Tauranga veteran remembered for his heroic WW2 deeds

Retired RAF NZ Flight Lieutenant Hotorua Arnel Dean Meyer was awarded France's highest national honour in 2015. Photo / File

Tauranga returned serviceman Hotorua Arnel Dean Meyer (Arnie) was awarded France's highest national honour in 2015 for his wartime courage and heroic deeds.

He died in Tauranga on Sunday, December 6.

Not only will he be remembered for those courageous efforts in defence of his country and its World War II allies but has also been described as a "real hero" by his family.

Second oldest son David Meyer, 60, who also lives in Tauranga, said his father worked tirelessly to provide for his family even after the harrowing wartime experiences.

Born in Frankton, Hamilton, on December 23, 1922, "Arnie" Meyer was the second youngest child of a family of eight - his four brothers and three sisters are also dead.

His father Hans Peter Meyer, a carpenter, was of Danish descent and his mother Lavinia Caroline O'Dell Meyer was of English and Kiwi heritage.

David Meyer said his grandparents were good friends with the then-Māori King and Queen who bestowed them with the honour of naming his father after a Tainui Māori chief.

"That was despite our dad not having any Māori blood," he said.

Educated at Hamilton Technological High School, Arnie left school at 15 to join the army but wanted to be a flier, so undertook further training to get the required grades.

He enlisted in the NZ Defence Force after leaving school but in December 1941 was accepted into the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and initially trained as ground crew.

RAF NZ Flight Lieutenant Hotorua 'Arnie' Meyer in his 20s. Photo / Supplied

Ten months later he headed to the United Kingdom for further pilot training and in June 1943 completed his advanced flier and operational training in the UK and Canada.

Posted to the 75 Squadron RAF Bomber Command just after D-Day in June 1944, he flew 30 sorties in northwest Europe, followed by 25 as a member of the No7 Pathfinders Force Squadron.

His expertise came to the fore in March 1945 when he was posted to 29 Operational Training Unit as an instructor.

For his courage and devotion to duty during his numerous missions, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross - the second-highest honour below the Victorian Cross.

He was also awarded his Golden Wings for his Pathfinders peacekeeping exploits in Europe, something his father was immensely proud of, David Meyer said.

"Dad loving flying so much on his return to New Zealand after the war, he signed up again and flew Corsair fighter planes on peacekeeping missions in Japan as a member of the 14 Squadron in the 'J-Force'.

"Unfortunately, he suffered a shrapnel wound in his stomach and because he couldn't fly over 1200 feet, Dad had to give up flying.

"He went through hell during the war and he never got over it. Dad didn't like to talk about his war experiences much, and had nightmares about it for many years."

WW2 hero Hotorua Arnel Dean Meyer, 97, died peacefully on December 6. Photo / File

Known as a humble man, Arnie often shied away from talking about his wartime exploits and medals and devoted the rest of his life to caring for his family.

Arnie Meyer met his wife Gloria Rose Meyer nee Carson at the NZ Defence Force headquarters in the 1950s, where she was a member of the NZ Women's Auxiliary Air Force.

He was one of her superior officers at the time, and the couple married in October 1953 and were inseparable ever since until her death in March 2017.

David said after his father left the airforce he worked for Union Oil, which later became Mobil Oil, driving trucks initially, then was employed in clerical management roles.

This was followed by working in similar roles for transport and logistic freight companies AllTrans and TNT until his retirement in 1982/1983.

In October 2015, Arnie Meyer, and two other Tauranga returned servicemen - Jack Meehan and Herbert (Bert) Pond were awarded France's highest national honour.

They received the medal of Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (France) for their heroic efforts during World War II at a special ceremony at the Tauranga RSA.

David Meyer said his father was "not a very demonstrative man" and spent a lot of time away from home working "very hard" to support his family which they were growing up.

"But Dad had a great sense of humour, loved a beer, adored our mother, and lived for his family. He loved spending time with his grandchildren and his great-grandchildren."

Meyer senior spent the past six years in Radius Matua rest home where he died peacefully on December 6 after a long battle with advanced Alzheimer's disease.

"Once Mum went, Dad was pretty much counting time before he could join her and about two weeks ago he started making preparations for his final moments," David Meyer said.

"Dad lived with me for most of the latter part of his life and I wouldn't have had it any other way. We all miss him terribly."

Arnie Meyer was also the father and father-in-law of the late Gary, Lorraine and William Gordon, Kathy Meyer and adored by his five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.