Bert Sam Wipiti | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1922-01-16)16 January 1922 New Plymouth, New Zealand |
| Died | 3 October 1943(1943-10-03) (aged 21) |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Branch | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1943 † |
| Rank | Warrant Officer |
| Unit | No. 243 Squadron RAF No. 485 Squadron RNZAF |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Medal |
Bert Sam Wipiti,DFM (16 January 1922 – 3 October 1943) was a New Zealand fighter pilot andflying ace of theSecond World War. Born inNew Plymouth, he enlisted in theRoyal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1941 and when he was posted toNo. 243 Squadron inSingapore, he was the firstMāori airman to leave New Zealand for active duty. Following the Japanese invasion ofBritish Malaya, he destroyed five Japanese aircraft before being evacuated toJava in February 1942. He later flew with the RNZAF'sNo. 485 Squadron in Europe and was killed on operations while escorting bombers on a raid over France.
Bert Sam Wipiti, also known as Herbert Samuel Wipiti, was born on 16 January 1922 inNew Plymouth, in theNorth Island of New Zealand. The son of Motu Tamihana Wipiti and his wife Ngamatanée Lowrie, Wipiti was ofMāori descent and was educated atNew Plymouth Boys' High School.[1][2]
A refrigeration serviceman at the time of his enlistment, Wipiti joined theRoyal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in January 1941.[3] He completed flight training atOhakea, gained hisflying badge in late May, and then proceeded toMalaya as asergeant pilot in July.[1][4] He was the first Māori airman to go overseas for service.[5]
On his arrival in Singapore in August, Wipiti was posted to the Royal Air Force'sNo. 243 Squadron, which was based atKallang Airport and operated the outclassedBrewster Buffalo fighter.[1][6] Once the Japaneseinvaded British Malaya on 8 December 1941, he was part of a small detachment from No. 243 Squadron to briefly operate with an Australian squadron,No. 21 Squadron, flying fromIpoh,[7] and returning to Singapore on 14 December.[8]
On 10 January 1942, Wipiti was credited with helping shoot down aMitsubishi Ki-46reconnaissance aircraft, over Singapore. This was reportedly the first Japanese aircraft shot down in theBattle of Singapore.[9][10] On 21 January, while on a patrol over theBatu Pahat area, he shot down aMitsubishi A6M Zero fighter[11] and then, the following day, destroyed twoMitsubishi G3M bombers that were part of a raid on No. 243 Squadron's airfield.[12] A few days later, flying escort to severalVickers Vildebeest bombers that were attacking a Japanese transport convoy, he shot down another Ki-46.[13][14] By the end of January, Wipiti's squadron had been disbanded and he was one of a few sergeants that were attached toNo. 453 Squadron, an Australian squadron based atSeletar, which also received the remaining serviceable Buffalo aircraft.[15]
Shortly before the fall of Singapore, Wipiti was evacuated to Java, surviving the sinking of his original transport ship.[16] In late March 1942 he was awarded theDistinguished Flying Medal (DFM) in recognition of his service in Malaya and Singapore, having shot down five Japanese aircraft.[1][17] The citation for his DFM, published in theLondon Gazette, read:
Sergeant Wipiti has carried out a large number of operational flights and he has displayed outstanding courage and determination whilst engaging large formations of enemy aircraft. He has set a fine example to all.
— London Gazette, No. 35502, 27 March 1942[18]
Wipiti was sent to India, where he was posted toNo. 67 Squadron, flyingHawker Hurricane fighters. While stationed in India, he encountered racism from the British and after several months, was posted to England in August 1943.[19]
Wipiti joinedNo. 485 Squadron, a RNZAF unit,[19] which at the time of his arrival, was stationed atBiggin Hill, in the English county ofKent, and operatingSupermarine Spitfire fighters on escort missions, accompanying bombers carrying out daylight raids into Continental Europe.[20] Wipiti shared in the destruction of aFocke-Wulf Fw 190 fighter on 16 September 1943, while covering a raid byMartin Marauder bombers on an airfield in France. He was killed on 3 October 1943 over France while escorting a bombing raid on a French power station. At the time of his death, he held the rank ofwarrant officer and had flown 26 sorties with No. 485 Squadron.[1][21] Initially reported as missing[22] he was reported as being presumed dead the following year.[23]
Wipiti has no known grave and is commemorated on theCommonwealth War Graves Commission'sAir Forces Memorial nearEgham inSurrey, England.[24] After the war, his parents were presented with their son's DFM by theGovernor-General of New Zealand,Sir Cyril Newall, in a ceremony atGovernment House in Wellington.[25] On 26 April 2023, a portrait of Wipiti was unveiled at his former school, New Plymouth Boys’ High School, by his family. The painting, executed by Matt Gauldie, a former war artist of theNew Zealand Army, was donated to the school by the New Zealand Remembrance Army.[26]
