WONZ 226 – Cliff Taylor

Guest: NZ44090 Aircraftman Clifford Noel Taylor, Aircrafthand (Tech)

Host: Dave Homewood, with Gary McGuire

Recorded: 19th of November 2019

Released: 27th of August 2020

Duration: 1 hour 4 minutes 29 seconds

In this episode Dave Homewood and Gary McGuire have a chat with WWII veteran Cliff Taylor of Pukekohe. Cliff was born in Palmerston North, and grew up in Wellington. He studied aeronautical engineering, and he got a job with de Havilland New Zealand Ltd shortly after they opened at Rongotai. He is quite likely the last living member of their wartime staff at the time of this podcast’s release.

Cliff joined the Army and served for a while, but with the influence of his uncle Lew Taylor, who was a pre-war RNZAF pilot with some standing in the service, he managed to switch to the RNZAF. Eventually he got overseas and served in the Pacific on Green Island with a Ventura Servicing Unit.

Cliff was a prolific athlete, representing New Zealand at the 1950 Empire Games were he won Bronze in the men’s six miles event; and also competed in the three miles event. He also boxed, and e raced cars well into later life. In fact he’d just finished a gym session before this interview, aged 96!

This episode is a little different and less formal than the usual WONZ Show. It was recorded up on Pukekohe Hill Reserve, overlooking Pukekohe township – during a picnic lunch. There’s a bit of background noise from birds, the breeze, and race cars on the Pukekohe track. So please forgive the slightly different take on this show.

Cliff Taylor during the interview recording. Photo Gary McGuire.