the fuselage and made strenuous efforts to reduce the fire with extinguishers, and even coffee from their flasks, without success. They were then warned to be ready to abandon the aircraft. As a last resort Sergeant Ward volunteered to make an attempt to smother the fire with an engine cover which happened to be in use as a cushion. At first he proposed discarding his parachute to reduce wind resistance, but was finally persuaded to take it. A rope from the aircraft dingy was tied to him, though this was of little help and might have become a danger had he been blown off the aircraft. With the help of his navigator he then climbed through the narrow astro-hatch and put on his parachute. The bomber was flying at a reduced speed but the wind pressure must have been sufficient to render the operation one of extreme difficulty. Breaking the fabric to make hand and foot holds where necessary, Sergeant Ward succeeded in descending three feet to the wing and proceeding another three feet to a position behind the engine, despite the slipstream from the airscrew which nearly blew him off the wing. Lying in this precarious position he smothered the fire in the wing and on the leaking pipe from which the fire came. As soon as he had removed his hand, however, a terrific wind blew the cover off and when he tried again it was lost. Tired as he was, he was able, with the navigator's assistance, to make a successful but perilous journey back into the aircraft. There was now no danger of fire spreading from the petrol pipe as there was no fabric left near it and in due course it burned itself out. When the aircraft was nearly home, some petrol which had collected in the wing blazed up furiously but died down quite suddenly. A safe landing was made despite the damage sustained to the aircraft. The flight home had been made possible by the gallantry of Sergeant Ward in extinguishing the fire on the wing in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and at the risk of his life. |
Community Contracts funding round to start soon Wanganui District Council's annual Community Contracts funding process will get under way in mid-July. The term "Community Contracts" describes the process by which Council funds community groups and organisations to provide service initiatives that support the Council's long-term objectives. A total of $80,000 is available for the 2007/08 contestable funding round, Community Development Committee chair Cr Nicki Higgie said. "During the Annual Plan process, the Council confirmed the Community Contracts budget of $80,000 as well as allocating separate funding through the Annual Plan to a number of community organisations," Cr Higgie said. "Those organisations are the Community Arts Council, Community House, Community Patrols, Christian Social Services (City Missioner), Sailing Club (for boat ramp clearing) and Sport and Recreation Wanganui (Junior International Grants). Contracts with the organisations will be negotiated during July and August. "Other community organisations should keep an eye out for information about the Community Contracts application process which opens on July 16 and closes on August 24." Community Contract applications will be assessed at a Council workshop on September 11. Wanganui Inc (WINC) manages a separate, two-phase funding round, called Impact Funding, for those initiatives that deliver widespread economic benefit to Wanganui. |
Wanganui Airport Airport users, travellers and the general public are advised that preparatory work for the refurbishment of the Wanganui Airport Terminal commenced on 1 July 2007. The Terminal Refurbishment Project is anticipated to take from 10 to 12 weeks. During this time café services will be suspended. However, passenger reception, processing services, rest and toilet facilities will be provided throughout the construction period. This project is a major undertaking by the Airport Authority and will result in the Wanganui Airport being brought up to a standard reflective of current air travel facilities. We regret any inconvenience, thank you for your understanding and co-operation, and look forward to providing you with improved services and facilities on completion. Wanganui Airport Authority |
Have your say on the Wanganui District Council, in consultation with Wanganui's Older Peoples Forum, has developed the Draft Positive Ageing Strategy. We need your input to complete the process. The Draft Positive Ageing Strategy is open for public comment until 13 July 2007. A copy of the Draft Positive Ageing Strategy is available:
You can provide comment in the following ways: Post it to: Wanganui District Council, PO Box 637, Wanganui Please remember to include your name, contact details so that we may contact you if we require further clarification on what you have made comment on. |
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Vacancies Details of the following vacancies are available on this page: Customer Services Advocate Cafe Staff - Wanganui Airport Financial Accountant |
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Council meetings We welcome members of the public to attend our meetings Finance and Administration – Thursday, July 12 Infrastructure – Monday, July 16 (3.00pm) Strategy – Tuesday, July 17 (Council Chamber) Wanganui Rural Community Board – Thursday, July 19 Harbour – Monday, July 23 Hearings – Wednesday, July 25 (2pm and 3pm) Council Meeting – Monday, July 30 (Council Chamber) Unless otherwise noted, all meetings are held at 4.00pm in Committee Room 2, 1st Floor, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui. Agendas are available at the Customer Services Counter, Municipal Office Building, 101 Guyton Street, Wanganui, and the Wanganui District Library two working days prior to the meeting. |
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In the wake of the awarding of a Victoria Cross to SAS Corporal Bill Apiata, Mayor Michael Laws says that "it is time to properly commemorate Wanganui's own VC winner, James Ward".
Sergeant Ward was not our only hero.