A Noble Chance by Capt Maurice McGreal

Born in Auckland, Maurice McGreal was educated at a one-teacher school at Weymouth, then at Sacred Heart College and Auckland Teachers College. Joining The Civil Reserve in1938, when the war broke out, he went to the RAF, flying Wellingtons in 75 NZ Squadron in 1940, and Catalina’s and Sunderland’s in 490 NZ Squadron, Coastal Command. Returning to New Zealand after the War, he joined Tasman Airways in 1947 (TEAL), flying the Short S-30, Sandringham, and Solent flying boats on the Tasman and Coral Routes, then Electra's and DC-6s to Australia and Japan. Leaving Teal for medical reasons in 1962, he joined the NZ Civil Aviation Department, where he went on to become Assistant Director (Flight Operations), the position he was in when the Erebus disaster happened. Retiring in 1985, he continued on as a writer, broadcaster, and aviation consultant. Maurice passed away in November 2012, and before he died, we discussed releasing his autobiography to a wider audience as I, like so many, found it a rivetingly good read. If you have any interest in aviation and the part New Zealanders played in Bomber Command, Coastal Command, and especially the flying boats that opened New Zealand to the world and romanced the Pacific, then jump right in; it's a fascinating read.