As his damaged Hawker Typhoon fighter-bomber rapidly lost height, Pilot Officer James Stellin struggled to avoid crashing into Saint-Maclou-la-Brière, a village of 370 people. He succeeded, but at the cost of his own life. The villagers gave him a hero’s funeral and have honoured his memory ever since.
Geoffrey Cox in 1932, the same year he left New Zealand for Britain on
a Rhodes scholarship. Cox forged a successful career as a journalist
and authored several books based on his experiences in Europe during
the 1930s and 40s.
Obituaries for Sir Geoffrey Cox rightly highlighted his role as a 'TV
trailblazer' for his work with
Britain's Independent Television News (ITN). Most also draw attention to his
role as an
eyewitness to momentous events in Europe
during the 1930s and 40s. Just how did a boy born in Palmerston North come to witness
first hand the impact of Stalinism, the rise of Hitler and the Spanish Civil
War?
