RAF Tholthorpe Control Tower, North Yorkshire

Sat well back from the road, ostensibly in a huge cornfield, sits RAF Tholthorpes Control Tower – the same design that was at Mepal airfield throughout 75(NZ) Squadrons stay there.

Whilst not directly related to 75(NZ) Squadron, an interesting week spent and worth mentioning to you all. Always at this point of the summer, after a busy year at the University I invariably sink into a panic of how to spend what only feels like a very short month before going back for the new academic year. This year was no different, but seizing the nettle Bev and I decided to at least make sure we got away for a week. A very quick and deliberate google thrash turned up a restored Bomber Command Control Tower in North Yorkshire – and we thought well, that’s different, why the hell not and so it was booked.

I am loathe to turn this post into a TripAdvisor review, suffice to say, that Tholthorpe Control Tower is an amazing place to stay and really worth a week if you wish to stay not only in an immaculately restored and appointed period building, but perhaps more importantly to all of us who have visited RAF Mepal airfield to be left perhaps with that gnawing feeling of disappointment that so little of it all now remains, that the Control Tower at Tholthorpe is the same 343/43 design that stood at Mepal. It’s quite an amazing feeling to stand and look either through the windows, or climb the metal staircase to the roof, to stand and gaze out on what is now agricultural land to know that once, heavy bombers took off for the same period of time as Stirlings and Lancasters did from Mepal.

From Wikipedia….
RAF Tholthorpe was a Royal Air Force air station operated by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War. The station, which had been opened in the late 1930s as a grass airfield, was located near Easingwold, North Yorkshire, UK. Tholthorpe airfield operated as a sub-station of RAF Linton-on-Ouse.

From August 1940 to December 1940, Tholthorpe was a landing field for Whitley bombers of No. 58 Squadron RAF and No. 51 Squadron RAF based at Linton.

From January 1941 to June 1943, Tholthorpe underwent maintenance to upgrade to Class A standards, with three intersecting concrete runways designated main 10-28 at 2,000 yards, 06-24 at 1,430 yards and 16-34 at 1,400 yards.

Tholthorpe was assigned to No. 6 Group RCAF in June 1943. RCAF squadrons stationed here included No. 434 Squadron “Bluenose”, 431 Squadron “Iroquois”, 420 Squadron “Snowy Owl”, and 425 Squadron “Alouette”.

No. 434 Squadron, flying Halifax bombers, was formed and headquartered at Tholthorpe airfield from June 1943 until the squadron was moved to Croft. In July 1943, 431 Squadron moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Burn. It was later moved to Croft airfield as well. Not only were the operational squadrons quartered here, also their service echelons, -respectively Nos. 9431 and 9434 Service Echelon, which were formed from the ground crew of nos. 431 and 434 Squadron on 3 November 1943 and who moved with their squadrons on to Croft in December 1943.

In December 1943 No. 420 and No. 425 Squadrons (together with their service echelons, nos. 9420 and 9425 Service Echelon) were moved to Tholthorpe airfield from Dalton and Dishforth respectively. These squadrons had returned from service with Wellingtons in North Africa, and it took them several weeks to work up on the newly acquired Halifax bombers. They were therefore unable to fly their first raids from Tholthorpe until mid-February 1944. No. 420 Squadron flew 160 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 25 Halifaxes. No. 425 squadron flew 162 operations from Tholthorpe airfield and lost 28 Halifaxes. In all, 119 Halifax bombers were lost from Tholthorpe. In April and May 1945 nos. 420 and 425 Squadron converted to Avro Lancasters, which they took with them when they left for RCAF Debert, Nova Scotia, Canada in June 1945.

Another milestone – 600,000 views!

Just to let everybody that we have just passed the latest big viewing milestone – 600,000 views!

Almost 13 months to the day since we passed the half a million mark, you, the blog audience have added another 100,000 views to our tally and with it we get another small step closer to the magic figure of 1 million views. I think the passing of this new milestone, in the time it has happened is all the more remarkable given my silence regarding posts for essentially 1/4 of the year owing to the self inflicted loss of my laptop!

I have received questions over the years regarding what has been claimed to be my unnecessary emphasis on statistics and particularly the total viewing figures. In the past, I have tried to explain, but now I simply refute these queries. Put simply, this website has become, the largest single resource for 75(NZ) Squadron RAF in the world. It has achieved this by having the most comprehensive collection of records, information and images on the Squadron, which is freely accessible to all. This complete open door policy regarding information is vindicated by the volume of visitors and views that are recorded.

Frustratingly I am picking my way through the busiest part of my professional year – assessment, the awarding of Degrees, the preparation for our annual London show and planning for next academic year means that I am waiting for a clear gap in the next few months to present new material that has come to me over the last 6 months or so – all of you have have contacted me, please be patient – it will all be presented as soon as I can!.

Without sounding like a broken record – please can everybody share the site – so many relatives of the boys who flew with the Squadron have made contact over the years, that it makes me think that there are still many more that have yet to find the site. Please, share the site address, on social media, through the facebook groups you are members of – we need to find these people and we need to encourage them to share what they have or might know.

Also, please, please, please apply for your relatives service records! I cannot overstate the value and importance of the contents of these records to me and the site. Many dates and locations, because of the points of formation of a crew and their subsequent training means that details supplied for one person means that the same details of movement and training can be added to up 6 other individuals. As soon as I can, I will make a downloadable template available to hopefully streamline the transfer of personal details etc that I need for the database.

Here’s to the next 100,000 views!

Ake Ake Kia Kaha!

D-Day

75(NZ) Squadron RAF Operations log for the 5th/6th of June 1944.
The Air Force Museum of New Zealand.

Thanks to Chris for this piece, on the 75th anniversary of the beginning of the Allied liberation of Europe.

The Air Force Museum of New Zealand in Christchurch holds a copy of the 75(NZ) Sqn Operations Log, a document which we were not previously aware of, and which gives us a much more detailed insight into 75 (NZ) Squadron’s contribution to D-Day. On the night of 5th of June 1944, 75(NZ) Squadron had prepared twenty-six Lancasters (a record at that point), and they took off either side of 0330hrs in the morning of the 6th to attack the coastal battery at Ouistreham. They were timed to reach the target at first light, and, on arrival, found a layer of cloud at 7,000 feet, with occasional gaps, through which some crews were able to see the markers. The bombing appeared to be fairly concentrated, no opposition was met, and all aircraft returned safely to Mepal after a round-trip of less than four hours. 

Ouistreham was at the eastern end of the invasion area, where Sword and Juno Beaches would be the scene of the Anglo-Canadian landings. However Mepal crews had not been told of the invasion, but they knew something was up as they were told that more than a thousand aircraft would be operating throughout the night, and that they must adhere to assigned flight routes, heights and times, and not jettison bombs over the Channel.  

From the 75(NZ) Sqn Operations Log: 
At 0730hrs,15 minutes after the last aircraft had landed back at Mepal, one of several ‘top secret’ messages came through from Waterbeach:

 ”D-Day is 6-6-44,  H Hour 0600” 

There were also messages about the distinctive markings of aircraft, and tight restrictions on the use of I.F.F. 

At 0810hrs Waterbeach advised the Colours of the Day: 
1400 – 2000 RY – Q – O
2000 – 0200 RG – J – I   Chaffinch OX
0200 – 0800 GG – C – D
0800 – 1400 GY – H – W 

Duty Beacon 62 – 285

 At 1105hrs Group requested 24 Lancasters be made available for an attack that night, Bomb Loads 18 x 500, petrol 1250 (gallons). 

W/T call signs were advised:  A & B Flt  M.K.H. and C Flt  P.O.K. 

At 1130hrs Target and Aiming Point coordinates were advised and an amendment to the Bomb Load, specifying 90% .025 fusing and 10% long delay (spread evenly over a period of 6 to 36hrs). H Hour 0235hrs. 

At 1610hrs W/C Leslie put the petrol up to 1366 (gallons). 

At 1620hrs Waterbeach advised the route coordinates (there and back). They also advised a bomb jettison location and repeated the instructions not to jettison in the Channel, mentioning “a very considerable volume of shipping”. 

At  1935hrs the target was altered to one of two possible targets (Lisieux one of them) and new route coordinates were advised.  

“Note: The alteration in route is to avoid low flying airborne forces, which are again operating tonight”. 

“A/C in two waves … 75 Sqdn 12 A/C in 1st wave, 12 2nd wave”. 

I.F.F. not to be used except in real emergency – sets were to be sealed in the “Off” position. “Window” and photography instructions given.  

2130hrs – target confirmed as Lisieux.
Strict adherence to routes and times required. Crews to fly below any bad weather over England, up to Thames Estuary, then climb through clouds to 7 or 8000 ft. Keep that height over enemy coast if weather fine, but if 5/10 cloud or more, drop below cloud and bomb below. Be prepared to come down below cloud over the target if markers are not visible. Balloon locations advised. PFF Aiming Point marking colours advised (Red & Green at H-3 to H-2, followed by Yellow & White) 

Master Bomber call sign “Wastepipe 1”
Deputy M/B call sign       “Wastepipe 2”
Cease Bombing call sign  “Sugar-plum”
B/C Frequency 5105 Kc (B); 6440 Kc (D) 

At 2250hrs new instructions came through from BC HQ: 

– no Window- if crews can’t visually identify the target must not bomb any other target
– if any light flak received do not fire back (could be ours)
– route coordinates confirmed, H Hour brought forward to 0135hrs. 

At 2344hrs the first of 24 Lancasters took off from Mepal to attack the railway junction in the town of Lisieux, some twenty miles to the east of Caen.. They reached the target to find a thin layer of cloud at 5,000 feet, which obscured the aiming-point, but the Oboe markers could be seen clearly, and the bombing was considered accurate and concentrated. All returned home safely, the last landing at 0359hrs early on the morning of the 7th.

Pilot Officer Ted Wilcox and the famous “soda siphon spitting bombs”

Many thanks to Joan and Michael Wilcox who have generously passed on the story of Ted Wilcox and the ‘Bomb spitting soda syphon’ artwork that adorned R1162 AA-Y “Yorker.

Edward (Ted) Thomas Wilcox was born in Durban, South Africa on 8 March 1913. His family moved back to England in 1914, later moving to Birmingham where his father was employed at the Austin Motor Works. 

From an early age Ted had shown a talent for painting and drawing and in 1924 he went to the Birmingham School of Art where he studied art, design and silver working. In 1930 he started work for a company making stained glass and later worked for the Austin Motor Works. Subsequently, he left Birmingham and worked in London as a commercial artist. His artwork was often used in technical publications, advertising literature and car owner manuals.

Ted was granted an emergency commission with the RAFVR on 12 April 1939, gazetted on 14 May 1939 as an acting Pilot Officer and began training as an Air Gunner.

He married Mary Dalton on 3 May 1940 and three days after the wedding, reported to 9 Bombing and Gunnery School at RAF Penrhos, Wales for a further three weeks training.

On 1 June he was posted to 11 Operational Training Unit (OTU), RAF Bassingbourn, training on Wellingtons.

On 14 August 1940, Ted was posted to 75 (NZ) Squadron at RAF Feltwell as an Air Gunner. Ted and Mary lived at Laburnum Cottage, Hockwold.

Ted flew with several crews – S/L “Breck” Breckon, P/O Charles Pownall (5 op’s), P/O Ian Gow and F/O Peter Kitchin (6) – before settling into the crew of P/O Edgar Lockwood as rear gunner.

He flew ten operations with Lockwood between November 1940 and January 1941.

Meanwhile, Mark 1C Wellington R1162 was received on 19 December 1940 from No 9 MU, Cosford, allocated the code AA-Y “Yorker”.

Wellington R1162 AA-Y “Yorker” being serviced in the snow, Feltwell, early 1941.
– NZ Bomber Command Assn. archives, Ron Mayhill collection.

The Lockwood crew picked up the new aircraft and flew their first op’ in her on 1 January 1941.

We don’t know why, but the crew decided to personalise the Wellington and Ted was commissioned to create a piece of nose art for “Yorker”. The story has become part of family legend. How he acquired some aircraft linen fabric, using his own hand as model and making free with Mary’s kitchen table, created a beautifully detailed ‘R.A.F’-branded soda-water siphon, with bombs spraying from the nozzle. The completed painting was then fixed to the side of Yorker by the application of aircraft dope.

Unofficial emblem painted on the side of a Vickers Wellington of No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF at Feltwell, Norfolk, depicting an ‘R.A.F’ soda-siphon spraying bombs.
IWM (CH 2718).

Ted only got to fly four air tests and three operations in the plane he had decorated. Having completed his tour at 25 op’s, Ted left the squadron on 2 February 1941.

However, his artwork, “Yorker” and her crew would soon become famous, in England and back in New Zealand, when they featured in a series of publicity photos taken at Feltwell, several of which appeared in the newspapers of the day. It was one of the most striking pieces of nose art of its time and is still admired today.

The photographer was Mr PHF “Bill” Tovey, the same official RAF photographer who took the iconic “airmen walking past Wellington” photo that came to represent the public face of 75 (NZ) Squadron.

We know that Tovey took that photo at Feltwell on the 10^th of May 1941.

It seems likely that he was also the photographer when another set of publicity photos was taken at Feltwell on 9 April 1941, showing preparations for a raid on Berlin. According to information on the back, these were syndicated through Fox Photos (a London press agency). Both sets feature Yorker’s nose art.

Ted kept one of these, an original, black and white photograph showing the Wellington with his artwork, the pilot inside the aircraft and crew member outside looking up. Newspaper captions stated that it was “an RAF pilot and his observer” with a “’siphon and bombs’ mascot on their Wellington.” The pilot is P/O Oliver Rayner Matheson DFC RAF and the observer is P/O George Eric Fowler DFC RAF.

“An R.A.F. Pilot and his observer”. P/O Oliver Matheson (pilot) in cockpit and P/O Eric Fowler (observer) below. New Zealand newspapers dated the photo 9 April 1941.
– Michael Wilcox.

As it appeared in an English newspaper. “An R.A.F. Pilot and his observer at the sign of the bombs and siphon check-up on their Wellington before setting out on the R.A.F.’s 39th raid on Berlin – the heaviest the German capital has had.”
– Michael Wilcox.

Matheson had taken over the crew and aircraft after Edgar Lockwood had completed his tour.

It was Matheson’s last operation – he and the crew took a different Wellington to Berlin that night, R1409 AA-N “Nuts”, but apparently R1162 “Yorker” made a much more photogenic subject.

As it turned out, Matheson and Fowler were each awarded an immediate DFC for their photo of Tempelhof aerodrome and making a second run over the target to deliver their load that night, despite having sustained flak damage.

After that, 2^nd pilot Sgt Bob Fotheringham took over the crew.

Vickers Wellington 1C R1162 AA-Y “Yorker”.
– NZ Bomber Command Assn. archives, Jack Wakefield collection

In June, a photo of the Fotheringham crew in front of Yorker’s nose art appeared in the NZ newspapers:

“Dominion Bomber Crew: A crew of the New Zealand Bomber Squadron. Their machine has a significant insignia.” The Fotheringham crew in front of R1162 AA-Y “Yorker”, May 1941. Front, Sgt Bob Fotheringham (skipper), behind him, P/O Eric Fowler DFC, navigator. Top is Jack Wakefield, rear gunner.
– NZ Bomber Command Assn. archives, Jack Wakefield collection.

From 75(NZ) Squadron Ted had gone to 18 Operational Training Unit (18 OTU) at RAF Bramcote where he continued as an Air Gunner until 27 April when he was posted to 27 OTU, RAF Lichfield.

Amazingly, his old “kite” followed him!

R1162 was transferred to 27 OTU on the 16^th of August 1941 and Ted’s logbook records one more flight in her on 26 October 1941, piloted by a F/L Denton. She failed to return from the third One Thousand Bomber raid on Bremen, on the night of the 23rd/24^th of June 1942, one of 23 OTU aircraft and crews lost that night.

Ted’s wife, Mary, died in January 1966 whilst Ted was stationed at RAF St Athan, some three months before he retired from the RAF.    Ted Wilcox died peacefully on 7 July 1995, aged 82, and is buried in Llywel Church, Trecastle, Powys, South Wales, alongside his daughter Gaywood Patricia (nee Wilcox, Chaffer) Griffin.

Ake Ake Kia Kaha!

New addition to Group Photographs section

Group portrait of the 75th New Zealand Bomber Squadron, Royal Air Force, alongside a Vickers bomber aeroplane, England. Photographer unidentified. Evening Post (Wellington, NZ).
Credit: National Library of New Zealand. Ref: 1/2-123840-G http://natlib.govt.nz/records/22753875 

My memory was pricked yesterday, when I received a comment from Bruce, identifying his Father, John Fernie in the above photo.

Originally posted, now almost 5 years ago, Chris had come across it in the National Library of New Zealand and had begun to tentatively try to identify individuals within the group.

It sounds awful in a way to say that I had ‘forgotten’ about this photograph, but as soon as I saw Bruce’s comments, I thought I must number up a copy and add it to the Group section of the menu. Clearly great minds think alike – as I received an email form Chris this morning, not only with a numbered up version of the photograph, but also an incredibly comprehensive list of identified individuals in the picture! There are still a few gaps, so, as always if anybody is able to fill the final gaps, please get in touch.

You can read the original post here.
And you can see the new numbered up photograph, with the list of names here

Squadron Nominal Roll – ‘1st occurrence list’

I am pleased to announce the addition to the top menu of a ‘Nominal Roll’ section.

I realise that I have already been working on this project for about a year and a half, gathering information, researching and creating a database. Based on what I have so far done and what therefore seems to remain to do, I now know that is impossible to even, at this point, estimate a completion date.

To this end, I have decided, in the first instance, to put up the original ‘1st occurrence’ list that the database is based on. This list, as the name suggests represents the first occurrence of every individual name that appears in the original crew database. My focus has also further refined – initially I took the reluctant decision to only focus on aircrew, based on the almost complete absence of a verifiable list of groundcrew. I have now taken the decision to focus on aircrew who flew at least 1 recorded Op or post War (Europe) sortie with the Squadron. The Form 540 records, particularly from the very well administered period of 1943, shows the very high number of movements in and out of the Squadron by aircrew who never actually flew operationally. The only exception to this new focus will be those individuals that were killed whilst with the Squadron, but whose death did not occur whilst on Ops.

On inspection, you will see that in its first iteration, the list is very basic, presenting an individual as follows:

ABBOT
D.A. Abbot. RNZAF NZ401219 – Air Gunner

Whilst overall, I have more information for most individuals than this, it is not constant or complete. To this end, I think it is better to provide this first complete list and then add/ edit it, regarding extra information than delay publishing for a mythical point of completion that might never be achieved. This current entry should be considered, relative, to what I believe is entirely achievable for the Squadron based on gathered information on my own Father, below:

SOMMERVILLE 
Robert Douglas ‘Jock’ Sommerville RAF 1562617/ 161049
Arrived at RAF Mepal on Wednesday, 21 July 1943, from 1651 H.C.U., Waterbeach aged 20
Trained as Air Bomber
Op total with Squadron, 21 

Undertook 21 Ops with AJ Mayfield’s crew as A/B

Tour History
30/07/1943 – Mining off the Frisian Islands, 02/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Hamburg, 06/08/1943 – Mining in the Gironde Estuary, 10/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Nurenburg, 12/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Turin, 16/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Turin, 17/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Peenemunde, 27/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Nuremburg, 30/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Munchen-Gladbach, 31/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Berlin, 05/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 08/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Boulogne, 15/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Montlucon, 16/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Modene, 22/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Hanover, 23/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 03/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Kassel, 04/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Frankfurt, 08/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Bremen, 18/11/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 19/11/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Leverkusen.

The Mayfield crew were screened on direct orders from 3 Group Headquarters, prior to the regulation 1st Tour total of 30 Ops being completed. The news was delivered to the crew on the morning of the 20th of November, along with one other crew, as yet to be identified. It would appear, the decision to screen the crew at this point in their tour, was to show the remaining crews that there was in fact a chance to survive the ‘chop’ Squadron, as 75(NZ) Squadron was beginning to be described, at a point in time where crew losses were beginning to mount.

Time with Squadron, 4 months 24 days (arrival to departure date)

Posted to No.3 Lancaster Finishing School, Feltwell, for instructional duties Wednesday, 15 December 1943.

