Bill Wong: RNZAF’s first Chinese Pilot Officer

Bill Wong and his brother George were long-time Dunedin identities. Born in Christchurch in the early 1920s, and raised in Temuka, Invercargill and Guangdong¹. They ended up in Dunedin in 1939.

While still teenagers, they purchased the Cargill Fruit Company in what is now Hillside Road. The Hillside Rd shop ran from 1939 to 1991, while their later Forbury Rd shop ran from 1956 to the late 1980s.  

Both brothers did their compulsory military training. But it was Bill who joined the 2nd Scottish Regiment based in Addington and got the name “Billie MacWong”.  He later joined the Royal New Zealand Airforce and graduated as a pilot officer. For unknown reasons, he was never sent overseas.

His daughter, Carolyn King, recalls:  

In 1941 my dad, Wong Chui Wai, William, known as Bill, enlisted into the New Zealand Army. After checking in at the Kensington Drill in Dunedin, he was sent to Addington Army Camp to do the three months course of basic training: drill, marching, weapons training and driving the army trucks.

He was put into the 2nd Scottish Regiment and was soon nicknamed “Billy MacWong.”  Later, as he was not a true Scotsman, he was transferred to the 1st Otago Regiment at the Y Block at Burnham Army Camp known as “Canvas town” as the soldiers lived in 12-men bell tents. Most of the officers were school teachers or lawyers.

My dad was then given leave for three months to return home to work his fruit shop so that my Uncle George could do the three months of basic army training. Uncle George did not continue in the army as one of the brothers had to run the shop to support their family. As time went by most of dad’s army mates were sent overseas to fight, but for some reason he was left behind with the newly drafted married men.

Bill was eventually sent down to the Waiwera South Camp, a few miles from Balclutha and ended up working in the canteen. He was responsible for dishing out the tobacco rations to the married men drafted into the army.  In Dad’s words, he was ”tossed around” other camps, so he volunteered to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force.  

He transferred to Levin and became an AC.2 (2nd class airman). At Harewood he was on tarmac duties and refuelling the Tiger Moth planes before being sent to Ashburton and Blenheim. After selection to go to Rotorua he commenced full time study for aircrew training. In 1944 he started his elementary flying training at Taieri Airport in Dunedin. Here my father had lots of fun, learning to fly the DH82, Tiger Moth aircraft.  

After the class completed the training some of his mates were sent to Canada. Dad was sent to Woodbourne in Blenheim to be trained to fly the Harvard Planes. He graduated as a RNZAF Pilot Officer and was presented his wings in August 1944. He recalls the ceremony as a grand affair.

The next course was at Swanson where he learnt about jungle survival and how to cope should you be shot down. Then he was transferred to the Hobsonville aircrew pool. In January 1945 he was posted to Ohakea for operational training and learnt to fly the Kittyhawke aircraft, which were used to fight the Japanese. By then the war was coming to a close, and as the Allies were advancing to Berlin, surplus pilots were being sent home from England and Canada. As there were so many pilots returning, my dad opted for discharge at the end of February 1945 returning to civilian life and the fruit shop.  The war came to an end six months later when the Japanese surrendered.

Through staying at many camps throughout New Zealand, both in the army and air force he met up with many Gwa Leng village cousins, local Chinese, and Kiwi servicemen and women - all who have been my dad’s lifetime friends.
‍Caroline King, November 2023

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