James Allen Ward

Forenames

James Allen AWMM

Surname

Ward AWMM

Service number

• NZ401793 AWMM
• WWII Jimmy AWMM
• WWII 401793 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Birth

14 Jun 1919 AWMM

Next of kin

WW2 Parents: Mr & Mrs P. H. Ward, 36 Konini Street, Wanganui AWMM

Relationship status

Single/WWII AWMM

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Campaign

Europe (Air) AWMM

Armed force / branch

Air Force AWMM

Service number

• NZ401793 AWMM
• WWII Jimmy AWMM
• WWII 401793 AWMM

Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Royal Air Force, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
  VC. Medal citation; "On the night of 7th July, 1941, Sergeant Ward was second pilot of a Wellington returning from an attack on Munster. When flying over the Zuider Zee at 13,000 feet, the aircraft was attacked from beneath by a Messerschmitt which secured hits with cannon shell and incendiary bullets. The rear gunner was wounded in the foot but foot but delivered a burst of fire which sent the enemy fighter down, apparently out of control. Fire then broke out near the 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 the coffee in their vacuum flasks, but 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 to discard his parachute, to reduce wind resistance, but was finally persuaded to take it. A rope from the 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 the 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, and also taking advantage of existing holes in the fabric, 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 fabric and tried to push the cover into the hole in the wing and on to the leaking pipe from which the fire came. As soon as he removed his hand, however, the terrific wind blew the cover out and when he tried again it was lost. Tired as he was, he was able with the navigator's assistance, to make successfully the perilous journey back into the aircraft. There was now no danger of fire spreading from the petrol pipe, as there was no fabric left nearby, and in due course it burnt 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 then made despite the damage sustained by the aircraft. The flight home had been made possible by the gallant action of Sergeant Ward in extinguishing the fire on the wing in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and at the risk of his life." AWMM
• War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
• New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Medical notes

Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations AWMM

Last rank

Sergeant AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron AWMM

Death

15 Sept 1941 AWMM
Age  22 AWMM

Cause of death

Killed in Action AWMM

Cemetery

Hamburg Cemetery, Hamburg, Germany AWMM 5A. A1. 9. AWMM

Memorial name

Dunedin, Victoria Cross winners' plaque, Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Military Personnel File
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R23513658
  Further Reference
• Dunedin RSA building, formerly site of the VC winners' plaque (NZ History online
  https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/dunedin-rsa-war-memorial
  Further Reference
• Birkenhead (Auckland) Returned Services Association website. Victoria Cross.
  http://www.birkenheadrsa.com/victoria-cross.html
  Further Reference
• 'Fire in the Heart: The Remarkable Story and Tragic Death of Sergeant James Allen Ward, VC', Vintage Wings of Canada
  http://www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/557/Fire-in-the-Heart.aspx
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2201083
  Sources Used
• Wikidata Entity
  http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6128652
  Further Reference
• RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ab - B. Archives New Zealand (R17845607).
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845617
  Sources Used
• Aviation Safety Network:
  https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/234436
  Public - Antonio - Researcher - 31 July 2026 - Internet research
• https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/tag/wellington-mk-ic-l-7818-aa-r/
  Public - Antonio - Researcher - 31 July 2026 - Internet research

References

• Chorley, W. (1993). Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses of the Second World War: Aircraft and crew losses 1941 (Vol. 2). Leicester, England: Midland Counties Publications.
• Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
• Hyde, E. (1995). Kia Kaha : forever strong : New Zealand's involvement in World War II. Wellington, N.Z.: The National Library of New Zealand.
• Bryant, G.A. (1972). Where the prize is highest : the stories of the New Zealanders who won the Victoria Cross. Auckland, N.Z.: Collins.
• Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
  Harper, G. & Richardson, C. (2006). p.207-210
• Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
  New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol. 1, pp. 197-198).
• The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
  Buzzell, N. (1997). p. 325
• RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ue - Z. Archives New Zealand (R17845617) - Former archives reference: AIR118
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [Missing - But Presumed Dead on Lapse of Time - Officers, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845743)
• Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
• List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762).
• Royal New Zealand Air Force. (1941–1945). Contact: National magazine of the R.N.Z.A.F.; the official organ of the Air Force Association (Inc.). Levin, New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force.
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