2nd Tour 
Arrived at RAF Mepal on Thursday, 25 January 1945 from No.3 Lancaster Finishing School, Feltwell, age 22
Op total with Squadron, 21 – plus 1 dnc, (02/03/45 Attack Against Cologne) 

Undertook 22 Ops with VJ Zinzan’s crew as A/B

Tour History
01/02/1945 – Attack Against Munchen Gladbach, 02/02/1945 – Attack Against Wiesbaden, 09/02/1945 – Attack Against Hohenbudburg, 13/02/1945 – Attack Against Dresden, 14/02/1945 – Attack Against Chemnitz, 16/02/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 19/02/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 20/02/1945 – Attack Against Dortmund, 02/03/1945 – Attack Against Cologne (DNC), 04/03/1945 – Attack Against Wanne Eickel, 06/03/1945 – Attack Against Salzbergen, 07/03/1945 – Attack Against Dessau, 09/03/1945 – Attack Against Datteln, 10/03/1945 – Attack Against Gelsenkirchen Buer, 12/03/1945 – Attack Against Dortmund, 14/03/1945 – Attack Against Heinrich Hutte, 20/03/1945 – Attack Against Hamm, 23/03/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 29/03/1945 – Attack Against Salzgitter, 04/04/1945 – Attack on Meresburg, 13/04/1945 – Attack on Kiel, 14/04/1945 – Attack on Potsdam.

Time with Squadron, 3 months 9 days (arrival to departure)

It also strikes me that by making this basic list available, there is far greater opportunity for new information to be provided by visitors to the site. I have activated comments on all pages of the list with the hope that this provides the easiest way for people to add information that can then be added to the database.

One sobering fact that has already come to light, based on a total count in the list is that almost 1/3 of individuals that flew with the Squadron, died in it.

I am currently keen to get the following information on individuals:
Date of Birth
Dates and location of training bases prior to 75(NZ) Squadron
Post 75(NZ) Squadron postings
Post War career/ achievements
Date of death

Please have a look at the list and if you feel you have any useful information, please leave a comment or email me.

Either go up to the top menu or go to the list here.

New crew pictures

The Curr crew:
L-R: Sgt Leslie Kennedy (front gunner), F/Sgt Ken Crankshaw (rear gunner), Sgt Frankie Curr (skipper), P/O Ronald Hull (wireless operator) and Sgt Ivan “Sully” Sullivan (navigator).
With their regular Wellington BJ721 AA-A “Achtung ANZAC”.
NZ Bomber Command Assn. archives, Ken Crankshaw collection. 

Chris has come up trumps – massively, with a huge collection of crew photographs that have been added to the respective crew pages on the site. The majority come from the New Zealand Bomber Command Association Archive and as always I must give sincere thanks to the Association and Peter Wheeler. Also massive thanks to everyone else who has passed on photographs to Chris and to those that have given images that have been previously presented in posts, that have now also been added to the crew pages.

Perhaps as I am yet to find a crew picture containing Bob, I find myself always drawn to these photographs. To see a group of the boys together, usually smiling at the camera, despite the situation they found themselves in makes me think that what we see shining out of these pictures is true spirit and camaraderie – caught in a split second of time, but now persisting forever.

This is a significant addition not only to the crew pages but to the site as a whole and I am sure that some visitors are going to find, perhaps for the first time, a picture of a loved one. Please take the time to have a look via the links below – there are some remarkable examples – and if you can identify anybody in them – as always, please contact us!

New photographs have been added to the following crew pages:

V.A. Adolph
J.K. Aitken
K.E. Amohanga
B.L.D. Anderson
A. Ashworth
J.M. Bailey (1st Tour)
R.B. Berney
E.V. Best
I.E. Blance
A.A.N. Breckon
E.F. Butler
I.S. Carroll
F.L. Curr
A.G. Daly
F.H. Denton
J.A. Emslie
J.F. Fisher
R.C. Flamank
R.E.E. Fotheringham
A.A. Fraser
C. Glossop
D.V. Hamer
W.L. Hardy
N.J.N. Hockaday
D.G.G. Horgan
J.Joll (2nd Tour)
C.E. Kay
J.R. Layton
R. Leggett
F.J. Lucas
F.J. Lucas (2nd Tour)
R.D. Max
C.A.G. McKenzie
I.G.E. McPhail
C.A. Megson
E.L.K. Meharry
H.A.D. Meyer
A.G. Osborne
G.N. Parker
W.G. Reay
R.W. Russell
D.L. Thompson
H.J.D. Treewheela
L.G. Trott
F.H. Turner
R.J. Urlich
E.E.D. Ware
White
N. Williams
S. Wilson
E.F. Witting
J.H.T. Wood
J.L. Wright
J.L. Wright (2nd Tour)
J.S. Young

Chatteris Memorial

The Thorpe crewLeft to right: Allen Francis (Wireless Operator), John Duke (Flight Engineer), Noel Thorpe (Pilot), Frederick Saffill (Mid Upper Gunner), George McManus (Navigator), H. Hark (Rear Gunner), Joseph Alfred (Air Bomber)image and caption supplied by Noel Russell.

At approximately 10 minutes past 4 on the afternoon of the 22nd of February 1945, Lancaster Mk.I ME450 AA-W crashed, near to Chatteris gas works. All but 2 of the 7 man crew were killed.

I was recently contacted to be informed that there is a plan and the intent to commemorate the Thorpe crew and their loss. Perhaps more interestingly, after research, the committee driving the planned memorial have discovered that in fact, during the War a total of 7 aircraft crashed in the Chatteris area. Quite rightly, it has now been decided that the memorial should commemorate all those crews.

Personally, I think this a very laudable project, bringing together possibly those, not only interested in the History of the RAF and Bomber Command, but also for the inhabitants of Chatteris, their own local history. After so may years, it’s possibly more poignant for those that will walk past this memorial to know nothing of those tragic events until that moment that they do – then leaving with the understanding that the sacrifices of a time long gone, can and should still be remembered today.

To keep informed of the progress of this very commendable project, you can join the groups facebook page here.

More importantly perhaps, you can make a donation to the project on their just gofundme page here.

80 years ago today – the story begins……

New Wellingtons near completion at the Vickers Weybridge factory, NZ 302 second-closest to the camera.
”Flight”, July 6 1939 issue.

Many thanks to Chris for the following post that commemorates the 80th anniversary, of what is essentially the start of the 75(NZ) Squadron story……..

80 years ago (today), on the 4th of May 1939, New Zealand government representatives in England took ceremonial delivery of the first of thirty Wellington bombers ordered from Vickers-Armstrongs Limited and being built at their Weybridge factory. The government had made the purchase to establish a long range bomber capability – maritime reconnaissance & defence, potential air co-operation with Australia, and the ability to assist in the defence of Singapore.

Mark 1 Vickers Wellington Type 403 serial number NZ 300 was the first of these to come off the production line, and a photo of her dual-control cockpit has survived, probably taken at the time of the official hand-over.

Cockpit of Mark 1 Vickers Wellington, serial number NZ 300, the first Wellington built for the RNZAF.
From “The Aeroplane” archives, via the Aeroplane Illustrated publication, “Vickers Wellington – The Backbone of Bomber Command”, Key Publishing, 2013.

Detail: data plate of NZ 300, behind the right-hand (dual) control column: “Type 403, No. NZ 300. Built at Weybridge Works. Date April 1939 England”.
From “The Aeroplane” archives, via the Aeroplane Illustrated publication, “Vickers Wellington – The Backbone of Bomber Command”, Key Publishing, 2013.

RNZAF personnel were assembling at RAF Marham under the command of S/L Maurice William Buckley, MBE, RNZAF to train for the unprecedented long-distance ferry flights back to New Zealand, supplemented by a small group of RAF technicians with experience in servicing Wellingtons. Marham was home to two Wellington squadrons, 38 and 115 Sqdns, allowing sharing of facilities.

Squadron Leader Maurice William Buckley, MBE, RNZAF
From “Return At Dawn”, by Hilary Saunders.

The first NZ Wellington arrived at Marham on the 24th of May, flown in from Weybridge by S/L Buckley, P/O Arthur Rose-Price (a pilot on loan from 38 Squadron) and S/L Sid Wallingford (NZ Liaison Officer, and nominated to lead one of the ferry flights).

Curiously, the first Wellington received was NZ 301, and for some unknown reason, NZ 300 was never delivered to the squadron. A second Wellington, NZ 302, was flown in the following day.

“New Zealand’s Modern Bombers Undergo Trials”. New Zealand Squadron Wellington taking off at Weybridge.
Otago Daily Times, 12 June 1939.

The New Zealand Squadron, the entity which would train the groups of pilots, airmen and technicians selected to fly the bombers back to New Zealand, was officially formed on the 1st of June. Three more Wellingtons arrived that month. S/L Buckley was nominated to lead the “1st New Zealand Mobile Flight”, the first of five planned ferry flights of six aircraft each and due to leave on 1 October.

Only one Flight was ever formed. With the outbreak of war, the New Zealand Government decided that the men and five aircraft of the New Zealand Squadron would be “placed at the disposal” of the RAF, and eventually agreed that they would form the basis of a new squadron in the RAF.

Eleven months later, on the 4th of April 1940, 75 (Bomber) Squadron ceased to exist and it’s number plate was taken over by the New Zealand Squadron, to form 75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF.

The JN-Dog Boys – new website

I am really pleased to be able to announce another website, dedicated to the boys that flew with 75(NZ) Squadron.

This time, it’s the Wood crew and the site has been created by Chris Newey, research and post contributing stalwart to this site. Chris, through dedicated research and the help of his cousin’s Phil and Bruce.

The site picks up with the boys as they arrive at No.12 Operational Training Unit , Chipping Warden, on the 30th of May 1944. Here, John Wood, John Pauling, Noel Hooper, Gerry Newey and Bert Cash formed, what would become, with the subsequent arrival of Dougie Williamson and Ralph Sparrow the ‘JN-Dog boys’

The crew arrived at Mepal on Saturday 2 December 1944. They flew 32 sorties – the final Op to Meresburg on the 4th of April 1945, where their luck almost ran out, returning sans Flight Engineer – but thats a tale to read on the site!

Read the story of the JN-Dog boys here.

 

 

ANZAC Day 2019

“Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well.“

 In 1934, Kemal Atatürk delivered these words to the first Australians, New Zealanders and British to visit the Gallipoli battlefields. They were later inscribed on a monolith at Ari Burnu Cemetery (ANZAC Beach) which was unveiled in 1985. The words also appear on the Kemal Atatürk Memorial, Canberra, and the Atatürk Memorial in Wellington.

Let us take this day to remember all those, from Australia and New Zealand who gave their lives, not only in 75(NZ) Squadron RAF, but in every conflict before and after.

We shall remember them………….

AHE AKE KIA KAHA

75nzsquadron.com – back on Ops!

I am pleased to say that having finally taken ownership of a replacement to my once faithful MacBook Air, I am back and up and running!

Thankfully, the archived image of, lets call it MBA 001, whilst inaccessible as files has populated MBA 002 exactly and nothing of any significance has been lost whatsoever relating to the site or my archives – testament to the benefits of regular backing up methinks……..

It’s been a frustrating few months, but having said this, a constant stream of emails has ensured that there is plenty of content to add and this will happen through posts and updates over the next few months.

I owe a sincere thanks to 2 truly kind hearted souls who actually not only clicked on the ‘just Giving’ link of my ‘dead MacBook’ post from before Christmas, but also were prepared to put their hands in their pockets! In honest truth, as they were the only donations, I didn’t feel it fair to take the money, so I returned it. Many thanks to my lovely wife as always for having the financial clout to be able to step in during my darkest hour(s) and contribute to the effort!

During my imposed absence I have at least been able to continue with the Nominal Roll research, albeit on a PC (yuk). I have now reconciled the original Form 540 database to generate a list of all individuals who flew with the Squadron during the War. I am currently merging this information with individual information gathered form the Form 78 records for RAF personnel, as well as promotions and awards from the London Gazette. Additionally, book references have also added a significant amount of detail.

My searching has highlighted the significant discrepancies and variability of accessible information depending on country. A massive applause to the Australian National Archive, who have digitised the service records of those RAAF personnel who flew with the Squadron – to a level that is only, it seems, possible to obtain form other nations archives if you are a direct relative.

As I have already asked, please, find the time to contact your nations archives and request your loved ones service records – I have often remarked on the fact that this site is only what it is because of the generous contributions by all of you – this is so much more true in the creation of this new record.

As an aside and as a result of my database noodling, I would also like to know the dates of birth of your relatives. Whilst a small detail perhaps, it allows me vey easily to generate the actually, very poignant in some cases, age of the boys when they arrived at a front line bomber squadron. To this end, dates of passing, post-war would also be most welcomingly received.

In other, but potentially far more exciting news, Chris has begun to dig through the Air Force Museum of New Zealand’s archive and it seems at the moment almost every day is discovering some astonishing documents and records. Some material, is so unique as to have not even thought that it might exist! Having wetted your appetite, I am sure more details and posts will follow!

a thousand thanks for sticking with it!

Simon

21/12/19 Apple MacBook Air – Failed to Return……….

Dear readers of this Blog

It is with much sadness that I must report that the above named MacBook Air failed to return from blogging operations conducted the night before last.

It was seen to receive a starboard impact from an exploding cup of tea. Whilst the crew shut down all engines immediately and initiated dinghy/ kitchen towel drill, the display was almost instantly lost and there followed a crackling sound throughout its main body.

At the time of writing nothing further has been heard from the m/a and as such it is not clear whether any of the data on board survived.

This MacBook Air has been with 75nzsquadron since its formation and had completed a total of 731 posts, being responsible for over 550,000 views. Whilst significant amounts of data had been carried and then re-posted to other data storage devices, this loss is felt keenly, given that all of its data was new and would have undertaken a number of new posts during the coming months

To this end I must regretfully inform you that 75nzsquadron.com must wait until replacement machines can be procured before blogging can be recommenced…….

Donations of railings, metal gates, pots and pans can be donated here.

A very long shot, but…………………………

Many thanks to Jo for contacting me about a photograph that came into her possession. She knows nothing about the individual in the photograph and the only extra information available is that it was taken at some point by the Paramount Studios in Winnipeg, Canada.

As with all of these things, it’s an incredibly long-shot, but if anyone knows or has a suggestion as to who this individual might be, please get in touch, Jo is keen to return it to a family if it is possible.

Please everybody, share this as much as you can and lets see if we can achieve the impossible!

The Evans crew – and a bit of a mystery………

I t was lovely to meet up with Kevin two Sundays ago for the November Remembrance Ceremony at Mepal. Kevin mentioned that he had received a photograph from a lady, who had found it in the processions of her late mother. Her assumption was that her mother had perhaps been a pen-pal to the crew pictured in the photograph.

At the time, I was slightly confused by Kevin’s comment that I didn’t have anything on the crew, but when I got back home, I realised a slight faux-pas on my part, I had accidentally overlooked actually adding the history to the crew page!

Referring to the Squadron database, I suddenly became very confused. The Evans crew were returned as flying 5 Ops with the Squadron, their first being a gardening sortie to the Frisian Islands on the 16th of December 1943, their last on the 15th of February 1944, again mining, this time to Kiel, (Roy Evans flying as 2nd Pilot with Osric White on the 18th of November to Mannheim).

Imagine my surprise when looking at the scan of the back of the crew photograph:

Clearly there is a slight discrepancy in totals. One might summise that the crew had already been posted elsewhere, however, all seem to have come to Mepal straight from 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit at RAF Stradishall.

I would be fascinated to hear from anybody who might have anymore information on the Evans crew, or any of its members and their 27 Ops completed…………

For the Fallen – Lest we forget

Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), published in The Times newspaper on 21 September 1914.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Laurence Binyon composed his best known poem while sitting on the cliff-top looking out to sea from the dramatic scenery of the north Cornish coastline. A plaque marks the location at Pentire Point, north of Polzeath. However, there is also a small plaque on the East Cliff north of Portreath, further south on the same north Cornwall coast, which also claims to be the place where the poem was written.

The poem was written in mid September 1914, a few weeks after the outbreak of the First World War. During these weeks the British Expeditionary Force had suffered casualties following its first encounter with the Imperial German Army at the Battle of Mons on 23 August, its rearguard action during the retreat from Mons in late August and the Battle of Le Cateau on 26 August, and its participation with the French Army in holding up the Imperial German Army at the First Battle of the Marne between 5 and 9 September 1914.

Laurence said in 1939 that the four lines of the fourth stanza came to him first. These words of the fourth stanza have become especially familiar and famous, having been adopted by the Royal British Legion as an Exhortation for ceremonies of Remembrance to commemorate fallen Servicemen and women.

Laurence Binyon was too old to enlist in the military forces but he went to work for the Red Cross as a medical orderly in 1916. He lost several close friends and his brother-in-law in the war.

Bevis Harpham, Wireless Operator – Good crew

As always, many thanks for Kevin for passing on the sad news of the passing of another 75(NZ) Squadron veteran.

Bevis Harpam, Wireless Operator, arrived as part of Tom Good’s crew on the 11th of February 1945. The crew flew their first Op with W/Cdr Mac Baigent 11 days later, reforming with Tom Good to undertake their first Op as a crew on the 23rd of February to Gelsenkirchen.

Bevis completed another 7 Ops with the Good crew, his last being on the 17th of March to Auguste Viktoria. Inexplicably, at this point, Bevis never flew with the Good crew again, but did fly another Op on the 24th of April to Bad Oldsloe with Matthew Watson’s crew.

I am sure you will all join in wishing condolences to Bevis’ family at this sad time for them.

Ake Ake Kia Kaha!

A request for help – and information!

The majority of my time over the last 6 years or so, has been spent completing a number of large scale projects which have resulted in sizeable amounts of information being added to the site.

To date, the largest has been the creation of a database to enable me to list an Op history for every crew that flew with the Squadron during the War. I was also able to relatively recently announce the completion of the transcription of the entire collection of Form 540 documents for the Squadron. In addition to this, the Roll of Honour has been dramatically expanded, all available air combat reports have been catalogued and added and a large number of MI.9 debriefing interviews are currently being processed and added to the Evaders, Escapers and P.o.W sections  of the site.

The final, and largest piece of the jigsaw is a record of all individuals that flew with the Squadron, or as it is often referred to, a Nominal Roll.

Those of you that have followed the blog form the beginning, might recall a very brief period when a Nominal Roll was available, which had been passed onto me form the 75 Association in New Zealand. This had to be removed not long after publishing, owing to what I will simply describe as a misunderstanding, more within the Association, regarding the apparent sense of making the list public to correct and expand it.

Aware of the sensitivities surrounding this Nominal Roll document and owing to the apparent reluctance on the part of the NZ Association to make public any information that they hold, I have come to the simple conclusion that the only way to proceed is to create from scratch, our own Nominal Roll.

I have spent the last few months reviewing the information held on the blog, the National Archives and London Gazette and am satisfied that, in principle this is entirely possible.

The scope of the document will be from the point the ‘New Zealand Flight’ was formed in the United Kingdom in June 1939 through to the point the Squadron was disbanded at Spilsby in October 1945.

Based on available information, I have reluctantly decided at least initially, to focus the Nominal Roll on Aircrew only. I am not comfortable with this decision, but the simple fact of the matter is that I seem so far to have found no sources of information that lists any useful records, regarding Ground crew and as such barely have a starting point for a basic list, let alone, sadly a Nominal Roll document.

A gross list of Aircrew names can be extracted from the Form 541 ‘diary of work carried out’ that already exists in database format and this will form the first ‘impression’ of the Roll. Additional information contained in the Form 540 regarding postings in and out of the Squadron and promotions will add to this. Six years of contact with relatives, plus a summer going through the AIR 78 personnel list documents, has generated a significant amount of new information regarding RAF aircrew christian/ middle names and service numbers.

What follows is a theoretical Nominal Roll entry based on my own Father. I have used Bob as an example because all I have on him comes from publicly  accessible  documents, information held in my database and his service records obtained from the RAF.

By way of trying to explain the composition of Bob’s record, the following colours have been used:

Blue = Database
Green = Service record
Red = Personal/ anecdotal information

SOMMERVILLE
Robert Douglas ‘Jock’ Sommerville, DFC. RAFVR 1562617/ 161049
42 Ops
2 tours with Squadron, 1943 & 1945. Crewed with Allan Johnson Mayfield (1^st tour) and Vernon John ‘Taffy’ Zinzan (2^nd tour).

