WONZ 354 – Maximum Effort

Guests: Don Simms and Chris Newey

Host: Dave Homewood

Recorded: ‎1st of June ‎2026

Released: 6th of June 2026

Duration: 55 minutes 27 seconds

“Maximum Effort” was a docu-drama made by the Ministry of Information during WWII about a crew of a No. 75 (NZ) Squadron Avro Lancaster bomber based at RAF Mepal in mid-1944.

In this episode Dave Homewood, Don Simms and Chris Newey discuss the making of this film, the real life characters who appear as themselves, and the Lancaster that is featured, ND752.

Portions of the original film footage, along with original black and white and recently colourised photographs are used to illustrate the discussion.

This all-but-forgotten film is an amazing time capsule showing life at RAF Mepal, near Ely, Cambridgeshire, which became a little bit of New Zealand back in 1944-45.

NOTE: It is recommended that you watch the original 18 minute “Maximum Effort” first, and the watch the WONZ 354 Maximum Effort video. There is an audio podcast version of the latter but the video is much more satisfying.

Above: Avro Lancaster ND752 of No. 75 (NZ) Squadron as features in Maximum Effort, as the Whitting Crew’s regular aircraft. This is a colourisation from an original black and white from the collection of the late Bomb Aimer and New Zealand Bomber Command Association President Ron Mayhill DFC.