So for this, we read an article about a guy named Johnny Pohe and about what he did in the airforce, then our teacher gave us some questions to answer :)
I think it was very interesting and I learned a lot.
PART 1: FOCUS ON DETAILS
“Johnny Pohe and the Great Escape” is a brief biography of Johnny Pohe. His story is told in sections.
In the chart, record THREE important details from each section.
SECTION HEADING | Three important details in this section |
Porokoru Patapu Pohe | 1.Johnny Pohe was of Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi and Ngāti Tūwharetoa descent.
2.Johnny was twenty-four and working on his family’s farm when the Second World War started in September 1939.
3.A few days later, he applied to train as a pilot. |
First Maori Pilot | 1.He was the first Māori to be trained by the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).
2.He left for England soon after and was posted to 51 Squadron, a Royal Air Force (RAF) unit based near the town of Snaith.
3.By April 1942, Johnny had completed twenty-two missions. |
Out of Luck | 1. Jonny had been lucky for many months he'd already survived a crash when the wing of his bomber caught on fire.
2.Johnny tried to fly home but he was forced to fly into the english channel.
3. The men in the camp were treated reasonably well and they were given food, shelter and medical care. |
Tom, Dick and Harry | 1.Stalag Luft III had been carefully designed to prevent escape.
2.Men like Johnny were up for the challenge.
3.By September 1943, hundreds were working on three tunnels: Tom, Dick, and Harry. |
“Penguins” and Bribery | 1.One of the first challenges was getting rid of the soil that came out of the tunnel.
2.This work was done by “penguins” – men who scattered sand from small pouches sewn inside their trouser legs.
|
Escape | 1. At 1 a.m., there was another hitch: the tunnel collapsed. The men worked desperately to repair it, and the escape continued.
2.It was the coldest March in thirty years.
3.A guard crawled back from the exit of the tunnel and all was revealed. |
The Other Side | 1.For those who made it out – Johnny among them – the troubles continued.
2.The escape was a disaster.
3.We don’t know if Johnny died alone. |
No Return | 1.Back in Turangaarere, Johnny’s family learnt the terrible truth.
2.Their son and brother were not just missing – he was never coming home.
3.Home. The New Zealand government was “deeply shocked”, and in England, politicians said the executions were a war crime. |