Born 1^st of November 1922, Irvine, Ayr, Scotland
Previous occupation, Clerk, Ayr County Council, Public Assistance Department.
Enlisted, 9^th of October 1941 at Aircrew Selection Board (ACSB), Edinburgh – Recommended for training as Pilot/ Observer.
23/3/42 Reserves to No.1 Aircrew Reception Centre (ACRC), St. Johns Wood.
11/4/42 No.11 Initial Training Wing (ITW)
14/7/42 No.3 Elementary Flying Training School (E.F.T.S)
10/8/42 Recommended for re-mustering to Unit
29/8/42 Re-mustered to Unit
10/11/42 No.2 (O) Advanced Flight Unit (Course 87). Millom, Cumbria
6/4/43 No.11 Operational Training Unit, Oakley (11 O.T.U)
24/6/43 No. 1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach (1651 C.U.)

Posted to Mepal on the 21^st of July 1943 from 1651 Heavy Conversion Unit, Waterbeach.
1562617.  SGT.A/B.  SOMMERVILLE, R.  Posted from No.1651 Con. Unit, w.e.f. 21/7/43.  (Authy.P/N.3G/855/49 dated 19/7/43).

Completed 21 Ops between 30/07/1943 and 19/11/1943 with Mayfield crew

30/07/1943 – Mining off the Frisian Islands, 02/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Hamburg, 06/08/1943 – Mining in the Gironde Estuary, 10/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Nurenburg, 12/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Turin, 16/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Turin, 17/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Peenemunde, 27/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Nuremburg, 30/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Munchen-Gladbach, 31/08/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Berlin, 05/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 08/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Boulogne, 15/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Montlucon, 16/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Modene, 22/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Hanover, 23/09/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 03/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Kassel, 04/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Frankfurt, 08/10/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Bremen, 18/11/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Mannheim, 19/11/1943 – Attack Against Targets at Leverkusen.

Arrived on Station as Sgt. Promoted to P/O with effect from 20/10/43 (Gazetted 14/12/43). Promoted to F/O 20/4/44. Promoted to F/L 20/10/45 (Gazetted 25/9/45). Commission relinquished 1/7/59

Posted from Mepal to No.3 Lancaster Finishing School, Feltwell on the 15^th of December 1943.
P/O Sommerville, R. D. 161049 (GD) Posted to No.3 L.F.S. w.e.f. 15/12/43. Auth: P/N 3G/3398/43 dated 10/12/43.

4/3/44 – 11/10/44 No. 1 Air Armament School (AAS), Manby – Bomb Leaders Course Assessed as 5 – Category B Bomb Leader
11/10/44 – 9/11/44 Hereford. Air Crew Officers School (A.C.O.S) 58% (below average)
Posted to Mepal on the 25th of January 1945 from No.3 Lancaster Finishing School, Feltwell.

25.1.45
Administration. 161049 P/O R. Sommerville A/B arrived on posting from No. 3 L.F.S.

Completed 21 Ops between 01/02/1945 and 14/04/1945 with Zinzan crew

01/02/1945 – Attack Against Munchen Gladbach, 02/02/1945 – Attack Against Wiesbaden, 09/02/1945 – Attack Against Hohenbudburg, 13/02/1945 – Attack Against Dresden, 14/02/1945 – Attack Against Chemnitz, 16/02/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 19/02/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 20/02/1945 – Attack Against Dortmund, 02/03/1945 – Attack Against Cologne, 04/03/1945 – Attack Against Wanne Eickel, 06/03/1945 – Attack Against Salzbergen, 07/03/1945 – Attack Against Dessau, 09/03/1945 – Attack Against Datteln, 10/03/1945 – Attack Against Gelsenkirchen Buer, 12/03/1945 – Attack Against Dortmund, 14/03/1945 – Attack Against Heinrich Hutte, 20/03/1945 – Attack Against Hamm, 23/03/1945 – Attack Against Wesel, 29/03/1945 – Attack Against Salzgitter, 04/04/1945 – Attack on Meresburg, 13/04/1945 – Attack on Kiel, 14/04/1945 – Attack on Potsdam.

* For an unexplained reason did not fly with the crew on 17/03/1945 – Attack Against Auguste Viktoria

5/5/45 – Posted from Mepal to Aircrew Allocation Centre.
16/6/45 – RAF Halfpenny Green, Birmingham.
16/7/45 – 26/8/45 RAF Flying Control School, Shawbury(?)
27/9/45 – No.7 Air Navigation School, Bishops Court, Northern Ireland.
23/4/46 – No.7 Air Navigation School, Bishops Court, Northern Ireland – Flying Control Officer.
10/8/46 – No. 100 Personnel Dispersal Centre, Uxbridge.

Awarded DFC (Non Immediate)
Citation DFC (24 Sep 1945):
“This officer, as Air Bomber, has completed many successful operations against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed high skill, fortitude and devotion to duty”.

Passed away through illness 29^th of August 2011. Ashes scattered in 75(NZ) Squadron Memorial Garden, Mepal Cambridgeshire.

Now, you can see from this that it gives a good record of the individual, and also that the information comes really from the database and the individuals RAF Service Records.

I must therefore put out a request for you all to apply for your relatives Service Records. My understanding is that still, as next of kin the service is free (though I stand to be corrected).

Whilst this is a MASSIVE task, there exists an opportunity to complete the final section of the site and then make it the utterly definitive resource for the Squadron.

Information on how to apply can be accessed here:

For RAF – click here
For RNZAF – click here
For RAAF – click here
For RCAF – click here

Squadron Leader Garth Reginald Gunn – MiD, RNZAF NZ411397

Many thanks indeed to Ian for having the presence of mind to research the above item, having come across it during a house clearance. One shivers at the thought of the countless items that have been literally thrown away since the War.

This small, folded thank you card, one surmises a reply to an expression of condolence, commemorates the death of S/L Garth Reginald Gunn, who died of injuries on the 21st of September 1944, 3 days after his aircraft crash landed at RAF Hawkinge, having received damage during an Op to Boulogne on the 17th of that month. The thank you card was sent by Mrs Alice Melva Gunn, Garth’s Wife.

S/L Gunn and crew, received a direct hit, from 30mm shell fire, which severely damaged the aircraft necessitating both starboard engines to be shut down. The Captain and Flight Engineer had difficulty in maintaining control of the aircraft returning across the Channel. A decision was made to carry out an emergency landing at RAF Hawkinge, an airfield with a short runway. The Lancaster overshot the runway and crashed. The Captain, Navigator and Air Bomber were injured, two seriously. The Flight Engineer was killed in the crash. The other three crew escaped uninjured.The Pilot, S/L L G Gunn (‘B’ Flight Commander) died three days later from his injuries.

It was the crew’s 20th sortie with the Squadron and the 4th for Garth, as Squadron Leader of ‘B’ Flight.

The thank you card was found by Ian in a property in Herne Hill, South East London. The owner of the property was a  George Lackford, who Ian informs me, was a Naval Wireless Operator during the War.

S/L Gunn’s death was recorded on the 20th of October 1944 by the New Zealand Evening Post as follows:

DIED OF INJURIES
Flight Lieutenant G. R. Gunn, who has died of injuries received over enemy country, joined the Air Force in March, 1941, and gained his commission in August of that year, sailing immediately afterwards for overseas service. , He served through the African campaign, and after 12 months’ service in the Middle East was sent to England, from where he was flying when he received his injuries. He was 26 years of age, the elder son of Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Gunn, of Lower Hutt, and was born in Masterton.

An enthusiastic sportsman, he was a senior member of the Hutt Football and Athletic Clubs. He was educated at Miramar South and Eastern Hutt Schools and Wellington Technical College, and was senior sports champion of his college in 1934, 1935, and 1936, and head prefect in 1936. In 1934-35 he was junior champion of the Lower Hutt Athletic Club.

Flight Lieutenant Gunn was attached to Bomber Command,. and was acting Squadron Leader, flying a Lancaster bomber, when he received the injuries from which he later died. He leaves a wife, Mrs. A. M. Gunn, of Dolly Varden Bay, Plimmerton. His brother Sergeant C. H. Gunn, is at present in New Zealand on furlough, and his sister is Mrs. T. E. Mason, of Milford, Auckland. He was well known in the building trade, and prior to enlisting in the Air Force was on the staff of the Fletcher Construction Company, Wellington.

Garth Gunn was laid to rest in Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England. Grave location – 8. AA. 10

Whilst I have received this item from Ian and will hold it accordingly, I am also happy to pass it on to any relatives of Garth, if they see this and wish to have it.

 

Update – Bomber Command Profiles, 75(NZ) Squadron

Just a quick update!

Bomber Command Profiles – 75(NZ) Squadron is now available on Amazon.

£20 soft back , delivery 2-3 days.

75 (NZ) Squadron: Volume 8 (RAF Bomber Command Profiles) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1911255347/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_c_api_r1uEBbHADWAG6

RAF Bomber Command Profiles – 75(NZ) Squadron

I am quite excited to be able to announce the imminent release of a new book on 75(NZ) Squadron RAF.

This book is the latest of the  RAF Bomber Command Profiles that were first published in the 1990’s and takes and extends the original format.

Due to the special character of the Squadron, and the level of interest, Chris Ward and the publishers wanted to obtain input and perspective from New Zealand, and approached the NZ Bomber Command Assn. for assistance.

Executive Officer of the NZBCA, Peter Wheeler, provided access to the Association’s extensive photo archives and offered the help of NZBCA member and 75 (NZ) Sqdn enthusiast (and our own) Chris Newey.

The last history of the squadron, “Forever Strong”, was published in 1991, 27 years ago. While it contained many valuable personal recollections and photographs, there were some factual errors, and not a lot of operational detail. Given that, and the rare opportunity that this project represents, there was a determination from both parties to make the book as accurate as possible, and the photo collection as comprehensive as possible.

The text is written by Bomber Command specialist Chris Ward, and like his other Profiles, it is based around the squadron’s Operational Record Books. However he brings a detailed knowledge of 3 Group and the broader sweep of events that the squadron operated in, and makes the narrative easy to follow. The extract below gives an idea of the level of detail provided, attempting to include pilot’s full names, aircraft serial numbers, identification codes and details for all significant events, to give readers a strong starting point for further research.

There are 395 photos included, many previously un-published, plus copies of rare documents, the NZBCA’s archives supplemented by sources that include the Air Force Museum of NZ, Archives NZ, Simon Sommerville’s 75nzsquadron.com, Auckland War Memorial Online Cenotaph, and several collectors, families and individuals who generously contributed to the project.

The soft-back edition will be published in the next few days, to be followed at a later date by a limited edition, glossy hard-back.

The soft cover edition will be available on Amazon, but other distribution and retail details still to be advised.

478 pages, 8.5 inches x 11, 175 pages of photos.  Probably US$ 25 due to the size.

I will update you all when I know exact dates of release, points of sale and price. I would encourage you all to support this publication as an essential printed reference companion to the blog.

 

The Wainwright crew 1944

Johnny Wainwright and the “Dead-Beat crew”.
Back row, (L to R): Harold Howard Bell (Rear Gunner), John Francis Schofield ‘Johnny’ Wainwright (Pilot) andMelvin Russell Bloomfield (Air Bomber).
Front row (L to R): Sydney Clement Woolley (Wireless Operator), John Francis Richards (Navigator), Stanley Starling (Mid Upper Gunner) and Noel Vernon Roberts (Flight Engineer).
Image provided by Lindsey Wainwright.

The “Dead-Beats” re-mustered at Oakington with No.7 P.F.F. in October 1944.
Image supplied by Lindsey Wainwright

Many thanks to Lindsey for providing these 2 fantastic pictures of her Father and his crew for the Wainwright crew page. Johnny and the boys arrived at Mepal from 1657 Conversion Unit on the 27th of December 1943, flying their first Op on the 2nd of January 1944, Gardening in the Frisian Islands. The crew completed 23 Ops, including 3 SOE sorties, initially flying Stirlings, before converting with the rest of the Squadron to Lancasters in March 1944.

The “Dead-Beats” last Op with the Squadron was on the 24th of May with an Op to Aachen. The crew later re mustered at Oakington to fly with No.7 Squadron (P.F.F.)

Lindsey has admitted that, inspired by our very own Vic Jay’s remarkable research into his Father Bob, she has been incredibly lucky to make contact with the son and daughter of Syd Woolley, the crew’s Wireless Operator and also the son of Navigator, John Richards.

Bitten with the bug, she is really keen to try and make contact with other relatives of the crew – particularly those of the two Canadians in the crew  – who knows? – it’s happened before after a blog post!

See the Wainwright crew history page here.

Half a million views!

Half a million views!

I must take this opportunity to let everybody know, that today, 75nzsquadron.com passed the incredible milestone of 500,000 views. This amazing figure has taken almost 7 years to reach, but it has truly been worth the wait, given the amazing journey that many others and I have enjoyed in the mean time.

The growth and success of the blog has really been remarkable – I have said it before – but I certainly never dreamt that it would grow the way it has and been able to engage so many people – as I write, the blog contains 721 posts, is followed across all platforms by 852 people and has been visited over 123,000 times.

The interest in the Squadron seems unabated and it’s my plan to get back to the old days of regular posts – we have a lot of new material in the pipeline which will all be share in due course. We have now complete all the large structural projects, so as new information appears, it can all be added to what is possibly the most detailed record of an RAF Bomber Squadron that exists.

This wonderful event in the site’s history is perhaps a timely point to make another important announcement:

Project ORB is complete!

Five and a half years ago I began the slow transcription of the Squadron’s Form 540 “Operations Carried Out” for the duration of 75(NZ) Squadrons existence. Many have contributed, but special thanks must go to Hubert, David and Brian for their protracted efforts to complete certain years. In recent months I have turned my attention to 1942, and the latter months of 1940 – finally it is finished.

Whilst other Squadrons have already had their diary documents transcribed in whole, this is the first time that it has been achieved for 75(NZ) Squadron – an other first for the site!

I have also added a little navigation to make the reading of the individual months a little easier. Clicking in the “75(NZ) Squadron RAF Records” section in the top menu and then clicking on any specific year will give you a page with links to all months in that particular years (as opposed to holding on a year to get the jump off menu that will take you to a certain month).

In addition, at the foot of each month is a link which will take you automatically to the next month – at December you will progress to the following year.

For ease of entry to the records, please click below to go to the relevant year sets:

1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945

Neville Selwood

Flying Officer Wynn Russell (Pilot) RNZAF left and Flying Officer Neville Selwood (Nav) RNZAF with PB418 AA-C. ,br. New Zealand Bomber Command archive/ Neville Selwood.

Kevin has passed on the sad news of the passing of Archdeacon the Venerable Neville Selwood, on the 19th of April, aged 93.

Neville flew with Wynn Russell’s crew as Navigator in 1945. The crew flew 22 Ops with 75(NZ) Squadron RAF, before twice contributing to humanitarian food drops to the Dutch people and 4 flights to repatriate Prisoners of War. His tour with the Squadron concluded with 3 further flights over Germany.

After the War, Neville  was ordained, relatively late in life at the age of 38. He cited a specific experience when flying with 75(NZ) Squadron RAF;

(from The Otago Times)
The catalyst for that move occurred some years before when he was serving with the No 75 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and a wing commander and his bomber crew were killed over France.

“Morale had dropped pretty low. But at a briefing, the acting wing commander said: ‘Good luck boys, hope to see you at breakfast, and by the way, the padre is going to be up there with you tonight’.”

“Sure enough there he was with his parachute harness on, and it made me realise here is a fellow who hated what we were required to do, but he put his life on the line to show that he cared for us.”

Deacon Selwood said it took him years to relate that selfless act with those of Jesus, so he decided to become a deacon.

“Looking back it was a big change for my family, as we were used to a sort of lifestyle.””But if you dream to do something, press on with it.”

His first parish was in Balclutha, before he moved with his family and served Northeast Valley and Mornington before his semi-retirement in 1988.

He was involved with parishes in Central Otago before returning to Dunedin 12 years ago, where he has assisted at the Holy Cross parish and at Montecillo Veterans Home “I just take things one day at a time,” he said.

Our condolences to Nevilles family and friends.

AKE AKE KIA KAHA

 

ANZAC Day 2018

“Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well.“

 In 1934, Kemal Atatürk delivered these words to the first Australians, New Zealanders and British to visit the Gallipoli battlefields. They were later inscribed on a monolith at Ari Burnu Cemetery (ANZAC Beach) which was unveiled in 1985. The words also appear on the Kemal Atatürk Memorial, Canberra, and the Atatürk Memorial in Wellington.

What follows for this ANZAC Day post is a list of all RNZAF and RAAF airmen who lost their lives flying with 75(NZ) Squadron RAF. They are listed by country and graveyard.

