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Well known Taranaki farmer and identity Harold Newton had an amazing flying career.
Decorated for his outstanding feats as a night fighter pilot, where he shot down two German Dornier 217 aircraft and damaged a third, Harold was awarded one of flying’s highest awards, the Distinguished Flying Cross [DFC].
This feat was achieved during harold Newton’s first mission in a Beaufighter, an RAF fighter bomber. the DFC was presented to him by King George VI.
Harold Newton, NZ404449. When World War Two broke out, Harold joined the RNZAF, and went on to fly Wellington Bombers, Mosquito Fighter Bombers, and the Beaufighter.
After the war he continued to fly for the RAF’s Berlin Air Command, flying food and supplies to starving Germans in Russian-held Berlin.
The Distinguished Flying Cross wasn’t Harold Newton’s only claim to an amazing flying achievement. In 1947 he bought a small American Ercoupe Monoplane and flew it from Belgium all the way home to New Zealand, something celebrated in the press and radio all over the country.
The 19,000 kilometre journey took 3 weeks. “I just wanted to get home again. I’d flown right through the war, so I knew I had the skills to fly that distance”.
Harold landed on a beach at Lord Howe island to tighten a loose engine cowling screw, before pressing on to New Zealand. As he approached Bell Block, he was flying in cloud and rain. “I couldn’t locate the beacon and I was getting increasingly concerned I might be near the White Cliffs. I wanted to make land - not hit it. So I turned round on a reciprocal track and headed out to sea again, eventually located the beacon at Whenuapai, and headed for there”.
Harold Newton returned to the 1880ha family farm at Kaipikari near Urenui, to continue developing and breaking-in the hill country property. He loved machinery, having bought his first tractor at the age of 16 to go contracting.
Well into his eighties, Harold was still operating large bulldozers and tractors. It was this passion that sadly cost the 86 year old his life in a tractor accident on the farm in 2003.
Harold’s faithful dog, Bert, stayed at Harold’s side until help arrived, and in another remarkable twist, Harold’s son Matt flew the TET Rescue Helicopter to the farm to collect his father, even though he knew who the accident victim was. The Newton family still owns and operates the Kaipikari farm.
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