I was recently loaned the private albums of the late Group Captain Arnold Wall, RAF, who was an old family friend. His daughter has very generously allowed me scan to scan and upload some photos that may be of interest.
The son of noted etymologist and botanist Professor Arnold Wall CBE, Arnold Wall was born in Christchurch, NZ in 1908 and attended Christ's College. In 1926 he joined the RAF, and in due course was posted to the North-West Frontier where he flew Westland Wapiti aircraft with 60 Sqn.
In 1931, while flying from Miranshah in present-day Pakistan, he was hit by a stone from a shanghai wielded by a goatherd. While he managed to land safely he lost his right eye, ending his flying career. Arnold remained in the RAF until after WWII, eventually rising to the rank of Group Captain, and gaining a mention in dispatches.
He returned to Christchurch with his wife and daughter in 1951, where he joined the NZ Broadcasting Service. Later he worked for A.W. & A.H. Reed Publishing, where he eventually became senior editor. He retired to Nelson in 1973, where he lived until he passed away in 1998.
After the recent Photobucket issues I decided not to hotlink the pictures here, but instead to place them in a
Flickr gallery, which is linked here. These photos illustrate aspects of service life in the inter-war RAF at home and abroad, as well as quite a few interesting aircraft of the era. I have included the captions from his album, but have also fleshed them out where I can.
Re: Fg Offr Wall, NWFP struck in eye by a stone
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