AHE AKE KIA KAHA

UNITED KINGDOM
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England.
GUNN, Garth Reginald    MiD	Age 26	Squadron Leader  411397  RNZAF	21st September  1944
SIMONSEN, Horace Dean	Age 31	Leading Aircraftsman  438024   RNZAF	17th April  1941
Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire, England.
BEAVEN, James Wilfred	Age 31	Sergeant 403566 RNZAF	22nd May 1942
MACKAY, Andrew Donald	Age 22	Pilot Officer  411919   RNZAF	22nd May  1942
SMEATON, Wilfred Herbert	Age 28	Sergeant  405331   RNZAF	23rd May  1942
Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, England.
BLEWETT, Terence Douglas	Age 26	Flight Lieutenant 414376 RNZAF	17th January 1945
BROADY, Raymond Herbert John	Age 28	Sergeant 39691 RNZAF	28th November 1942
DOBSON, Peter Gerald    MiD	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 439022 RNZAF	8th September 1943
EAST, Patton Mason	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 426083 RNZAF	24th October 1943
EMMERSON, Ronald Harry	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 410330 RAAF	16th December 1943
HURDLE, Walter	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421279   RNZAF	4th November  1943
JENKIN, Ralph Francis	Age 23	Flying Officer  416119   RNZAF	16th December  1943
KINROSS, Colin John	Age 30	Pilot Officer  417069   RNZAF	16th December  1943
MENZIES, Ian Robert	Age 21	Flying Officer  415002   RNZAF	8th September  1943
PURVES, James John	Age 35	Flight Sergeant  422207   RNZAF	25th October  1943
RANDLE, James Robert	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  416539   RNZAF	24th October  1943
WILSON, John Stanley	Age 34	Flying Officer  426234   RNZAF	17th January  1945
Chevington Cemetery, Northumberland, England.
McISAAC, Alexander	Age 24	Sergeant  412891   RNZAF	28th November  1942
Feltwell (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Norfolk, England.
BENTLEY, Loch Lomond	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 403936 RNZAF	23rd December 1941
FOUNTAIN, Cedric Niel	Age 23	Pilot Officer  41981   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
GANNAWAY, Eric Francis	Age 21	Sergeant  402110   RNZAF	12th May  1941
GRENFELL, Richard John	Age 22	Sergeant  404026   RNZAF	29th June  1942
HARRIS, Richard James	Age 24	Sergeant  402999   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
JOYCE, David Campbell	Age 21	Sergeant  401278   RNZAF	16th July  1941
MITCHELL, Norman	Age 25	Sergeant  404084   RNZAF	29th June  1942
NICOL, Trafford McRae	Age 21	Pilot Officer  411929   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
RYAN, Alexander James	Age 25	Pilot Officer  391367   RNZAF	10th January  1941
WOODHAM, Henry William	Age 27	Sergeant  402449   RNZAF	28th February  1942
Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery, Lincolnshire, England.
MEE, Alexander Coutts	Age 23	Sergeant  40656   RNZAF	7th May  1941
NOLA, David Leo	Age 26	Sergeant  39930   RNZAF	7th May  1941
Ilford (Barkingside) Cemetery, Essex, England.
THORPE, Noel Humphrey	Age 21	Flying Officer  428168   RNZAF	26th February  1945
Lakenham (St. John the Baptist and All Saints) Churchyard, Norfolk, England.
HARVEY, Edgar William	Age 27	Sergeant  41902   RNZAF	16th December  1942
Newmarket Cemetery, Suffolk, England.
CLUBB, Selwyn James	Age 20	Flying Officer 414593 RNZAF	13th May 1943
FRANKLIN, Benjamin Allan	Age 21	Sergeant  414277   RNZAF	16th December  1942
HARVEY, Robert Frederick	Age 23	Sergeant  416483   RNZAF	13th May  1943
JOHNSTON, John	Age 28	Flying Officer  416198   RNZAF	13th May  1943
WALSH, John Arthur Ernest	Age 27	Warrant Officer  401294   RNZAF	9th April  1943
WELCH, Harold Rangi	Age 23	Sergeant  41709   RNZAF	16th December  1942
WHITCOMBE, William Henry	Age 32	Sergeant  41561   RNZAF	16th December  1942
Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England.
AITCHISON, Richard Justin	Age 28	Pilot Officer 429286 RNZAF	1st January 1945
BABER, Thomas James Edward    MiD Czech Medal for Bravery	Age 23	Flight Lieutenant 39857  RNZAF	12th March 1942
BAGNALL, Trevor Horace	Age 26	Warrant Officer 40640 RNZAF	17th December 1942
BAKER, James Guthrie	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 41142 RNZAF	1st September 1943
BARTON, Arthur James Douglas	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 413700 RNZAF	5th February 1943
BENTLEY, Robert Henry Waldron	Age 23	Pilot Officer 414580 RNZAF	5th May 1943
BOSWELL, John McLaren	Age 26	Sergeant 414491 RNZAF	5th May 1943
BRADEY, George Edward Francis	Age 25	Pilot Officer 401954 RNZAF	11th August 1942
BRAILEY, Clifton Robert	Age 23	Sergeant 404589 RNZAF	21st June 1942
BRIAN, William Leslie Fred	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 411737 RNZAF	28th April 1943
BRIDGMAN, Arthur Mervyn	Age 26	Pilot Officer 41866 RNZAF	3rd March 1943
BROUN, Alan Stewart	Age 32	Pilot Officer 405367 RNZAF	9th July 1942
BROWN, Russell Howard	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 425444 RNZAF	22nd May 1944
BRUHNS, Harold Henry	Age 22	Pilot Officer 42367 RNZAF	24th February 1944
BRYSON, Norman Albert	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 40859 RNZAF	26th July 1942
BUCKLEY, Ross Cameron	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 411206 RNZAF	28th April 1943
BURTON, Clarence Sydney	Age 22	Sergeant 414493 RNZAF	3rd March 1943
BUTLER, Laurie Licence	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 421672 RNZAF	24th February 1944
CAIRNS, Louvain Trevor	Age 25	Flight Sergeant 402437 RNZAF	26th July 1942
CHAMBERLAIN, Lloyd Montgomery	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 40914 RNZAF	12th March 1942
COLLINS, John Noel	Age 23	Flight Lieutenant 2513 RNZAF	21st May 1940
COPPERSMITH, Raymond Patrick	Age 21	Sergeant 391697 RNZAF	26th July 1942
CORIN, Henry George	Age 34	Sergeant 417269 RNZAF	28th April 1943
CUMPSTY, Frederick William Raukawa	Age 25	Pilot Officer 413386 RNZAF	31st July 1943
DANCE, Alfred Thomas	Age 25	Flying Officer 42495 RNZAF	4th November 1943
DARNEY, Jack Neville	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42376 RNZAF	31st July 1943
DARTON, Thomas William	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 416465 RNZAF	26th May 1943
DAVIDSON, Neil Douglas	Age 21	Pilot Officer 422057 RNZAF	21st July 1944
DROMGOOLE, Sydney Houston	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 402171 RNZAF	22nd April 1942
DUNKERLEY, Allan Roy Frank	Age 33	Pilot Officer 423083 RAAF	21st November 1944
DYER, Sydney Allan	Age 19	Sergeant 40101 RNZAF	16th July 1941
EARLE, John	Age 29	Pilot Officer 401756 RNZAF	12th March 1942
ELLIOT, Thomas Isaac	Age 24	Flying Officer 421364 RNZAF	21st November 1944
FALCONER, Arthur James	Age 23	Pilot Officer  39910   RNZAF	21st February  1941
FALKINER, Philip	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425140   RNZAF	30th July  1944
FAWCETT, Arnold Goodrick	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  422698   RNZAF	4th November  1943
FERGUSSON, Allister Archibald	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  425391   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
FINLAYSON, William John	Age 23	Pilot Officer  39911   RNZAF	24th October  1940
FITZGERALD, John	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  424777   RNZAF	30th August  1944
FREEMAN, Patrick Paul Deane	Age 22	Sergeant  413305   RNZAF	5th February  1943
GAVEGAN, Jack Ralph	Age 30	Pilot Officer  402128   RNZAF	9th July  1942
GOING, Raymond Cyril	Age 21	Sergeant  414278   RNZAF	3rd March  1943
GOULD, James Douglas	Age 21	Sergeant  411233   RNZAF	11th July  1942
GREEN, Cyril Vincent	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  402997   RNZAF	11th August  1942
GREENING, Joseph Wesley	Age 27	Pilot Officer  40022   RAAF	3rd July  1941
HADFIELD, Graham Stanley	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  426239   RNZAF	14th March  1944
HALLIBURTON, Keith	Age 23	Sergeant  415411   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HARE, Philip Edgar	Age 19	Sergeant  401227   RNZAF	16th July  1941
HARRISON-SMITH, Francis Charles	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  403959   RNZAF	30th November 1941
HARTSTONE, Roydon Horatio	Age 29	Sergeant  40211   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
HIGGINS, Eric Vincent Keiran	Age 27	Sergeant  400277   RAAF	16th July  1941
HIRST, Raymond John Finlay	Age 22	Sergeant  404067   RNZAF	11th July  1942
HOWELL, Alexander Clunie	Age 22	Sergeant  392104   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HOWES, Victor Charles	Age 20	Sergeant  413418   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HUNTER, Patrick Torre	Age 29	Sergeant  42297   RNZAF	28th April  1943
INNES, Owen Alfred	Age 22	Sergeant  421935   RNZAF	30th May  1943
JONES, Roy King	Age 26	Flying Officer  425611   RNZAF	21st July  1944
JUDD, Douglas Howard	Age 26	Sergeant  413336   RNZAF	10th September  1942
KAY, Alan Lister	Age 35	Flight Sergeant  42299   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
KELLY, Reginald Joseph Stephen	Age 24	Sergeant  403580   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
KILBY, William Adam	Age 40	Flight Sergeant  415261   RNZAF	1st September  1943
KNIGHT, Leon Gaston	Age 22	Sergeant  405494   RNZAF	9th June  1942
LAMB, Erwin Henry Reubin	Age 29	Sergeant  413709   RNZAF	5th May  1943
LEWIS, Alfred Edward	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  412458   RAAF	28th April  1943
LODGE, Tom	Age 35	Flying Officer  417284   RNZAF	4th November  1943
LOVELOCK, James Benjamin	Age 26	Flying Officer  416324   RNZAF	1st September  1943
MacKAY, Kenneth McIndoe	Age 27	Pilot Officer  421829   RNZAF	21st July  1944
MacKINNON, Douglas Malcolm	Age 20	Sergeant  40923   RNZAF	16th July 1941
MAHOOD, Thomas Stanley	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404916   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
MARTYN, Leslie Arthur	Age 35	Flight Lieutenant  417082   RNZAF	21st November  1944
MASON, Frederick David	Age 21	Sergeant  1230433   RAFVR	16th August  1943
MAYO, John Russell	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  417085   RNZAF	7th August  1943
McGREGOR, Keith Alexander	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  415770   RNZAF	1st September  1943
McKENZIE, Frank Edwin	Age 22	Sergeant  391085   RNZAF	9th July  1942
McMAHON, Henry Thomas Owen	Age 27	Sergeant  403019   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
McPHERSON, Colin Valentine	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  404912   RNZAF	26th July  1942
MONK, Walter Jack	Age 24	Pilot Officer  411432   RNZAF	30th June  1942
MOORE, Cyril James	Age 25	Sergeant  410555   RAAF	6th July  1943
MUIR, Anthony Vincent	Age 29	Pilot Officer  40195   RNZAF	21st February  1941
NAIRNE, Colin George	Age 22	Pilot Officer  42117   RNZAF	30th July  1944
NATION, John Ross	Age 22	Sergeant  40945   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
NEWTON, Raymond John   DFC MiD	Age 28	Wing Commander  40984   RNZAF	1st January  1945
OAKEY, Arthur Leslie Archibald	Age 33	Flight Sergeant  4213810   RNZAF	21st March  1945
PARTON, William James	Age 20	Pilot Officer  41932   RNZAF	12th March  1942
PERRY, Lyndon Clifford	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428925   RNZAF	30th July  1944
POTTS, Donald Norman	Age 25	Pilot Officer  412267   RNZAF	9th July  1942
PRICE, Henry John	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404095   RNZAF	12th March  1942
QUINN, Eric James	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  4210077   RNZAF	21st July  1944
REDDING, Randolph Ernest	Age 30	Sergeant  414678   RNZAF	5th February  1943
REID, Ian Laurie	Age 23	Sergeant  391846   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
RICHARDS, James Leonard	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404946   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
RIDDLE, Charles Hudson	Age 21	Flying Officer  41190   RNZAF	30th May  1943
RIORDAN, John Milton Patrick	Age 32	Sergeant  422668   RNZAF	26th May  1943
ROSS, Desmond Ray	Age 23	Sergeant  411451   RNZAF	28th April  1943
ROSS, Stanley David	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  41359   RNZAF	26th July  1942
ROWBERRY, Geoffrey Warren	Age 24	Pilot Officer  414567   RNZAF	14th March  1944
SHALFOON, Charles John	Age 22	Sergeant  413897   RNZAF	11th October  1942
SMART, Randolph Cruickshank	Age 25	Pilot Officer  411006   RNZAF	10th September  1942
SPITTAL, Phillip Charles	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404420   RNZAF	26th July  1942
ST.LEDGER, Peter Sylvestor Anthony	Age 21	Flying Officer 4 25375   RAAF	30th July  1943
STONE, Robert James	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  415383   RNZAF	31st July  1943
STREETER, Donald Frederick	Age 24	Sergeant  401033   RNZAF	24th July  1941
THOMAS, Raymond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  40586   RNZAF	6th July  1943
THOMSON, Jack	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  421145   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
TONG, Harold	Age 34	Flying Officer  416648   RNZAF	30th May  1943
TURNBULL, John George	Age 33	Flying Officer  42490   RNZAF	16th August  1943
TURNER, William	Age 22	Flying Officer  416579   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
TWEEDIE, Norman	Age 25	Sergeant  402474   RAAF	12th September  1941
VERCOE, Terrance James	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  415566   RNZAF	31st July  1943
VERNAZONI, Richard Barry	Age 20	Flying Officer 416185   RNZAF	30th May  1943
WALKER, Graham Stuart	Age 25	Sergeant  401817   RNZAF	24th July  1941
WATSON, Walter Davis	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  428918   RNZAF	30th August  1944
WESTWOOD, Reginald Francis	Age 20	Pilot Officer  416471   RAAF	5th May  1943
WHITELAW, Clifford James	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  416188   RNZAF	25th June  1943
WILLIS, William Jarvis	Age 33	Pilot Officer 421803   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
WILMSHURST, John Charles	Age 25	Sergeant  411962   RNZAF	11th July  1942
WILSON, Norman Clarence Bruce	Age 23	Flying Officer  417139   RNZAF	4th November  1943
WOODCOCK, Roy Joffre Desmond	Age 26	Sergeant  404985   RNZAF	12th March  1942
WORTH, Jim	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  425510   RNZAF	21st July  1944
WRIGHTSON, Cyril Charles	Age 22	Sergeant  411998   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
Belgium
Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Belgium.
ANDERSON, Lindsay Douglas	Age 20	Sergeant 391321 RNZAF	20th September 1940
Chiervres Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
KELL, William Robert	Age 23	Pilot Officer 411766 RNZAF	19th November  1943
MYERS, John William Anthony	Age 25	Flight Lieutenant 405801 RNZAF	19th July  1944
Florennes Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
GRAINGER, James Kennedy	Age 21	Pilot Officer  42295   RNZAF	15th April  1943
McCASKILL, Donald Gordon	Age 19	Pilot Officer  413573   RNZAF	15th April  1943
SMITH, Ronald Alexander	Age 21	Sergeant 415378   RNZAF	15th April  1943
Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
BURKE, Edgar Lawrence	Age 26	Pilot Officer 417016 RNZAF	23rd May 1944
PAGE, Frank Albert	Age 29	Warrant Officer  409481   RAAF	23rd May  1944
PARKIN, Victor Trevor	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  421090   RNZAF	31st August  1943
WATTERS, Terrence	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  417299   RNZAF	31st August  1943
Hoton War Cemetery, Belgium.
ELVIN, William	Age 21	Pilot Officer 426883 RNZAF	12th August 1944
JOHNSTON, Haig Douglas	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  426320   RNZAF	12th August  1944
MULCAHY, Cyril Desmond	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428793   RNZAF	12th August  1944
PARKER, Robert Ronald Smithie	Age 20	Sergeant  1892552   RAFVR	12th August 1944
THOMSON, Edward Leonard	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  4211036   RNZAF	12th August  1944
WRIGHT, John Herbert	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  426209   RNZAF	12th August  1944
Ostende New Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
COATES, Dudley Dobson	Age 33	Sergeant 421318 RNZAF	26th May 1943
Werken Churchyard, Belgium.
ROBERTS, James	Age 20	Sergeant  400310   RAAF	22nd October  1941
SPARK, Frederick Alexander	Age 26	Sergeant  401415   RNZAF	22nd October  1941
Wevelgem Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
FAUVEL, Spencer Francis	Age 21	Flight Lieutenant  414971   RNZAF	28th May  1944
GOWER, Kenneth Wilfred	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421272   RNZAF	28th May  1944
LUKEY, Francis Henry Clark	Age 23	Flying Officer  42990   RNZAF	28th May  1944
MASON, James Rooker	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  421307   RNZAF	28th May  1944
DENMARK
Aabenraa Cemetery, Denmark.
BAILEY, Robert	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 429072 RNZAF	23rd April 1944
LAMMAS, Mauson	Age 30	Pilot Officer  421728   RNZAF	23rd April  1944
SAWTELL, Arthur Hartley	Age 19	Flight Sergeant  417521   RAAF	24th February  1944
VAUGHAN, Douglas William	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  429046   RNZAF	23rd April  1944
Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery, Denmark.
COBB, Cyril Thomas	Age 30	Flight Sergeant 412315 RNZAF	21st April 1943
EARLE, Frederick Joseph	Age 22	Sergeant    1332585     RAFVR	21st April 1943
SALT, Ian Charles	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  404046   RNZAF	21st April  1943
TOLLEY, Alan Gray	Age 21	Pilot Officer  411954   RNZAF	21st April  1943
UPTON, Frank Wakefield	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  404430   RNZAF	21st April  1943
Frederikshavn Cemetery, Denmark.
CRAWFORD-WATSON, Lewis Stanley	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42734 RNZAF	4th November 1943
IMRIE, George Burns	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  422676   RNZAF	4th November  1943
JAMES, Charles James	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  426333   RNZAF	4th November  1943
MASTERS, William Stuart	Age 21	Pilot Officer  421077   RNZAF	4th November  1943
Gram Churchyard, Denmark.
MURRY, Henry James	Age 26	Flying Officer  415820   RNZAF	19th April  1944
Orslev Churchyard, Denmark.
BIGGAR, John Matthew	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 427945 RNZAF	12th September 1944
HADLEY, William Orchard	Age 30	Flying Officer 426041   RNZAF	12th September  1944
Svino Churchyard, Denmark
BOYD, William James Victor	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 428303 RNZAF	12th September 1944
GILES, John Patrick Arthur	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425836   RNZAF	12th September  1944
GUDGEON, John Bernard	Age 23	Pilot Officer  428786   RNZAF	12th September  1944
JENKINS, Ernest Roy	Age 25	Warrant Officer  405780   RNZAF	29th April  1943
SHOGREN, Malcolm Edward John	Age 29	Sergeant  415375   RNZAF	28th April  1943
THOMPSON, Desmond Lewis	Age 21	Pilot Officer  413152   RNZAF	29th April  1943
WILLIAMS, John Muir	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  401341   RAAF	29th April  1943
FRANCE
Bayeux War Cemetery, France.
BONISCH, Lester Lascelles	Age 21	Pilot Officer 422098 RNZAF	11th June 1944
McKENZIE, James Murdoch Thomas	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  427217   RNZAF	11th June  1944
MILLER, James Stuart	Age 33	Flight Sergeant  427220   RNZAF	11th June  1944
Chateau-Voue Communal Cemetery, France.
McRAE, James Kenneth	Age 27	Flying Officer  415216   RNZAF	25th July  1944
POTTS, Thomas Christopher	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  421143   RNZAF	25th July  1944
Choloy War Cemetery, France.
GROVES, Kelvin Havelock Green	Age 30	Pilot Officer  415819   RNZAF	17th April  1943
STONE, Ronald Charles	Age 26	Sergeant  413281   RNZAF	17th April 1943
Clermont-Ferrand (Des Carmes Dechaux) Communal Cemetery, France.
HENDERSON, Hugh William	Age 24	Flying Officer  421713   RNZAF	5th March  1944
JONES, Arthur Stanley	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421977   RNZAF	5th March  1944
MELVILLE, Robert James Ian	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  42349   RNZAF	5th March  1944
WATSON, Raymond Johnson   DFC	Age 27	Squadron Leader  404978 RNZAF	5th March  1944
Cronenbourg French National (Mixed) Cemetery, Strasbourg, France.
DUDDING, Keat	Age 25	Warrant Officer 415522 RNZAF	25th July    1944
TAVERNER, George Alfred Badge	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  429835   RAAF	25th July  1944
WHITEHOUSE, Keith Owen	Age 23	Flying Officer  428800   RNZAF	25th July  1944
Fruges Communal Cemetery, France.
BATESON, Benjamin William	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 424788 RNZAF	25th June 1944
MILNE, Bruce	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  428017   RNZAF	25th June  1944
Guidel Communal Cemetery, France.
HARDING-SMITH, Dudley	Age 24	Pilot Officer  405265   RNZAF	13th February  1943
Millery Communal Cemetery, France.
BLANCE, Ian Edward	Age 21	Pilot Officer 421496 RNZAF	29th July 1944
CLIMO, Frederick Walter Percival	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 4310148 RNZAF	29th July 1944
JENKINS, Frederick Francis Arthur	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  429888   RNZAF	29th July  1944
Olonne-Sur-Mer Communal Cemetery, France.
WHITTA, Neville Bruce	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  416566   RNZAF	16th August  1943
Poix-de-la-Somme Churchyard, France.
MACKENZIE, Douglas John	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  417211   RAAF	2nd May  1944
PEEVERS, Thomas Alexander	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  417232   RNZAF	2nd May  1944
SACHTLER, Euen William	Age 24	Squadron Leader  41362   RNZAF	2nd May  1944
Rieux Communal Cemetery, France.
BETLEY, Ronald Desmond Ernest	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 421495 RNZAF	16th June 1944
COOK, Peter Jackson	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42708 RNZAF	16th June 1944
HALE, Lawrence Eastmure	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  42395   RNZAF	16th June  1944
TOOHEY, Edward Wallace	Age 22	Warrant Officer 416672   RNZAF	16th June  1944
Therouldeville Churchyard, France.
RITCHIE, Alfred Henry	Age 22	Sergeant  40207   RNZAF	22nd December  1940
Tillieres-Sur-Avre Communal Cemetery, France.
DONAGHY, Thomas Rodgers	Age 33	Flight Sergeant 422267 RNZAF	11th June    1944
Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery, France.
DIMOCK, Vallance Albert Oliver	Age 22	Sergeant     412317    RNZAF	25th October 1942
McCONNELL, James Allison	Age 21	Sergeant  414646   RNZAF	25th October  1942
SMITH, Selwyn Clarence	Age 29	Sergeant  41952   RNZAF	25th October  1942
TONKIN, Douglas Noel	Age 22	Sergeant  413285   RNZAF	25th October  1942
Ville-Sur-Retourne Churchyard, France.
