Decorated WWII gunner dies

A man who was decorated for his efforts as a rear gunner during World War 2 will be buried in Matamata today.

A funeral service for Keith Coleman, who died on May 20, will be held at the Returned Services Association building in Matamata.

Mr Coleman, 92, who was born in the Wairau Valley and raised a family in Hawke's Bay, was decorated with a Distinguished Flying Medal for his work in 80 missions with the RAF flying over Europe, the Dominion Post reported.

His most memorable mission came in 1941 when both engines of a Wellington bomber froze on a trip back to England from the skies above Cologne, Germany, in 1941.

Alone in his rear gun-turret, Mr Coleman awaited the order from pilot Johnny Lancaster to bail out as the frozen plane rapidly lost altitude.

The order never came because the aircraft was struck by lightning.

"There was a colossal bang and a blinding flash, obviously a lightning strike ... the whole aircraft was aglow," Mr Lancaster later recalled.

Both engines kicked back into life and the crew made it safely back to England.

Mr Coleman is survived by his wife Clare, three sons and two daughters.

- NZPA