Simon Moody

A bridge too far? Remembering New Zealand airmen and the battle for Arnhem 80 years on

Discover more about one of the most daring and ambitious military operations in history, Codenamed Operation Market-Garden which took place in Holland.

‘A Valley of Hell’ – Ian Anstey in the Battle of France

The Battle of Britain and New Zealand

During the Second World War, in the long hot summer of 1940, a desperate aerial battle was fought over the skies of southern England which would help decide the course of that conflict.

The right people at the right time: The RNZAF mission to Rwanda in 1994

D-Day Stories – Leslie Brown MM

Pilot-turned French Resistance fighter Leslie Brown won the Military Medal for his exploits behind enemy lines.

D-Day Stories – Bruce de Vere DFC

D-Day Stories – Edward ‘Ned’ Hitchcock

Radar specialist Ned Hitchock never imagined he would end up part of the largest invasion in history.

D-Day Stories: Edward Atkinson

Flight Sergeant Edward Harry Frederick Atkinson from Taranaki is thought to be New Zealand’s first D-Day casualty.

D-Day Stories – Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham

As the overall commanding officer of 2nd Tactical Air Force, Sir Arthur Coningham was responsible for planning and supporting the D-Day operation by air.

D-Day Stories – 80 years on

D-Day special: To commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, we will be publishing the stories of five Kiwi airmen who took part in the invasion of Europe. In this introduction, Research Curator Simon Moody outlines the significance of D-Day and the story of Air Marshal Sir Arthur ‘Mary’ Coningham, who played an extraordinary role in the events of that momentus day.