HUGHILL, Howard James	Age 21	Sergeant  414293   RNZAF	25th October  1942
Yevres Communal Cemetery, France.
STOKES, Noel Alfred Deal	Age 25	Flight Lieutenant  421403   RNZAF	29th July  1944
GERMANY
Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
ERIKSON, Mervyn Arthur	Age 26	Pilot Officer 416103 RNZAF	24th August 1943
FISK, Joseph George Arkless	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  412874   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HELM, George Vincent	Age 23	Pilot Officer  416113   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HOPE, Lawrence Beresford Hamilton	Age 28	Warrant Officer  40940   RNZAF	19th April  1945
LUNDON, Francis Patrick	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404718   RNZAF	24th August  1943
MOSS, Douglas Hamilton	Age 23	Pilot Officer  404653   RNZAF	24th August  1943
SEDUNARY, Alan Joseph Lyall   DFC	Age 20	Pilot Officer  416619    RAAF	24th August  1943
STEWART, Donald MacKay	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 421336  RNZAF	1st September 1943
THIRD, James	Age 34	Pilot Officer  422671   RNZAF	24th August  1943
THORSTENSEN, Frederick William	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  414529   RNZAF	24th August  1943
WOOLCOTT, Douglas George	Age 23	Sergeant  1290189   RAFVR	24th August  1943
Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany
BRISCO, Robert Hylton	Age 26	Sergeant 411204 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CAITCHEON, Gordon Edwin	Age 28	Sergeant 404016 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CAMPBELL, Alan	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 391857 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CARNCROSS, Murray Ellis	Age 19	Pilot Officer 411718 RNZAF	29th July 1942
DAVIS, Ronald Fraser	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 403569 RNZAF	29th July 1942
HUTT, George Alister	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  41914   RNZAF	29th July 1942
McMURCHY, James Gordon	Age 31	Sergeant  405539   RNZAF	29th July 1942
O’SHEA, William Clerken	Age 28	Sergeant  411096   RNZAF	29th July 1942
SAVAGE, John Henry	Age 33	Sergeant  404620   RNZAF	29th July 1942
STEWART, Ian Gordon	Age 20	Sergeant  404623   RNZAF	29th July 1942
SUTHERLAND, Alexander George	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  405340   RNZAF	29th July 1942
TABOR, Adrian Oscar	Age 25	Sergeant  411104   RNZAF	29th July 1942
WESTERMAN, Victor Kenneth	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  41970   RNZAF	29th July 1942
WILSON, Peter John	Age 22	Flight Lieutenant  402475   RNZAF	29th July 1942
Hamburg War Cemetery, Germany.
CORLETT, Geoffrey Scott	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 42289 RNZAF	3rd August 1943
COUPER, James Arthur	Age 31	Flight Sergeant 417027 RNZAF	3rd August 1943
CRARER, Thomas Eric	Age 21	Sergeant 405475 RNZAF	29th July 1942
HAWKINS, Anthony Henry Ryder	Age 20	Sergeant  40971   RNZAF	15th September  1941
REEVES, Sydney Cecil Oliver	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  42339   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
WARD, James Allen   VC	Age 22	Sergeant  401793   RNZAF	15th September  1941
Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.
ADAMSON, David Maurice	Age 27	Flying Officer 41052 RNZAF	28th September 1943
DALZELL, Errol Thomas Paterson	Age 22	Pilot Officer 411378 RNZAF	28th August 1942
HAUB, Darcy Leslie Conrad	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  42326   RNZAF	31st August 1943
HOGAN, Denis Patrick	Age 23	Sergeant  412331   RNZAF	28th August  1942
JACKSON, Kensington Campbell	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  42330   RNZAF	31st August  1943
RIDDLER, Stanley Winston	Age 22	Sergeant  424999   RNZAF	3rd October  1943
ROBERTS, Eric John	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  417107   RNZAF	31st August  1943
TUNBRIDGE, Victor Arthur	Age 28	Sergeant  411788   RNZAF	28th August  1942
WAEREA, Tame Hawaikirangi	Age 29	Pilot Officer  421300   RNZAF	28th September  1943
WHITMORE, Richard Charles	Age 22	Pilot Officer  421123   RNZAF	28th September  1943
Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
AITCHISON, Campbell Ewen Justin	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 402974 RNZAF	12th March 1942
BELL, Maurice Perrott	Age 26	Pilot Officer 404882 RNZAF	29th March 1942
BROWN, John Lukies	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 402534 RNZAF	12th March 1942
CRAN, Franklyn Bertram	Age 21	Sergeant 405237 RNZAF	29th March 1942
FIRTH, Ellison George	Age 19	Sergeant  412218   RNZAF	13th October  1942
FRASER, Myles Frederick Gordon	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  403437   RNZAF	16th May  1942
HARRIS, Claude Joseph	Age 31	Sergeant  404028   RNZAF	29th March  1942
McDONALD, Murray Alexander	Age 23	Sergeant  400352   RAAF	12th March  1942
PARKINSON, Lewis Harry	Age 20	Sergeant  412518   RNZAF	13th October  1942
SMITH, Albert Ivan	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  402221   RNZAF	16th May  1942
WATTERS, Ventry	Age 22	Sergeant  413522   RNZAF	13th October  1942
WHITING, Norman Edward	Age 27	Sergeant  404107   RNZAF	16th May  1942
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
ANDERSON, Ronald Alexander John	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 36139 RNZAF	20th July 1940
BARCLAY, Thomas Smith	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 411358 RNZAF	12th August 1942
BISSET, Stuart Richard	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 415738 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
BLANK, John Frederick	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 422175 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
BOAG, Robert James	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 432097 RAAF	30th November 1944
BROWN, Alfred Errol	Age 25	Flying Officer 429139 RNZAF	21st March 1945
COLES, Thomas Edward	Age 28	Sergeant 40161 RNZAF	7th September 1942
COWIE, James Lindis	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42322 RNZAF	22nd November 1943
FRAMPTON, Laurie Albert	Age 20	Sergeant  411753   RNZAF	29th July  1942
GIBSON, John Cuthbert McKechnie	Age 29	Sergeant  40435 2  RNZAF	7th November  1941
GRIMES, Harold Dawson	Age 26	Sergeant  404532   RAAF	15th October  1941
HAZARD, Whelan Fallon	Age 20	Flying Officer  429047   RNZAF	12th August  1944
HOLLOWAY, Edgar John	Age 29	Flying Officer  429923   RNZAF	21st March  1945
INGLIS, William Gordon Lloyd	Age 27	Sergeant  411758   RNZAF	12th August  1942
JARVIS, Claude Joseph Frederick	Age 22	Sergeant  411722   RNZAF	7th September  1942
JOHNS, Arthur Grahame	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  41907   RNZAF	29th July  1942
KAVANAGH, Stanley Leo	Age 24	Warrant Officer  403579   RNZAF	30th May  1943
KRALJEVICH, Mark	Age 25	Sergeant  403458   RNZAF	29th July  1942
MACKENZIE, Stanley Henry	Age 23	Flying Officer  422418   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
MacPHAIL, Allan Corson Anderson	Age 30	Sergeant  41194   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MARSHALL, Eric William Elliott	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  415637   RNZAF	23rd May  1944
McCARTIN, Patrick Leo	Age 28	Flying Officer  419328   RAAF	20th November  1944
McINTOSH, James Alexander	Age 26	Flying Officer  411915   RNZAF	30th November  1944
McWILLIAM, Allan	Age 20	Sergeant  416586   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MILLS, George William	Age 27	Pilot Officer  411769   RNZAF	7th September  1942
MORGAN, Robert Carhampton	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  421389   RNZAF	30th November  1944
NEWMAN, Robert Wynne	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  4210960   RNZAF	30th November  1944
NORMAN, Raymond Fraser	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  416145   RNZAF	30th May  1943
OWEN, John Lewis	Age 24	Sergeant  391332   RNZAF	20th July  1940
PAYNE, Douglas Beardsley	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  426917   RNZAF	23rd May  1944
PLUMMER, Jack    DFC	Age 29	Flight Lieutenant  42451   RNZAF	21st March  1945
RAMSAY, William Robertson	Age 25	Sergeant  405508   RNZAF	9th June  1942
ROBERTSON, Trevor Bernard	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404948   RNZAF	15th October  1941
SAMSON, George King	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  402563   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
SAUL, Norman Priestley	Age 30	Sergeant  411730   RNZAF	7th September  1942
SCOTT, Russell James	Age 23	Flying Officer  428984   RNZAF	21st March  1945
SHARMAN, George William	Age 27	Sergeant  412746   RNZAF	7th September  1942
SMITH, Rupert John	Age 26	Pilot Officer  41950   RNZAF	9th June 1942
STEWART, Leslie Ian	Age 25	Sergeant  41178 5  RNZAF	29th July  1942
THORNLEY, Sydney Russell	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  40109   RNZAF	30th May  1943
TURNER, John Cecil	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  421115   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
WARRING, Robert John	Age 21	Sergeant  411110   RNZAF	12th August  1942
WOOD, James Haswell	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  425811   RNZAF	21st March  1945
Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
ANDERSEN, Kenneth Peder Christian	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 429128 RNZAF	4th November 1944
ASHWIN, Eric Lumley Durham	Age 22	Sergeant 41563 RNZAF	17th December 1942
BENNETT, Raymond Frederick	Age 29	Pilot Officer 415282 RNZAF	30th May 1943
BERNARD, Arthur George	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 424964 RNZAF	22nd November1943
BUDGE, William Finlay	Age 24	Pilot Officer 41977 RNZAF	6th April 1942
CAREY, John Henry Roy	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 414242 RNZAF	30th May 1943
CLARK, Mervyn Oliver	Age 20	Pilot Officer 404895 RNZAF	17th December 1942
COOMBRIDGE, Trevor Walter	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42653 RNZAF	27th December 1944
CURLEWIS, Raymond Fullerton	Age 25	Sergeant 402230 RAAF	11th October 1941
DALE, James Atkinson	Age 27	Flying Officer 425562 RNZAF	25th August 1944
DEBENHAM, Kevin Frederick	Age 26	Pilot Officer 412211 RNZAF	16th April 1943
DEVLIN, Kevin John	Age 26	Pilot Officer 413334 RNZAF	11th September 1942
FLEMING, James Allan	Age 27	Flying Officer  422382   RNZAF	25th August  1944
GALLETLY, Alan Russell	Age 33	Pilot Officer  427481   RNZAF	5th October  1944
HASELDEN, Howard Clive McLeish	Age 22	Sergeant  403003   RNZAF	18th September  1941
HENLEY, Douglas Charles   MiD	Age 23	Pilot Officer  414622   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HOWARD, Edward John Francis	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  424469   RNZAF	4th November  1944
HOWLETT, Arthur Douglas	Age 32	Flying Officer  413335   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
JACOBSON, Gerald Howard	Age 27	Flying Officer  41333   RNZAF	17th December  1942
JARVIS, William Louis	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  414691   RAAF	23rd September  1943
KELCHER, Walter Foch	Age 23	Sergeant  411908   RNZAF	11th September  1942
KENDAL, Christopher James	Age 21	Sergeant  412342   RNZAF	17th December  1942
KIRKPATRICK, Laurence John	Age 20	Flying Officer  414990   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
MacLEOD, Norman Alexander	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  404079   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MARGETTS, John Edward Stanley	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  422665   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
McALPINE, Walter Duncan	Age 30	Pilot Officer  403551   RNZAF	17th December  1942
METCALFE, Thomas Otto	Age 19	Sergeant  414386   RNZAF	11th September  1942
MILES, Haddon Shaw	Age 27	Flying Officer  421746   RNZAF	27th December 1 944
MOSLEY, Stuart Edwin	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  426106   RNZAF	5th October  1944
MURPHY, Timothy Rowley	Age 20	Sergeant  404037   RNZAF	11th October  1941
PULLAR, Henry Welsh	Age 25	Sergeant  411777   RNZAF	17th December  1942
SANDS, Hugh Powell	Age 26	Flying Officer  403287   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
SCOTT, Alexander	Age 20	Sergeant  413484   RNZAF	3rd December  1942
SCOTT, Alistair Henry	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  428259   RNZAF	4th November  1944
SCOTT, John Harold	Age 29	Flying Officer  428797   RNZAF	4th November  1944
SINGLE, Alan Roy	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  413144   RAAF	22nd November  1943
SMITH, Ian Hector Ross	Age 34	Flight  Sergeant  421614   RNZAF	1st September  1943
SMITH, Phillip Francis	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  427206   RAAF	20th November  1944
SOUTHWARD, Keith	Age 28	Flying Officer  411048   RNZAF	6th October  1944
STOKES, Wallace Frederick	Age 27	Sergeant  412326   RNZAF	17th December  1942
THOMPSON, Colin Maurice	Age 23	Sergeant  404427   RNZAF	11th October  1941
WALSHE, Desmond James	Age 25	Sergeant  412912   RNZAF	11th September  1942
WATSON, Clifford Arnold	Age 34	Flying Officer  421946   RNZAF	1st September  1943
WELSH, Neville Henry	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  391334   RNZAF	15th October  1941
WHITE, William George Henry	Age 27	Sergeant  41717   RNZAF	17th December  1942
WHITTINGTON, Eric Richmond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  416030   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
WILKINSON, Ernest Stanley	Age 25	Pilot Officer  417138   RNZAF	6th September  1943
WOOD, Frederick Lionel Roy	Age 23	Sergeant  404439   RNZAF	15th October  1941
Sage War Cemetery, Germany.
BRODIE, Andrew Moore	Age 25	Sergeant 391378 RNZAF	21st February 1941
BUCKLEY, Wallace Edward	Age 28	Pilot Officer 391379 RNZAF	21st June 1942
GILL, John Trevor Vivian	Age 27	Sergeant  403362   RNZAF	4th September  1942
GRANT, Horace Llewellyn	Age 27	Sergeant  405254   RNZAF	4th September  1942
LEES, Reginald Sidney	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404907   RNZAF	27th July 1942
LOWTHER, Peter Desmond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  403583   RNZAF	11th July  1942
NEWMAN, Richard Alfred William	Age 24	Sergeant  405309   RNZAF	4th September  1942
RENTON, Rupert Ernest	Age 22	Sergeant  412352   RNZAF	4th September  1942
ROBERTSON, Norman Bruce	Age 25	Pilot Officer  411101   RNZAF	27th July  1942
SHARP, Richard Edwin	Age 23	Sergeant  405513   RNZAF	11th July  1942
SHEPHERD, Ian James	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404414   RNZAF	27th July  1942
TRENGROVE, Raymond Wickliffe John	Age 20	Pilot Officer  40927   RNZAF	21st June  1942
WINSTANLEY, James Francis	Age 20	Sergeant  412373   RNZAF	27th July  1942
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
BARKER, Richard Stockdale	Age 28	Pilot Officer 421345 RNZAF	26th August 1944
BRIDGER, Cyril Jack	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 417192 RNZAF	28th August 1943
DAVEY, Charles Raglan	Age 21	Sergeant 413937 RNZAF	8th March 1943
FIRTH, Raymond	Age 28	Warrant Officer  417203   RNZAF	26th August  1944
HENDERSON, Matthew Ronald	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  427204   RNZAF	28th April  1944
HERRON, Robert Weir	Age 23	Flying Officer  422282   RNZAF	28th April  1944
HIGHAM, Frank Douglas	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  416116   RNZAF	28th August  1943
LOGAN, Clifford Charles Pownall	Age 28	Flying Officer  405918   RAAF	23rd September  1943
McLACHLAN, Euen Wilfred	Age 22	Flying Officer  415266   RNZAF	28th April  1944
NORTON, William George	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  413227   RNZAF	26th August  1944
PERKS, Eric	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  411934   RNZAF	29th August  1942
SMITH, Keith Alfred	Age 23	Warrant Officer  416022 RNZAF	28th April  1944
SOWERBY, Geoffrey Phillips	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  417243   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
HOLLAND
Aardenburg General Cemetery, Holland.
HEWETT, Harold Max	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  419311   RAAF	12th May  1944
Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Holland.
BLINCOE, Kenneth Howard DFC	Age 33	Pilot Officer 412194  RNZAF	3rd February 1943
CLEARWATER, Desmond	Age 24	Sergeant 412314 RNZAF	3rd February 1943
COOK, George Wood	Age 24	Sergeant 412514 RNZAF	3rd February 1943
SCOTT, Andrew James Newell	Age 21	Pilot Officer  414685   RNZAF	3rd February  1943
Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, Holland.
ANNAN, William Douglas Francis	Age 20	Sergeant 391377 RNZAF	26th July 1940
BYRNE, Martin John	Age 32	Flight Sergeant 404529 RNZAF	29th July 1942
COLEMAN, William Harcourt DFC	Age 23	Flying Officer 2526 RNZAF	26th July 1940
GILBERTSON, John Edward	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  41894   RNZAF	29th July  1942
PERROTT, William Rosser	Age 21	Flying Officer  416155   RNZAF	25th June  1943
Beesd General Cemetery, Holland.
JOBLIN, Frederick John Leigh	Age 25	Sergeant  417063   RNZAF	24th May  1943
TURNBULL, George Watson	Age 24	Sergeant  421342   RNZAF	24th May  1943
TIETJENS, Stephen Muir	Age 26	Sergeant  415640   RNZAF	24th May 1 943
Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Holland.
BLACK, John William	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 402843 RNZAF	7th November 1941
COOKSEY, James Brett	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 416460 RNZAF	24th June 1943
FOTHERINGHAM, Robert Ewen Ernest	Age 29	Sergeant  391833   RNZAF	16th July  1941
GRAY, Trevor Hedley	Age 27	Sergeant  404356   RNZAF	7th November  1941
LLOYD, Eric	Age 28	Pilot Officer  402197   RNZAF	7th November  1941
MURDOCH, Graham Edward	Age 26	Pilot Officer  411927   RNZAF	9th June  1942
O’DOWD, Albert William	Age 25	Sergeant  41544   RNZAF	9th June  1942
PENMAN, Alexander Mitchell	Age 23	Flying Officer  416154   RNZAF	21st October  1944
Doetinchem (Loolaan) General Cemetery, Holland.
HARRISON, Alfred Herbert	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  403000   RNZAF	8th November  1941
WYLLIE, Thomas Young	Age 25	Sergeant  404011   RNZAF	8th November  1941
Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Holland.
GILMOUR, Hugh Edward	Age 24	Warrant Officer  422667   RAAF	21st July  1944
MILLS, Samuel	Age 32	Flight Sergeant  425036   RAAF	21st July  1944
OSBORNE, John Edward	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  417877   RAAF	21st July  1944
Flushing  (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Holland.
BLUCK, Norman Bradford	Age 22	Pilot Officer 40364 RNZAF	24th June 1943
STRONG, Geoffrey Walter	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  413905   RNZAF	24th June  1943
Gilze-En-Rijen (Gilze) Roman Catholic Cemetery,  Holland.
COOK, Stephen Astley	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 421142 RNZAF	28th May 1944
SCOTT, Francis Alexander Jack	Age 28	Sergeant  421105   RNZAF	28th May  1944
Harderwijk General Cemetery, Holland.
THOMSON, Gordon Douglas	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42317   RNZAF	25th June  1943
Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Holland.
CALLOW, Horace	Age 27	Flying Officer 427185 RNZAF	21st July 1944
DOBBIN, Laurence St.George	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 401375 RNZAF	12th August 1942
HICKFORD, Leonard Charles	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  426886   RNZAF	21st July  1944
HOWELL, Edward	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428819   RNZAF	21st July  1944
JURY, Jack Leslie	Age 20	Sergeant  411764   RNZAF	12th August  1942
McKENZIE, Francis Max	Age 26	Pilot Officer  41344   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
REDWOOD, Gerard Henry	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  425012   RNZAF	21st July  1944
ROCHE, Gerald Brian	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  413219   RNZAF	21st July  1944
SMITH, Keith Emmett	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425179   RNZAF	21st July  1944
Markelo General Cemetery, Holland.
BURBIDGE, Kenneth Alfred	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 412200 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
MARTIN, Donald Ernest	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  413872   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
McEWIN, Andrew James	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  417077   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
WILCOCKSON, Walter Frederick	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  42314   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
Oldebroek General Cemetery, Holland.
SMITH, Trevor Harry	Age 24	Pilot Officer  41953   RNZAF	9th July  1942
Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery, Holland.
FOSTER, Ralph Owen	Age 29	Pilot Officer  402443   RNZAF	8th November  1941
RYDER, Robert Leslie Owen	Age 25	Pilot Officer  404626   RAAF	8th November  1941
WILSON, John Stephen	Age 27	Sergeant  402530   RNZAF	8th November  1941
Schiermonnikoog (Vredenhof) Cemetery, Holland.
CHRISTIE, Arthur Stafford	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 402982 RNZAF	21st June 1942
FRASER, Allan Armistice	Age 23	Flying Officer  405030   RNZAF	21st June  1942
YOUNG, George Anthony	Age 21	Sergeant  405771   RNZAF	9th July 1 942
Tilburg (Gilzerbaan) General Cemetery, Holland.
BURTT, Henry John	Age 31	Flying Officer 414560 RNZAF	21st July 1944
CRAWFORD, Henry Varley Gibb	Age 28	Sergeant 404339 RNZAF	7th September 1942
GILLAN, Gottfred Lyall	Age 21	Warrant Officer  42324   RNZAF	21st July  1944
GROVES, Alpheus Leslie	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  403574   RNZAF	7th September  1942
PARKES, William Ronald	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  403822   RNZAF	7th September  1942
ROSE, George Herbert	Age 30	Sergeant  391713   RNZAF	7th September  1942
WILSON, Eric Glover	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  403035   RNZAF	7th September  1942
Uden War Cemetery, Holland.
FLETCHER, Andrew Crawford	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  42675   RNZAF	21st July  1944
SIMPSON, Alfred Alexander	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  425212   RNZAF	21st July  1944
WHITTINGTON, Harold	Age 26	Pilot Officer  42488   RNZAF	21st July  1944
Westdongeradeel (Holwerd) Protestant Cemetery, Holland.
HEGAN, John Gordon George	Age 23	Sergeant  411075   RNZAF	30th June  1942
McGREGOR, Murdoch Gordon	Age 23	Sergeant  411079   RNZAF	30th June  1942
MONCRIEF, Eric Francis Sydney	Age 25	Sergeant  411087   RNZAF	30th June  1942
RANDLE, Douglas Haig	Age 24	Sergeant  405454   RNZAF	30th June  1942
Wierden General Cemetery, Holland.
McCULLOUGH, John   DFC	Age 30	Pilot Officer  40410 RNZAF	3rd February  1943
MURPHY, Terence Austin	Age 30	Sergeant  413307   RNZAF	3rd February 1943

