23 August 2007
by Sarah Chandler
An heroic act performed by New Zealand-born Pilot James Stellin was commemorated at a service in Wellington last Sunday.
Instead of “bailing out” of a failing Hawker Typhoon plane headed for a French village - an act that may well have saved his life - WW II pilot Stellin selflessly steered his plane clear of St Maclou la Briere, avoiding crashing into housing, but killing himself.
The only son of Beatrice and James, James Stellin Junior attended Scots College in Wellington, before joining the Royal New Zealand Air Force in 1942. He left for England and the British Air Force the following year, and had only been flying about a month when he met his unlucky end in 1944.
Following the death of James' father, the land known as Stellin Memorial Park was bequeathed to Wellington City Council in memory of his son. A lookout was built in the Northland suburb of Wellington in 1977 but no plaque was ever installed
Mayor Kerry Prendergast, officiating at the ceremony, said James Stellin is perhaps better known in the French village of St Maclou la Briere than in Wellington.
"The French community there will always remember his selfless act of steering clear of their village before he was killed when his plane crashed to the ground," she said.
France also awarded Stellin a prized Croix de Guerre avec Palme medal and named a town square after him.
Kerry Prendergast said it was time the same respects were paid to Stellin in his home town.
"Wellington also owes Stellin a memorial that is befitting of such a heroic act."
Among the 100 or so people present at the mid morning ceremony were French Ambassador Michel Legras and Vice-President of the Wellington RSA, Trevor McComish.
Deputy Chief of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Air Commodore Dick Newlands, represented the New Zealand Defence Force at the service.
Air Commodore Newlands described the Stellin family as "magnanimous people", saying Stellin’s sister and nephew told Sunday's audience that the Northland park and plaque do not commemorate only their relative James Stellin, but all New Zealand service people who had selflessly given their lives in war.
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