Alick Mewa and crew of HD239

This story and photos are shared by the Trust with kind permission from Ali Chaudhry, Second World War Historian based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Photos courtesy of Auckland War Museum Online Cenotaph

Just before midnight the 18th August 1944 crews of 98 Squadron took off on a Flare Dropping mission over the Falaise area, to support Mosquito bombing operations. The Falaise “Pocket” was getting smaller and smaller and the battle of Normandy would be over by the 30th of August.

Amongst them was Mitchell MK II, HN329, flown by Flight Lieutenant Alick Mewa. His fellow crew members were FO Laxman Shripad Ajrekar, WO Albert Ernest Nicholls and WO Frank Fenn Pitt. But the Squadron's Operation Record Book (ORB) for the day records the fact that “FLt Mewa and Crew failed to return”. There were reports of heavy Flak, although inaccurate, over Trouville and Mezidon which are en-route to the Falaise area. The entry on the ORB further stated “F/L Mewa was considered to be a first class pilot and his crew were also considered to be very efficient”.

This is the story of one of the crew.

Alex 'Vivian' Mewa, Pilot

Alex Mewa was born on 23 February 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand, to Ranjan Mewa (c.1885-1939) – believed to have been born in Demerara, West Indies (now Guyana) - and Piyari Dudley (c. 1895-1965) – born in Fiji of Indian descent. He was one of three sons, with an older brother, Dudley Roberts (1916-1990), and a younger brother, Ronald Hector (1925-2002).

Alick attended Richmond Road Primary School and Auckland Grammar School, later working as a structural engineer for the Steel Construction Company of Auckland before enlisting in the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1941. He is believed to have been the first person of Indian descent to be commissioned into the RNZAF.

He undertook his basic training at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, and then 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuspa and No 3 Service Flying Training School, Chakea.

Levin 1941: L-R Alick Mewa Mervyn and Jack Mills, aircrew training (provided by the family of M J Mills)

 

On completion, he was awared the flying badge and commission to the rank of Pilot Officer on 10th January 1942.

He embarked for the United Kingdom on 29th January 1942 where he undertook further training in Nottinghamshire, Yorkshire, Hampshire and Derbyshire.  He was posted to 13 Operation Training Unit in Oxfordshire and then Buckinghamshire and by 10th Janury 1944 he had been promoted to Flight Lieutenant. On the 6th August he was posted to 98 Squadron in Dunsforld, Surrey.

During his service, he flew 57 operational sorties over occupied Europe and had accumulated 654 flying hours by the time of his death.

British Normandy Memorial - Additional Information

You can read the stories about the other crew members here:

Flt Lt Laxman Shripad Ajrekar

WO Albert Ernest Nicholls

WO Frank Fenn Pitt