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

 

 

Ake Ake Kia Kaha

Sir Douglas Charles Lowe

The Lowe crew, Douglas is stood far right. Source unknown

Kevin has passed on the sad news of the passing of Sir Douglas Charles Lowe, aged 95.

Arriving at the Squadron, then at Newmarket, at the very end of January 1943, Douglas flew between February and May 1943, completing 19 Ops, which can be viewed on their crew page here.

On the crew’s 11th Op, on the 8th of March 1943 to Nurenburg, both Douglas and his Second Pilot, Charles Eddy, were injured.

From the 541 diary:
Stirling 1 BK646 captained by P/O Lowe, was attacked by an enemy aircraft near Saarbrucken on the return journey. The enemy aircraft opened fire with cannon and a stream of tracer came into the cockpit, one exploding near the second pilot’s leg. Corkscrew tactics were adopted, but after seven minutes the enemy aircraft was lost. The only casualties were the second pilot, who was wounded in the leg and the Captain, who had slight face cuts. The aircraft successfully returned to base.

The combat report adds extra detail to this incident:
North of Saarbrucken 00.30 hrs 11,000 feet
Stirling Mk I was on homeward journey having bombed its target when at a position 49° 27′ N., 07° 10 ‘ E. approx. 10 miles North of Saarbrucken, a twin engined E/A identified as a Ju.88. Our aircraft was on a course of 285° M. at a height of 11,000 feet with an I.A.S.. Vertical visibility to aircraft level was poor there being a heavy ground mist but above it was a clear star lit night.

The Rear Gunner sighted a Ju 88 passing 300 feet beneath the tail travelling from Starboard to port at right angle to the heading of our aircraft. E/A carried a single white light about amidships. At the time of sighting our aircraft was gently weaving, this was immediately converted into a corkscrew. when E/A was seen. Three seconds after the first E/A had been sighted an attack was delivered by a second E/A from the starboard quarter below firing cannon. This E/A was not seen by any member of the crew, the position of an attack being substantiated by strikes on our aircraft.

After the attack the E/A carrying a white light dropped astern to approximately 800 yards, keeping in contact with our aircraft for five minutes and was finally lost to sight and was not seen again. During the encounter our gunners did not open fire. The pilot in out aircraft is of the opinion that they make have been silhouetted against a large cone of searchlights over Saarbrucken. There was no flak activity and no ground lights indication our track.

Cannon shell burst in the Pilot’s cocktail wounding the second pilot in the leg and starting a small fire on the starboard side of the instrument panel. All lighting in the aircraft failed except cell-lights which came on automatically. The starboard flap and elevators were also damaged.

On the 16th of April, the crew’s 15th Op, this time to Ludwigshaven, the crew crashed on return. Having experienced very accurate Anti Aircraft fire over the target, on return Douglas discovered that the throttles were jammed open. Despite crashing into a partially  built aircraft hanger and completely wrecking the Stirling they were in. All of the crew escaped, but not without injuries……

He received the Distinguished Flying Cross at the end of his tour, the citation read as follows:
Flight Lieutenant Lowe has proved to be an outstanding captain of aircraft throughout many operational missions over such heavily defended targets as Hamburg, Essen and Berlin. From these sorties he has frequently brought back photographs of the target area. On more than one occasion he has successfully evaded attacks by enemy night fighters. He has also brought his aircraft back to base when almost disabled by anti-aircraft fire. His splendid work has been an inspiration to the Squadron.

From upclosded.com
He was confirmed in his rank of flying officer on 23 December 1943, and received a mention in dispatches in January 1945. Lowe was promoted to flight lieutenant (war-substantive) on 1 January 1945. In the 1946 Birthday Honours, Lowe was decorated with the Air Force Cross (AFC). He remained in the RAF post-war, being awarded a permanent commission in the rank of flying officer on 1 July 1946, with a subsequent promotion to flight lieutenant on 4 July.

Lowe was promoted to Ssquadron Leader on 1 July 1952 and to Wing Commander on 1 January 1958. Promoted to Group Captain on 1 July 1962, he served as Station Commander RAF Cranwell from November 1963 to 1965. With his promotion to air commodore on 1 July 1966, he attained air officer rank. He was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal on 1 January 1970 and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), Military Division, in the 1971 Birthday Honours.

In 1973 Lowe was appointed Air Officer Commanding No. 18 Group and he continued in this post until 1975. Thereafter, he was promoted to air chief marshal and was appointed the Controller of Aircraft: he remained in that post until late 1982. Lowe was the Chief of Defence Procurement at the Ministry of Defence from 1982 to 1983. He retired on 22 August 1983.

You can read Sir Douglas’ obituary in the Telegraph here.

and watch Sir Douglas give an interview in March 2013, then aged 91, to a School Report team, about his time in the RAF here.

 

Peter Carrie

Peter Carrie, Chelsea Pensioner and Flight Engineer with the Lukins crew

It is with great sadness that I must pass on the news from Kerry, that his Grandfather, Peter Carrie, Flight Engineer with Bernard Lukin’s crew passed away early this morning at the age of 102.

Peter’s remarkable story has been featured more than once in the blog over the last few years – so remarkable in fact, as to warrant its reproduction now as a tribute to Peter and his time during the War.

The Lukins crew at Mepal, sometime in 1945. Peter Carrie is stood at the far right of the picture, the individual next to him is an unknown ground crew member. The crew’s Rear Gunner, Tom Benson is stood second in on the left of the group
© Peter Carrie/ Kerry Major

In a remarkable recreation of the above photograph, Peter stands alone under S ‘Sugar’ at the RAF Museum Hendon. © image owner unknown at this date

Peter Carrie who flew with Bernard Lukins crew as Flight Engineer between February and July 1945. If the stories of the boys who flew in the Squadron are all not remarkable, then Peter’s is even more so.

Born 1915 in Dundee, Scotland, he joined the Army  at 19  in the Tank Corp and served in India and the Khyber Pass. During WW2 he was evacuated from Dunkirk , they found him covered in dead bodies and thought he only had hours to live – in Kerry’s words, he was like a ‘pin cushion’ with shrapnel  wounds all over his body.

The King sent a letter to his parents when he made it to a military hospital informing them of his condition. The Army found him unfit for service so Peter joined the RAF and ended up with Bernard Lukin’s crew at Mepal in February 1945.

See the Lukin’s crew Op history here.

Often when I state superlatives I add, ‘as far as I am aware’ – in this case I don’t have to. Peter was the only Chelsea Pensioner to also hold the Bomber Command clasp.

A group photograph taken during Peter’s training to become a Flight Engineer. Peter is second row from the back, 4th from left.
© Peter Carrie/ Kerry Major

On the 23rd of April 2014 Peter was presented with his Bomber Command clasp by General Sir Redmond Watt, KCB KCVO CBE DL

Presentation of Bomber Command Clasp to Peter Carrie by General Sir Redmond Watt, KCB KCVO CBE DL on the 23rd of April 2014.
© Peter Carrie/ Kerry Major

The citation at the awarding of Peter’s Bomber Command clasp was as follows:
“We are here today to mark a significant event in the life of In-Pensioner Peter Carrie.  Peter has the distinction of having served with both the Army from 1934 – 1940 and the RAF from 1943 – 1946.  After much public pressure to recognise those who bravely set out from bases all along the east coast across France and Germany on perilous missions, the Bomber Command clasp was finally instituted in 2013.  To that end, Peter is the only Chelsea Pensioner to qualify for such an award.
 
Peter was as a Flight Engineer on many Lancaster bombing missions,including those on Hamburg and Wesel.  He served with 75 (NZ) Squadron, which was constantly engaged against Germany from 1940 to VE day.  According to statistics, this squadron flew more sorties than any other Allied heavy bomber squadron.  It suffered the second highest casualties of all the Allied squadrons, and dropped the second largest weight of bombs of any Allied squadron.Miraculously Peter and his crew members made it safely home following each mission, although on many occasions his aircraft was hit by enemy flack and even lost the occasional engine.  
 
Some 55,000 Airmen who served with Bomber Command were killed during wartime raids and Peter can testify to losing many friends and colleagues on these daring missions.  He will be the first to say that he was no hero and saw his brave feats as just part of his job, however his modesty belies a man of integrity and immense courage in the face of such danger”.

I am sure you would all wish to join me in passing heart felt condolences to Kerry and Peter’s surviving family at this sad time.

Another of these incredible old men has left us.

Ake AKe Kia Kaha!

We shall remember them

For the Fallen

Poem by Robert Laurence Binyon (1869-1943), published in The Times newspaper on 21^st September 1914.

With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.

Solemn the drums thrill: Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres.
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.

They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted,
They fell with their faces to the foe.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time;
They sleep beyond England’s foam.

But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;

As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain,
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.

Ake Ake Kia Kaha

ANZAC Day 2017

“Those heroes that shed their blood
And lost their lives.
You are now lying in the soil of a friendly country.
Therefore rest in peace.
There is no difference between the Johnnies
And the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side
Here in this country of ours.
You, the mothers,
Who sent their sons from far away countries
Wipe away your tears,
Your sons are now lying in our bosom
And are in peace
After having lost their lives on this land they have
Become our sons as well.“

 In 1934, Kemal Atatürk delivered these words to the first Australians, New Zealanders and British to visit the Gallipoli battlefields. They were later inscribed on a monolith at Ari Burnu Cemetery (ANZAC Beach) which was unveiled in 1985. The words also appear on the Kemal Atatürk Memorial, Canberra, and the Atatürk Memorial in Wellington.

I would like to take this years ANZAC Day post to announce another significant update to the 75(NZ) Squadron RAF Roll of Honour.

The Roll of Honour in its original guise was very generously gifted to the Blog when it began, by Kevin King, Chairman of the UK Squadron Association. Its original creation was a significant undertaking, taking Kevin and John Tyler several years to compile the full Roll in the days before the internet.

Two years ago, a first significant advance was announced with the addition of gravestone images to the Roll of Honour from the New Zealand War Graves Project.

This year sees the re-presentation of the Roll of Honour with significant extra information for each individual listed. Added to the existing information is the individuals trade position and where it exists their memorial inscription. Additionally, the Form 540 Diary entry is added along with the full list of the crew that the individual in question was flying with. Finally, any known details of the fate of the individual and their crew are included.

With a total of 1,139 Squadron members lost during the Second World War, the addition of this extra material has been a significant, but, I feel, a very worthwhile project. I would welcome any additional material that relatives might wish to add and I intend as time allows to add, where available, images of the lost airmen.

Sections of the new Roll of honour can be accessed here:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, Y

What follows for this ANZAC Day post is a list of all RNZAF and RAAF airmen who lost their lives flying with 75(NZ) Squadron RAF. They are listed by country and graveyard.

