Humbled and a Bit Awkward in Churchill’s Presence

In the summer of 1941, Sergeant James Allen Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross for his extraordinary bravery. While flying at 13,000 feet above the Zuider Zee in his Wellington bomber, he climbed out onto the wing to extinguish a fire in the starboard engine, secured only by a rope around his waist. Not only did he successfully smother the fire, but he also managed to return safely to the aircraft’s cabin. Admired for his own swashbuckling exploits, Winston Churchill summoned the humble New Zealander to 10 Downing Street.…