Flying Officer Phil Lamason (wearing flying cap) with his Wellington bomber crew at RAF No 218 Squadron in late 1941. Photo / Phil Lamason Heritage Trust
Flying Officer Phil Lamason (wearing flying cap) with his Wellington bomber crew at RAF No 218 Squadron in late 1941. Photo / Phil Lamason Heritage Trust
People in Dannevirke will have a chance to get insight into a story from World War Two with a special screening of a documentary film.
The film, The Lost Airmen of Buchenwald, was made by American documentary film-maker Mike Dorsey and first released in 2011.
Dorsey re-released it in 2021 to include a new interview.
Dannevirke farmer Phil Lamason was part of the documentary, which explored the story of 168 allied airmen captured and sent to Buchenwald, a concentration camp in Germany.
Lamason, who was a bomber pilot shot down over France, took on a leadership role, which eventually led them to being transferred to a prisoner-of-war camp.
Lamason’s own story was told in a book, I Would Not Step Back, by Hilary Pedersen, and released in 2017.
German footage of Phil Lamason's Lancaster bomber on fire on June 8, 1944, when he was shot down over France.
The Phil Lamason Heritage Trust and the New Zealand Remembrance Army were working toward the goal of creating a memorial for the man whose story remained uncovered for years, not even known by New Zealand’s own military.
Dannevirke’s Regent Cinema was supporting those efforts by holding the screening at the cinema, which is the third-oldest provincial cinema in New Zealand.
The cinema was run entirely by volunteers who were keen to support any local initiatives in any way they could.
Spokeswoman Clare Green said after hearing of the plans, the committee had talked about sourcing the film and trying to raise funds for the Phil Lamason Trust.
They had contacted Dorsey to get his permission for the screening and the film-maker was thrilled to be asked.
The guard tower and torture cells at the Buchenwald Concentration Camp, taken over 10 years ago.
“There are so many new people who have moved to Dannevirke since this film first came out and we want to help raise awareness of Phil being a local Dannevirke man, and his fellow men whom he fought alongside with,” Green said.
As a concert was planned for Anzac Day, the cinema would be showing the film on April 26 at 6pm.
Entry would be free for everyone to watch but the committee was asking for a koha, with 100 per cent of the proceeds going towards the trust.
Heritage Trust chairman Mike Harold said they really appreciated the initiative by the cinema committee to get the approval of Dorsey to show the documentary around the Anzac commemorations.
“This documentary film provides an excellent insight into this significant World War Two story and the courageous and inspirational leadership role undertaken in it by Phil Lamason.”
Harold said Lamason was a reluctant war hero.
“Only now, 79 years after this event, are senior New Zealand military figures and historians really gaining a deeper appreciation of Phil Lamason’s place, high up among the names in the elite group of our country’s most heroic World War Two figures.”
He said the showing of the documentary in Dannevirke was “timely”.
“Phil Lamason’s story presents Dannevirke town and district with a special opportunity to own a unique historical story with significant international links.”
The initiative by the NZ Remembrance Army to undertake their Phil Lamason memorial project before Anzac Day 2024 would further serve to underline the special opportunity for the town.
Harold said the trust was eager to ensure local people felt part of the memorial project as many a small New Zealand town would be pleased to have an epic story like this to celebrate as uniquely “their own”.
“A story that a community can proudly rally around.”
He said the film showing heralded the start of a special year when the community would work to consolidate the opportunity.