AHE AKE KIA KAHA

UNITED KINGDOM
Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey, England.
GUNN, Garth Reginald    MiD	Age 26	Squadron Leader  411397  RNZAF	21st September  1944
SIMONSEN, Horace Dean	Age 31	Leading Aircraftsman  438024   RNZAF	17th April  1941
Buxton Cemetery, Derbyshire, England.
BEAVEN, James Wilfred	Age 31	Sergeant 403566 RNZAF	22nd May 1942
MACKAY, Andrew Donald	Age 22	Pilot Officer  411919   RNZAF	22nd May  1942
SMEATON, Wilfred Herbert	Age 28	Sergeant  405331   RNZAF	23rd May  1942
Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire, England.
BLEWETT, Terence Douglas	Age 26	Flight Lieutenant 414376 RNZAF	17th January 1945
BROADY, Raymond Herbert John	Age 28	Sergeant 39691 RNZAF	28th November 1942
DOBSON, Peter Gerald    MiD	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 439022 RNZAF	8th September 1943
EAST, Patton Mason	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 426083 RNZAF	24th October 1943
EMMERSON, Ronald Harry	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 410330 RAAF	16th December 1943
HURDLE, Walter	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421279   RNZAF	4th November  1943
JENKIN, Ralph Francis	Age 23	Flying Officer  416119   RNZAF	16th December  1943
KINROSS, Colin John	Age 30	Pilot Officer  417069   RNZAF	16th December  1943
MENZIES, Ian Robert	Age 21	Flying Officer  415002   RNZAF	8th September  1943
PURVES, James John	Age 35	Flight Sergeant  422207   RNZAF	25th October  1943
RANDLE, James Robert	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  416539   RNZAF	24th October  1943
WILSON, John Stanley	Age 34	Flying Officer  426234   RNZAF	17th January  1945
Chevington Cemetery, Northumberland, England.
McISAAC, Alexander	Age 24	Sergeant  412891   RNZAF	28th November  1942
Feltwell (St. Nicholas) Churchyard, Norfolk, England.
BENTLEY, Loch Lomond	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 403936 RNZAF	23rd December 1941
FOUNTAIN, Cedric Niel	Age 23	Pilot Officer  41981   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
GANNAWAY, Eric Francis	Age 21	Sergeant  402110   RNZAF	12th May  1941
GRENFELL, Richard John	Age 22	Sergeant  404026   RNZAF	29th June  1942
HARRIS, Richard James	Age 24	Sergeant  402999   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
JOYCE, David Campbell	Age 21	Sergeant  401278   RNZAF	16th July  1941
MITCHELL, Norman	Age 25	Sergeant  404084   RNZAF	29th June  1942
NICOL, Trafford McRae	Age 21	Pilot Officer  411929   RNZAF	23rd April  1942
RYAN, Alexander James	Age 25	Pilot Officer  391367   RNZAF	10th January  1941
WOODHAM, Henry William	Age 27	Sergeant  402449   RNZAF	28th February  1942
Grimsby (Scartho Road) Cemetery, Lincolnshire, England.
MEE, Alexander Coutts	Age 23	Sergeant  40656   RNZAF	7th May  1941
NOLA, David Leo	Age 26	Sergeant  39930   RNZAF	7th May  1941
Guilford Cemetery, Surrey, England.
ANDREWS, James Samuel	Age 23	Sergeant 634968 RAF	13th May 1943
Ham (St Andrew) Churchyard, Richmond, Surrey, England.
DIBBEN, Ronald Oswald	Age 22	Sergeant    1252627     RAFVR	28th November 1942
Ilford (Barkingside) Cemetery, Essex, England.
THORPE, Noel Humphrey	Age 21	Flying Officer  428168   RNZAF	26th February  1945
Jarrow Cemetery, County Durham, England.
BRUCE, John Henry	Age 23	Sergeant 1566967 RAFVR	17th September 1944
Lakenham (St. John the Baptist and All Saints) Churchyard, Norfolk, England.
HARVEY, Edgar William	Age 27	Sergeant  41902   RNZAF	16th December  1942
Newmarket Cemetery, Suffolk, England.
CLUBB, Selwyn James	Age 20	Flying Officer 414593 RNZAF	13th May 1943
FRANKLIN, Benjamin Allan	Age 21	Sergeant  414277   RNZAF	16th December  1942
HARVEY, Robert Frederick	Age 23	Sergeant  416483   RNZAF	13th May  1943
JOHNSTON, John	Age 28	Flying Officer  416198   RNZAF	13th May  1943
WALSH, John Arthur Ernest	Age 27	Warrant Officer  401294   RNZAF	9th April  1943
WELCH, Harold Rangi	Age 23	Sergeant  41709   RNZAF	16th December  1942
WHITCOMBE, William Henry	Age 32	Sergeant  41561   RNZAF	16th December  1942
Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, England.
AITCHISON, Richard Justin	Age 28	Pilot Officer 429286 RNZAF	1st January 1945
BABER, Thomas James Edward    MiD Czech Medal for Bravery	Age 23	Flight Lieutenant 39857  RNZAF	12th March 1942
BAGNALL, Trevor Horace	Age 26	Warrant Officer 40640 RNZAF	17th December 1942
BAKER, James Guthrie	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 41142 RNZAF	1st September 1943
BARTON, Arthur James Douglas	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 413700 RNZAF	5th February 1943
BENTLEY, Robert Henry Waldron	Age 23	Pilot Officer 414580 RNZAF	5th May 1943
BOSWELL, John McLaren	Age 26	Sergeant 414491 RNZAF	5th May 1943
BRADEY, George Edward Francis	Age 25	Pilot Officer 401954 RNZAF	11th August 1942
BRAILEY, Clifton Robert	Age 23	Sergeant 404589 RNZAF	21st June 1942
BRIAN, William Leslie Fred	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 411737 RNZAF	28th April 1943
BRIDGMAN, Arthur Mervyn	Age 26	Pilot Officer 41866 RNZAF	3rd March 1943
BROUN, Alan Stewart	Age 32	Pilot Officer 405367 RNZAF	9th July 1942
BROWN, Russell Howard	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 425444 RNZAF	22nd May 1944
BRUHNS, Harold Henry	Age 22	Pilot Officer 42367 RNZAF	24th February 1944
BRYSON, Norman Albert	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 40859 RNZAF	26th July 1942
BUCKLEY, Ross Cameron	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 411206 RNZAF	28th April 1943
BURTON, Clarence Sydney	Age 22	Sergeant 414493 RNZAF	3rd March 1943
BUTLER, Laurie Licence	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 421672 RNZAF	24th February 1944
CAIRNS, Louvain Trevor	Age 25	Flight Sergeant 402437 RNZAF	26th July 1942
CHAMBERLAIN, Lloyd Montgomery	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 40914 RNZAF	12th March 1942
COLLINS, John Noel	Age 23	Flight Lieutenant 2513 RNZAF	21st May 1940
COPPERSMITH, Raymond Patrick	Age 21	Sergeant 391697 RNZAF	26th July 1942
CORIN, Henry George	Age 34	Sergeant 417269 RNZAF	28th April 1943
CUMPSTY, Frederick William Raukawa	Age 25	Pilot Officer 413386 RNZAF	31st July 1943
DANCE, Alfred Thomas	Age 25	Flying Officer 42495 RNZAF	4th November 1943
DARNEY, Jack Neville	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42376 RNZAF	31st July 1943
DARTON, Thomas William	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 416465 RNZAF	26th May 1943
DAVIDSON, Neil Douglas	Age 21	Pilot Officer 422057 RNZAF	21st July 1944
DROMGOOLE, Sydney Houston	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 402171 RNZAF	22nd April 1942
DUNKERLEY, Allan Roy Frank	Age 33	Pilot Officer 423083 RAAF	21st November 1944
DYER, Sydney Allan	Age 19	Sergeant 40101 RNZAF	16th July 1941
EARLE, John	Age 29	Pilot Officer 401756 RNZAF	12th March 1942
ELLIOT, Thomas Isaac	Age 24	Flying Officer 421364 RNZAF	21st November 1944
FALCONER, Arthur James	Age 23	Pilot Officer  39910   RNZAF	21st February  1941
FALKINER, Philip	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425140   RNZAF	30th July  1944
FAWCETT, Arnold Goodrick	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  422698   RNZAF	4th November  1943
FERGUSSON, Allister Archibald	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  425391   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
FINLAYSON, William John	Age 23	Pilot Officer  39911   RNZAF	24th October  1940
FITZGERALD, John	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  424777   RNZAF	30th August  1944
FREEMAN, Patrick Paul Deane	Age 22	Sergeant  413305   RNZAF	5th February  1943
GAVEGAN, Jack Ralph	Age 30	Pilot Officer  402128   RNZAF	9th July  1942
GOING, Raymond Cyril	Age 21	Sergeant  414278   RNZAF	3rd March  1943
GOULD, James Douglas	Age 21	Sergeant  411233   RNZAF	11th July  1942
GREEN, Cyril Vincent	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  402997   RNZAF	11th August  1942
GREENING, Joseph Wesley	Age 27	Pilot Officer  40022   RAAF	3rd July  1941
HADFIELD, Graham Stanley	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  426239   RNZAF	14th March  1944
HALLIBURTON, Keith	Age 23	Sergeant  415411   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HARE, Philip Edgar	Age 19	Sergeant  401227   RNZAF	16th July  1941
HARRISON-SMITH, Francis Charles	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  403959   RNZAF	30th November 1941
HARTSTONE, Roydon Horatio	Age 29	Sergeant  40211   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
HIGGINS, Eric Vincent Keiran	Age 27	Sergeant  400277   RAAF	16th July  1941
HIRST, Raymond John Finlay	Age 22	Sergeant  404067   RNZAF	11th July  1942
HOWELL, Alexander Clunie	Age 22	Sergeant  392104   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HOWES, Victor Charles	Age 20	Sergeant  413418   RNZAF	28th April  1943
HUNTER, Patrick Torre	Age 29	Sergeant  42297   RNZAF	28th April  1943
INNES, Owen Alfred	Age 22	Sergeant  421935   RNZAF	30th May  1943
JONES, Roy King	Age 26	Flying Officer  425611   RNZAF	21st July  1944
JUDD, Douglas Howard	Age 26	Sergeant  413336   RNZAF	10th September  1942
KAY, Alan Lister	Age 35	Flight Sergeant  42299   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
KELLY, Reginald Joseph Stephen	Age 24	Sergeant  403580   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
KILBY, William Adam	Age 40	Flight Sergeant  415261   RNZAF	1st September  1943
KNIGHT, Leon Gaston	Age 22	Sergeant  405494   RNZAF	9th June  1942
LAMB, Erwin Henry Reubin	Age 29	Sergeant  413709   RNZAF	5th May  1943
LEWIS, Alfred Edward	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  412458   RAAF	28th April  1943
LODGE, Tom	Age 35	Flying Officer  417284   RNZAF	4th November  1943
LOVELOCK, James Benjamin	Age 26	Flying Officer  416324   RNZAF	1st September  1943
MacKAY, Kenneth McIndoe	Age 27	Pilot Officer  421829   RNZAF	21st July  1944
MacKINNON, Douglas Malcolm	Age 20	Sergeant  40923   RNZAF	16th July 1941
MAHOOD, Thomas Stanley	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404916   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
MARTYN, Leslie Arthur	Age 35	Flight Lieutenant  417082   RNZAF	21st November  1944
MASON, Frederick David	Age 21	Sergeant  1230433   RAFVR	16th August  1943
MAYO, John Russell	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  417085   RNZAF	7th August  1943
McGREGOR, Keith Alexander	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  415770   RNZAF	1st September  1943
McKENZIE, Frank Edwin	Age 22	Sergeant  391085   RNZAF	9th July  1942
McMAHON, Henry Thomas Owen	Age 27	Sergeant  403019   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
McPHERSON, Colin Valentine	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  404912   RNZAF	26th July  1942
MONK, Walter Jack	Age 24	Pilot Officer  411432   RNZAF	30th June  1942
MOORE, Cyril James	Age 25	Sergeant  410555   RAAF	6th July  1943
MUIR, Anthony Vincent	Age 29	Pilot Officer  40195   RNZAF	21st February  1941
NAIRNE, Colin George	Age 22	Pilot Officer  42117   RNZAF	30th July  1944
NATION, John Ross	Age 22	Sergeant  40945   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
NEWTON, Raymond John   DFC MiD	Age 28	Wing Commander  40984   RNZAF	1st January  1945
OAKEY, Arthur Leslie Archibald	Age 33	Flight Sergeant  4213810   RNZAF	21st March  1945
PARTON, William James	Age 20	Pilot Officer  41932   RNZAF	12th March  1942
PERRY, Lyndon Clifford	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428925   RNZAF	30th July  1944
POTTS, Donald Norman	Age 25	Pilot Officer  412267   RNZAF	9th July  1942
PRICE, Henry John	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404095   RNZAF	12th March  1942
QUINN, Eric James	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  4210077   RNZAF	21st July  1944
REDDING, Randolph Ernest	Age 30	Sergeant  414678   RNZAF	5th February  1943
REID, Ian Laurie	Age 23	Sergeant  391846   RNZAF	3rd July  1941
RICHARDS, James Leonard	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404946   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
RIDDLE, Charles Hudson	Age 21	Flying Officer  41190   RNZAF	30th May  1943
RIORDAN, John Milton Patrick	Age 32	Sergeant  422668   RNZAF	26th May  1943
ROSS, Desmond Ray	Age 23	Sergeant  411451   RNZAF	28th April  1943
ROSS, Stanley David	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  41359   RNZAF	26th July  1942
ROWBERRY, Geoffrey Warren	Age 24	Pilot Officer  414567   RNZAF	14th March  1944
SHALFOON, Charles John	Age 22	Sergeant  413897   RNZAF	11th October  1942
SMART, Randolph Cruickshank	Age 25	Pilot Officer  411006   RNZAF	10th September  1942
SPITTAL, Phillip Charles	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404420   RNZAF	26th July  1942
ST.LEDGER, Peter Sylvestor Anthony	Age 21	Flying Officer 4 25375   RAAF	30th July  1943
STONE, Robert James	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  415383   RNZAF	31st July  1943
STREETER, Donald Frederick	Age 24	Sergeant  401033   RNZAF	24th July  1941
THOMAS, Raymond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  40586   RNZAF	6th July  1943
THOMSON, Jack	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  421145   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
TONG, Harold	Age 34	Flying Officer  416648   RNZAF	30th May  1943
TURNBULL, John George	Age 33	Flying Officer  42490   RNZAF	16th August  1943
TURNER, William	Age 22	Flying Officer  416579   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
TWEEDIE, Norman	Age 25	Sergeant  402474   RAAF	12th September  1941
VERCOE, Terrance James	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  415566   RNZAF	31st July  1943
VERNAZONI, Richard Barry	Age 20	Flying Officer 416185   RNZAF	30th May  1943
WALKER, Graham Stuart	Age 25	Sergeant  401817   RNZAF	24th July  1941
WATSON, Walter Davis	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  428918   RNZAF	30th August  1944
WESTWOOD, Reginald Francis	Age 20	Pilot Officer  416471   RAAF	5th May  1943
WHITELAW, Clifford James	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  416188   RNZAF	25th June  1943
WILLIS, William Jarvis	Age 33	Pilot Officer 421803   RNZAF	22nd May  1944
WILMSHURST, John Charles	Age 25	Sergeant  411962   RNZAF	11th July  1942
WILSON, Norman Clarence Bruce	Age 23	Flying Officer  417139   RNZAF	4th November  1943
WOODCOCK, Roy Joffre Desmond	Age 26	Sergeant  404985   RNZAF	12th March  1942
WORTH, Jim	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  425510   RNZAF	21st July  1944
WRIGHTSON, Cyril Charles	Age 22	Sergeant  411998   RNZAF	22nd April  1942
Belgium
Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, Belgium.
ANDERSON, Lindsay Douglas	Age 20	Sergeant 391321 RNZAF	20th September 1940
Chiervres Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
KELL, William Robert	Age 23	Pilot Officer 411766 RNZAF	19th November  1943
MYERS, John William Anthony	Age 25	Flight Lieutenant 405801 RNZAF	19th July  1944
Florennes Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
GRAINGER, James Kennedy	Age 21	Pilot Officer  42295   RNZAF	15th April  1943
McCASKILL, Donald Gordon	Age 19	Pilot Officer  413573   RNZAF	15th April  1943
SMITH, Ronald Alexander	Age 21	Sergeant 415378   RNZAF	15th April  1943
Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium.
BURKE, Edgar Lawrence	Age 26	Pilot Officer 417016 RNZAF	23rd May 1944
PAGE, Frank Albert	Age 29	Warrant Officer  409481   RAAF	23rd May  1944
PARKIN, Victor Trevor	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  421090   RNZAF	31st August  1943
WATTERS, Terrence	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  417299   RNZAF	31st August  1943
Hoton War Cemetery, Belgium.
ELVIN, William	Age 21	Pilot Officer 426883 RNZAF	12th August 1944
JOHNSTON, Haig Douglas	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  426320   RNZAF	12th August  1944
MULCAHY, Cyril Desmond	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428793   RNZAF	12th August  1944
PARKER, Robert Ronald Smithie	Age 20	Sergeant  1892552   RAFVR	12th August 1944
THOMSON, Edward Leonard	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  4211036   RNZAF	12th August  1944
WRIGHT, John Herbert	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  426209   RNZAF	12th August  1944
Ostende New Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
COATES, Dudley Dobson	Age 33	Sergeant 421318 RNZAF	26th May 1943
Werken Churchyard, Belgium.
ROBERTS, James	Age 20	Sergeant  400310   RAAF	22nd October  1941
SPARK, Frederick Alexander	Age 26	Sergeant  401415   RNZAF	22nd October  1941
Wevelgem Communal Cemetery, Belgium.
FAUVEL, Spencer Francis	Age 21	Flight Lieutenant  414971   RNZAF	28th May  1944
GOWER, Kenneth Wilfred	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421272   RNZAF	28th May  1944
LUKEY, Francis Henry Clark	Age 23	Flying Officer  42990   RNZAF	28th May  1944
MASON, James Rooker	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  421307   RNZAF	28th May  1944
DENMARK
Aabenraa Cemetery, Denmark.
BAILEY, Robert	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 429072 RNZAF	23rd April 1944
LAMMAS, Mauson	Age 30	Pilot Officer  421728   RNZAF	23rd April  1944
SAWTELL, Arthur Hartley	Age 19	Flight Sergeant  417521   RAAF	24th February  1944
VAUGHAN, Douglas William	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  429046   RNZAF	23rd April  1944
Esbjerg (Fourfelt) Cemetery, Denmark.
COBB, Cyril Thomas	Age 30	Flight Sergeant 412315 RNZAF	21st April 1943
EARLE, Frederick Joseph	Age 22	Sergeant    1332585     RAFVR	21st April 1943
SALT, Ian Charles	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  404046   RNZAF	21st April  1943
TOLLEY, Alan Gray	Age 21	Pilot Officer  411954   RNZAF	21st April  1943
UPTON, Frank Wakefield	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  404430   RNZAF	21st April  1943
Frederikshavn Cemetery, Denmark.
CRAWFORD-WATSON, Lewis Stanley	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42734 RNZAF	4th November 1943
IMRIE, George Burns	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  422676   RNZAF	4th November  1943
JAMES, Charles James	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  426333   RNZAF	4th November  1943
MASTERS, William Stuart	Age 21	Pilot Officer  421077   RNZAF	4th November  1943
Gram Churchyard, Denmark.
MURRY, Henry James	Age 26	Flying Officer  415820   RNZAF	19th April  1944
Orslev Churchyard, Denmark.
BIGGAR, John Matthew	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 427945 RNZAF	12th September 1944
HADLEY, William Orchard	Age 30	Flying Officer 426041   RNZAF	12th September  1944
Svino Churchyard, Denmark
BOYD, William James Victor	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 428303 RNZAF	12th September 1944
GILES, John Patrick Arthur	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425836   RNZAF	12th September  1944
GUDGEON, John Bernard	Age 23	Pilot Officer  428786   RNZAF	12th September  1944
JENKINS, Ernest Roy	Age 25	Warrant Officer  405780   RNZAF	29th April  1943
SHOGREN, Malcolm Edward John	Age 29	Sergeant  415375   RNZAF	28th April  1943
THOMPSON, Desmond Lewis	Age 21	Pilot Officer  413152   RNZAF	29th April  1943
WILLIAMS, John Muir	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  401341   RAAF	29th April  1943
FRANCE
Bayeux War Cemetery, France.
BONISCH, Lester Lascelles	Age 21	Pilot Officer 422098 RNZAF	11th June 1944
McKENZIE, James Murdoch Thomas	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  427217   RNZAF	11th June  1944
MILLER, James Stuart	Age 33	Flight Sergeant  427220   RNZAF	11th June  1944
Chateau-Voue Communal Cemetery, France.
McRAE, James Kenneth	Age 27	Flying Officer  415216   RNZAF	25th July  1944
POTTS, Thomas Christopher	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  421143   RNZAF	25th July  1944
Choloy War Cemetery, France.
GROVES, Kelvin Havelock Green	Age 30	Pilot Officer  415819   RNZAF	17th April  1943
STONE, Ronald Charles	Age 26	Sergeant  413281   RNZAF	17th April 1943
Clermont-Ferrand (Des Carmes Dechaux) Communal Cemetery, France.
HENDERSON, Hugh William	Age 24	Flying Officer  421713   RNZAF	5th March  1944
JONES, Arthur Stanley	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  421977   RNZAF	5th March  1944
MELVILLE, Robert James Ian	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  42349   RNZAF	5th March  1944
WATSON, Raymond Johnson   DFC	Age 27	Squadron Leader  404978 RNZAF	5th March  1944
Cronenbourg French National (Mixed) Cemetery, Strasbourg, France.
DUDDING, Keat	Age 25	Warrant Officer 415522 RNZAF	25th July    1944
TAVERNER, George Alfred Badge	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  429835   RAAF	25th July  1944
WHITEHOUSE, Keith Owen	Age 23	Flying Officer  428800   RNZAF	25th July  1944
Fruges Communal Cemetery, France.
BATESON, Benjamin William	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 424788 RNZAF	25th June 1944
MILNE, Bruce	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  428017   RNZAF	25th June  1944
Guidel Communal Cemetery, France.
HARDING-SMITH, Dudley	Age 24	Pilot Officer  405265   RNZAF	13th February  1943
Millery Communal Cemetery, France.
BLANCE, Ian Edward	Age 21	Pilot Officer 421496 RNZAF	29th July 1944
CLIMO, Frederick Walter Percival	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 4310148 RNZAF	29th July 1944
JENKINS, Frederick Francis Arthur	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  429888   RNZAF	29th July  1944
Olonne-Sur-Mer Communal Cemetery, France.
WHITTA, Neville Bruce	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  416566   RNZAF	16th August  1943
Poix-de-la-Somme Churchyard, France.
MACKENZIE, Douglas John	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  417211   RAAF	2nd May  1944
PEEVERS, Thomas Alexander	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  417232   RNZAF	2nd May  1944
SACHTLER, Euen William	Age 24	Squadron Leader  41362   RNZAF	2nd May  1944
Rieux Communal Cemetery, France.
BETLEY, Ronald Desmond Ernest	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 421495 RNZAF	16th June 1944
COOK, Peter Jackson	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42708 RNZAF	16th June 1944
HALE, Lawrence Eastmure	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  42395   RNZAF	16th June  1944
TOOHEY, Edward Wallace	Age 22	Warrant Officer 416672   RNZAF	16th June  1944
Therouldeville Churchyard, France.
RITCHIE, Alfred Henry	Age 22	Sergeant  40207   RNZAF	22nd December  1940
Tillieres-Sur-Avre Communal Cemetery, France.
DONAGHY, Thomas Rodgers	Age 33	Flight Sergeant 422267 RNZAF	11th June    1944
Valenciennes (St Roch) Communal Cemetery, France.
DIMOCK, Vallance Albert Oliver	Age 22	Sergeant     412317    RNZAF	25th October 1942
McCONNELL, James Allison	Age 21	Sergeant  414646   RNZAF	25th October  1942
SMITH, Selwyn Clarence	Age 29	Sergeant  41952   RNZAF	25th October  1942
TONKIN, Douglas Noel	Age 22	Sergeant  413285   RNZAF	25th October  1942
Ville-Sur-Retourne Churchyard, France.
HUGHILL, Howard James	Age 21	Sergeant  414293   RNZAF	25th October  1942
Yevres Communal Cemetery, France.
STOKES, Noel Alfred Deal	Age 25	Flight Lieutenant  421403   RNZAF	29th July  1944
GERMANY
Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
ERIKSON, Mervyn Arthur	Age 26	Pilot Officer 416103 RNZAF	24th August 1943
FISK, Joseph George Arkless	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  412874   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HELM, George Vincent	Age 23	Pilot Officer  416113   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HOPE, Lawrence Beresford Hamilton	Age 28	Warrant Officer  40940   RNZAF	19th April  1945
LUNDON, Francis Patrick	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  404718   RNZAF	24th August  1943
MOSS, Douglas Hamilton	Age 23	Pilot Officer  404653   RNZAF	24th August  1943
SEDUNARY, Alan Joseph Lyall   DFC	Age 20	Pilot Officer  416619    RAAF	24th August  1943
STEWART, Donald MacKay	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 421336  RNZAF	1st September 1943
THIRD, James	Age 34	Pilot Officer  422671   RNZAF	24th August  1943
THORSTENSEN, Frederick William	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  414529   RNZAF	24th August  1943
WOOLCOTT, Douglas George	Age 23	Sergeant  1290189   RAFVR	24th August  1943
Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany
BRISCO, Robert Hylton	Age 26	Sergeant 411204 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CAITCHEON, Gordon Edwin	Age 28	Sergeant 404016 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CAMPBELL, Alan	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 391857 RNZAF	29th July 1942
CARNCROSS, Murray Ellis	Age 19	Pilot Officer 411718 RNZAF	29th July 1942
DAVIS, Ronald Fraser	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 403569 RNZAF	29th July 1942
HUTT, George Alister	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  41914   RNZAF	29th July 1942
McMURCHY, James Gordon	Age 31	Sergeant  405539   RNZAF	29th July 1942
O’SHEA, William Clerken	Age 28	Sergeant  411096   RNZAF	29th July 1942
SAVAGE, John Henry	Age 33	Sergeant  404620   RNZAF	29th July 1942
STEWART, Ian Gordon	Age 20	Sergeant  404623   RNZAF	29th July 1942
SUTHERLAND, Alexander George	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  405340   RNZAF	29th July 1942
TABOR, Adrian Oscar	Age 25	Sergeant  411104   RNZAF	29th July 1942
WESTERMAN, Victor Kenneth	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  41970   RNZAF	29th July 1942
WILSON, Peter John	Age 22	Flight Lieutenant  402475   RNZAF	29th July 1942
Hamburg War Cemetery, Germany.
CORLETT, Geoffrey Scott	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 42289 RNZAF	3rd August 1943
COUPER, James Arthur	Age 31	Flight Sergeant 417027 RNZAF	3rd August 1943
CRARER, Thomas Eric	Age 21	Sergeant 405475 RNZAF	29th July 1942
HAWKINS, Anthony Henry Ryder	Age 20	Sergeant  40971   RNZAF	15th September  1941
REEVES, Sydney Cecil Oliver	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  42339   RNZAF	3rd August  1943
WARD, James Allen   VC	Age 22	Sergeant  401793   RNZAF	15th September  1941
Hanover War Cemetery, Germany.
ADAMSON, David Maurice	Age 27	Flying Officer 41052 RNZAF	28th September 1943
DALZELL, Errol Thomas Paterson	Age 22	Pilot Officer 411378 RNZAF	28th August 1942
HAUB, Darcy Leslie Conrad	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  42326   RNZAF	31st August 1943
HOGAN, Denis Patrick	Age 23	Sergeant  412331   RNZAF	28th August  1942
JACKSON, Kensington Campbell	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  42330   RNZAF	31st August  1943
RIDDLER, Stanley Winston	Age 22	Sergeant  424999   RNZAF	3rd October  1943
ROBERTS, Eric John	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  417107   RNZAF	31st August  1943
TUNBRIDGE, Victor Arthur	Age 28	Sergeant  411788   RNZAF	28th August  1942
WAEREA, Tame Hawaikirangi	Age 29	Pilot Officer  421300   RNZAF	28th September  1943
WHITMORE, Richard Charles	Age 22	Pilot Officer  421123   RNZAF	28th September  1943
Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
AITCHISON, Campbell Ewen Justin	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 402974 RNZAF	12th March 1942
BELL, Maurice Perrott	Age 26	Pilot Officer 404882 RNZAF	29th March 1942
BROWN, John Lukies	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 402534 RNZAF	12th March 1942
CRAN, Franklyn Bertram	Age 21	Sergeant 405237 RNZAF	29th March 1942
FIRTH, Ellison George	Age 19	Sergeant  412218   RNZAF	13th October  1942
FRASER, Myles Frederick Gordon	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  403437   RNZAF	16th May  1942
HARRIS, Claude Joseph	Age 31	Sergeant  404028   RNZAF	29th March  1942
McDONALD, Murray Alexander	Age 23	Sergeant  400352   RAAF	12th March  1942
PARKINSON, Lewis Harry	Age 20	Sergeant  412518   RNZAF	13th October  1942
SMITH, Albert Ivan	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  402221   RNZAF	16th May  1942
WATTERS, Ventry	Age 22	Sergeant  413522   RNZAF	13th October  1942
WHITING, Norman Edward	Age 27	Sergeant  404107   RNZAF	16th May  1942
Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany.
ANDERSON, Ronald Alexander John	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 36139 RNZAF	20th July 1940
BARCLAY, Thomas Smith	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 411358 RNZAF	12th August 1942
BISSET, Stuart Richard	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 415738 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
BLANK, John Frederick	Age 20	Flight Sergeant 422175 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
BOAG, Robert James	Age 24	Flight Sergeant 432097 RAAF	30th November 1944
BROWN, Alfred Errol	Age 25	Flying Officer 429139 RNZAF	21st March 1945
COLES, Thomas Edward	Age 28	Sergeant 40161 RNZAF	7th September 1942
COWIE, James Lindis	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42322 RNZAF	22nd November 1943
FRAMPTON, Laurie Albert	Age 20	Sergeant  411753   RNZAF	29th July  1942
GIBSON, John Cuthbert McKechnie	Age 29	Sergeant  40435 2  RNZAF	7th November  1941
GRIMES, Harold Dawson	Age 26	Sergeant  404532   RAAF	15th October  1941
HAZARD, Whelan Fallon	Age 20	Flying Officer  429047   RNZAF	12th August  1944
HOLLOWAY, Edgar John	Age 29	Flying Officer  429923   RNZAF	21st March  1945
INGLIS, William Gordon Lloyd	Age 27	Sergeant  411758   RNZAF	12th August  1942
JARVIS, Claude Joseph Frederick	Age 22	Sergeant  411722   RNZAF	7th September  1942
JOHNS, Arthur Grahame	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  41907   RNZAF	29th July  1942
KAVANAGH, Stanley Leo	Age 24	Warrant Officer  403579   RNZAF	30th May  1943
KRALJEVICH, Mark	Age 25	Sergeant  403458   RNZAF	29th July  1942
MACKENZIE, Stanley Henry	Age 23	Flying Officer  422418   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
MacPHAIL, Allan Corson Anderson	Age 30	Sergeant  41194   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MARSHALL, Eric William Elliott	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  415637   RNZAF	23rd May  1944
McCARTIN, Patrick Leo	Age 28	Flying Officer  419328   RAAF	20th November  1944
McINTOSH, James Alexander	Age 26	Flying Officer  411915   RNZAF	30th November  1944
McWILLIAM, Allan	Age 20	Sergeant  416586   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MILLS, George William	Age 27	Pilot Officer  411769   RNZAF	7th September  1942
MORGAN, Robert Carhampton	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  421389   RNZAF	30th November  1944
NEWMAN, Robert Wynne	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  4210960   RNZAF	30th November  1944
NORMAN, Raymond Fraser	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  416145   RNZAF	30th May  1943
OWEN, John Lewis	Age 24	Sergeant  391332   RNZAF	20th July  1940
PAYNE, Douglas Beardsley	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  426917   RNZAF	23rd May  1944
PLUMMER, Jack    DFC	Age 29	Flight Lieutenant  42451   RNZAF	21st March  1945
RAMSAY, William Robertson	Age 25	Sergeant  405508   RNZAF	9th June  1942
ROBERTSON, Trevor Bernard	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404948   RNZAF	15th October  1941
SAMSON, George King	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  402563   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
SAUL, Norman Priestley	Age 30	Sergeant  411730   RNZAF	7th September  1942
SCOTT, Russell James	Age 23	Flying Officer  428984   RNZAF	21st March  1945
SHARMAN, George William	Age 27	Sergeant  412746   RNZAF	7th September  1942
SMITH, Rupert John	Age 26	Pilot Officer  41950   RNZAF	9th June 1942
STEWART, Leslie Ian	Age 25	Sergeant  41178 5  RNZAF	29th July  1942
THORNLEY, Sydney Russell	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  40109   RNZAF	30th May  1943
TURNER, John Cecil	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  421115   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
WARRING, Robert John	Age 21	Sergeant  411110   RNZAF	12th August  1942
WOOD, James Haswell	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  425811   RNZAF	21st March  1945
Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
ANDERSEN, Kenneth Peder Christian	Age 28	Flight Sergeant 429128 RNZAF	4th November 1944
ASHWIN, Eric Lumley Durham	Age 22	Sergeant 41563 RNZAF	17th December 1942
BENNETT, Raymond Frederick	Age 29	Pilot Officer 415282 RNZAF	30th May 1943
BERNARD, Arthur George	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 424964 RNZAF	22nd November1943
BUDGE, William Finlay	Age 24	Pilot Officer 41977 RNZAF	6th April 1942
CAREY, John Henry Roy	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 414242 RNZAF	30th May 1943
CLARK, Mervyn Oliver	Age 20	Pilot Officer 404895 RNZAF	17th December 1942
COOMBRIDGE, Trevor Walter	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 42653 RNZAF	27th December 1944
CURLEWIS, Raymond Fullerton	Age 25	Sergeant 402230 RAAF	11th October 1941
DALE, James Atkinson	Age 27	Flying Officer 425562 RNZAF	25th August 1944
DEBENHAM, Kevin Frederick	Age 26	Pilot Officer 412211 RNZAF	16th April 1943
DEVLIN, Kevin John	Age 26	Pilot Officer 413334 RNZAF	11th September 1942
FLEMING, James Allan	Age 27	Flying Officer  422382   RNZAF	25th August  1944
GALLETLY, Alan Russell	Age 33	Pilot Officer  427481   RNZAF	5th October  1944
HASELDEN, Howard Clive McLeish	Age 22	Sergeant  403003   RNZAF	18th September  1941
HENLEY, Douglas Charles   MiD	Age 23	Pilot Officer  414622   RNZAF	1st September  1943
HOWARD, Edward John Francis	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  424469   RNZAF	4th November  1944
HOWLETT, Arthur Douglas	Age 32	Flying Officer  413335   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
JACOBSON, Gerald Howard	Age 27	Flying Officer  41333   RNZAF	17th December  1942
JARVIS, William Louis	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  414691   RAAF	23rd September  1943
KELCHER, Walter Foch	Age 23	Sergeant  411908   RNZAF	11th September  1942
KENDAL, Christopher James	Age 21	Sergeant  412342   RNZAF	17th December  1942
KIRKPATRICK, Laurence John	Age 20	Flying Officer  414990   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
MacLEOD, Norman Alexander	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  404079   RNZAF	30th May  1943
MARGETTS, John Edward Stanley	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  422665   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
McALPINE, Walter Duncan	Age 30	Pilot Officer  403551   RNZAF	17th December  1942
METCALFE, Thomas Otto	Age 19	Sergeant  414386   RNZAF	11th September  1942
MILES, Haddon Shaw	Age 27	Flying Officer  421746   RNZAF	27th December 1 944
MOSLEY, Stuart Edwin	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  426106   RNZAF	5th October  1944
MURPHY, Timothy Rowley	Age 20	Sergeant  404037   RNZAF	11th October  1941
PULLAR, Henry Welsh	Age 25	Sergeant  411777   RNZAF	17th December  1942
SANDS, Hugh Powell	Age 26	Flying Officer  403287   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
SCOTT, Alexander	Age 20	Sergeant  413484   RNZAF	3rd December  1942
SCOTT, Alistair Henry	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  428259   RNZAF	4th November  1944
SCOTT, John Harold	Age 29	Flying Officer  428797   RNZAF	4th November  1944
SINGLE, Alan Roy	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  413144   RAAF	22nd November  1943
SMITH, Ian Hector Ross	Age 34	Flight  Sergeant  421614   RNZAF	1st September  1943
SMITH, Phillip Francis	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  427206   RAAF	20th November  1944
SOUTHWARD, Keith	Age 28	Flying Officer  411048   RNZAF	6th October  1944
STOKES, Wallace Frederick	Age 27	Sergeant  412326   RNZAF	17th December  1942
THOMPSON, Colin Maurice	Age 23	Sergeant  404427   RNZAF	11th October  1941
WALSHE, Desmond James	Age 25	Sergeant  412912   RNZAF	11th September  1942
WATSON, Clifford Arnold	Age 34	Flying Officer  421946   RNZAF	1st September  1943
WELSH, Neville Henry	Age 20	Flight Sergeant  391334   RNZAF	15th October  1941
WHITE, William George Henry	Age 27	Sergeant  41717   RNZAF	17th December  1942
WHITTINGTON, Eric Richmond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  416030   RNZAF	22nd November  1943
WILKINSON, Ernest Stanley	Age 25	Pilot Officer  417138   RNZAF	6th September  1943
WOOD, Frederick Lionel Roy	Age 23	Sergeant  404439   RNZAF	15th October  1941
Sage War Cemetery, Germany.
BRODIE, Andrew Moore	Age 25	Sergeant 391378 RNZAF	21st February 1941
BUCKLEY, Wallace Edward	Age 28	Pilot Officer 391379 RNZAF	21st June 1942
GILL, John Trevor Vivian	Age 27	Sergeant  403362   RNZAF	4th September  1942
GRANT, Horace Llewellyn	Age 27	Sergeant  405254   RNZAF	4th September  1942
LEES, Reginald Sidney	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404907   RNZAF	27th July 1942
LOWTHER, Peter Desmond	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  403583   RNZAF	11th July  1942
NEWMAN, Richard Alfred William	Age 24	Sergeant  405309   RNZAF	4th September  1942
RENTON, Rupert Ernest	Age 22	Sergeant  412352   RNZAF	4th September  1942
ROBERTSON, Norman Bruce	Age 25	Pilot Officer  411101   RNZAF	27th July  1942
SHARP, Richard Edwin	Age 23	Sergeant  405513   RNZAF	11th July  1942
SHEPHERD, Ian James	Age 26	Pilot Officer  404414   RNZAF	27th July  1942
TRENGROVE, Raymond Wickliffe John	Age 20	Pilot Officer  40927   RNZAF	21st June  1942
WINSTANLEY, James Francis	Age 20	Sergeant  412373   RNZAF	27th July  1942
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany.
BARKER, Richard Stockdale	Age 28	Pilot Officer 421345 RNZAF	26th August 1944
BRIDGER, Cyril Jack	Age 26	Flight Sergeant 417192 RNZAF	28th August 1943
DAVEY, Charles Raglan	Age 21	Sergeant 413937 RNZAF	8th March 1943
FIRTH, Raymond	Age 28	Warrant Officer  417203   RNZAF	26th August  1944
HENDERSON, Matthew Ronald	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  427204   RNZAF	28th April  1944
HERRON, Robert Weir	Age 23	Flying Officer  422282   RNZAF	28th April  1944
HIGHAM, Frank Douglas	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  416116   RNZAF	28th August  1943
LOGAN, Clifford Charles Pownall	Age 28	Flying Officer  405918   RAAF	23rd September  1943
McLACHLAN, Euen Wilfred	Age 22	Flying Officer  415266   RNZAF	28th April  1944
NORTON, William George	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  413227   RNZAF	26th August  1944
PERKS, Eric	Age 29	Flight Sergeant  411934   RNZAF	29th August  1942
SMITH, Keith Alfred	Age 23	Warrant Officer  416022 RNZAF	28th April  1944
SOWERBY, Geoffrey Phillips	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  417243   RNZAF	23rd September  1943
HOLLAND
Aardenburg General Cemetery, Holland.
HEWETT, Harold Max	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  419311   RAAF	12th May  1944
Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Holland.
BLINCOE, Kenneth Howard DFC	Age 33	Pilot Officer 412194  RNZAF	3rd February 1943
CLEARWATER, Desmond	Age 24	Sergeant 412314 RNZAF	3rd February 1943
COOK, George Wood	Age 24	Sergeant 412514 RNZAF	3rd February 1943
SCOTT, Andrew James Newell	Age 21	Pilot Officer  414685   RNZAF	3rd February  1943
Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, Holland.
ANNAN, William Douglas Francis	Age 20	Sergeant 391377 RNZAF	26th July 1940
BYRNE, Martin John	Age 32	Flight Sergeant 404529 RNZAF	29th July 1942
COLEMAN, William Harcourt DFC	Age 23	Flying Officer 2526 RNZAF	26th July 1940
GILBERTSON, John Edward	Age 22	Flight Sergeant  41894   RNZAF	29th July  1942
PERROTT, William Rosser	Age 21	Flying Officer  416155   RNZAF	25th June  1943
Beesd General Cemetery, Holland.
JOBLIN, Frederick John Leigh	Age 25	Sergeant  417063   RNZAF	24th May  1943
TURNBULL, George Watson	Age 24	Sergeant  421342   RNZAF	24th May  1943
TIETJENS, Stephen Muir	Age 26	Sergeant  415640   RNZAF	24th May 1 943
Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Holland.
BLACK, John William	Age 27	Flight Sergeant 402843 RNZAF	7th November 1941
COOKSEY, James Brett	Age 23	Flight Sergeant 416460 RNZAF	24th June 1943
FOTHERINGHAM, Robert Ewen Ernest	Age 29	Sergeant  391833   RNZAF	16th July  1941
GRAY, Trevor Hedley	Age 27	Sergeant  404356   RNZAF	7th November  1941
LLOYD, Eric	Age 28	Pilot Officer  402197   RNZAF	7th November  1941
MURDOCH, Graham Edward	Age 26	Pilot Officer  411927   RNZAF	9th June  1942
O’DOWD, Albert William	Age 25	Sergeant  41544   RNZAF	9th June  1942
PENMAN, Alexander Mitchell	Age 23	Flying Officer  416154   RNZAF	21st October  1944
Doetinchem (Loolaan) General Cemetery, Holland.
HARRISON, Alfred Herbert	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  403000   RNZAF	8th November  1941
WYLLIE, Thomas Young	Age 25	Sergeant  404011   RNZAF	8th November  1941
Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Holland.
GILMOUR, Hugh Edward	Age 24	Warrant Officer  422667   RAAF	21st July  1944
MILLS, Samuel	Age 32	Flight Sergeant  425036   RAAF	21st July  1944
OSBORNE, John Edward	Age 23	Flight Sergeant  417877   RAAF	21st July  1944
Flushing  (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Holland.
BLUCK, Norman Bradford	Age 22	Pilot Officer 40364 RNZAF	24th June 1943
STRONG, Geoffrey Walter	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  413905   RNZAF	24th June  1943
Gilze-En-Rijen (Gilze) Roman Catholic Cemetery,  Holland.
COOK, Stephen Astley	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 421142 RNZAF	28th May 1944
SCOTT, Francis Alexander Jack	Age 28	Sergeant  421105   RNZAF	28th May  1944
Harderwijk General Cemetery, Holland.
THOMSON, Gordon Douglas	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 42317   RNZAF	25th June  1943
Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Nijmegen, Holland.
CALLOW, Horace	Age 27	Flying Officer 427185 RNZAF	21st July 1944
DOBBIN, Laurence St.George	Age 29	Flight Sergeant 401375 RNZAF	12th August 1942
HICKFORD, Leonard Charles	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  426886   RNZAF	21st July  1944
HOWELL, Edward	Age 21	Pilot Officer  428819   RNZAF	21st July  1944
JURY, Jack Leslie	Age 20	Sergeant  411764   RNZAF	12th August  1942
McKENZIE, Francis Max	Age 26	Pilot Officer  41344   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
REDWOOD, Gerard Henry	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  425012   RNZAF	21st July  1944
ROCHE, Gerald Brian	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  413219   RNZAF	21st July  1944
SMITH, Keith Emmett	Age 21	Flight Sergeant  425179   RNZAF	21st July  1944
Markelo General Cemetery, Holland.
BURBIDGE, Kenneth Alfred	Age 22	Flight Sergeant 412200 RNZAF	23rd June 1943
MARTIN, Donald Ernest	Age 26	Flight Sergeant  413872   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
McEWIN, Andrew James	Age 25	Flight Sergeant  417077   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
WILCOCKSON, Walter Frederick	Age 34	Flight Sergeant  42314   RNZAF	23rd June  1943
Oldebroek General Cemetery, Holland.
SMITH, Trevor Harry	Age 24	Pilot Officer  41953   RNZAF	9th July  1942
Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery, Holland.
FOSTER, Ralph Owen	Age 29	Pilot Officer  402443   RNZAF	8th November  1941
RYDER, Robert Leslie Owen	Age 25	Pilot Officer  404626   RAAF	8th November  1941
WILSON, John Stephen	Age 27	Sergeant  402530   RNZAF	8th November  1941
Schiermonnikoog (Vredenhof) Cemetery, Holland.
CHRISTIE, Arthur Stafford	Age 21	Flight Sergeant 402982 RNZAF	21st June 1942
FRASER, Allan Armistice	Age 23	Flying Officer  405030   RNZAF	21st June  1942
YOUNG, George Anthony	Age 21	Sergeant  405771   RNZAF	9th July 1 942
Tilburg (Gilzerbaan) General Cemetery, Holland.
BURTT, Henry John	Age 31	Flying Officer 414560 RNZAF	21st July 1944
CRAWFORD, Henry Varley Gibb	Age 28	Sergeant 404339 RNZAF	7th September 1942
GILLAN, Gottfred Lyall	Age 21	Warrant Officer  42324   RNZAF	21st July  1944
GROVES, Alpheus Leslie	Age 30	Flight Sergeant  403574   RNZAF	7th September  1942
PARKES, William Ronald	Age 31	Flight Sergeant  403822   RNZAF	7th September  1942
ROSE, George Herbert	Age 30	Sergeant  391713   RNZAF	7th September  1942
WILSON, Eric Glover	Age 27	Flight Sergeant  403035   RNZAF	7th September  1942
Uden War Cemetery, Holland.
FLETCHER, Andrew Crawford	Age 24	Flight Sergeant  42675   RNZAF	21st July  1944
SIMPSON, Alfred Alexander	Age 28	Flight Sergeant  425212   RNZAF	21st July  1944
WHITTINGTON, Harold	Age 26	Pilot Officer  42488   RNZAF	21st July  1944
Westdongeradeel (Holwerd) Protestant Cemetery, Holland.
HEGAN, John Gordon George	Age 23	Sergeant  411075   RNZAF	30th June  1942
McGREGOR, Murdoch Gordon	Age 23	Sergeant  411079   RNZAF	30th June  1942
MONCRIEF, Eric Francis Sydney	Age 25	Sergeant  411087   RNZAF	30th June  1942
RANDLE, Douglas Haig	Age 24	Sergeant  405454   RNZAF	30th June  1942
Wierden General Cemetery, Holland.
McCULLOUGH, John   DFC	Age 30	Pilot Officer  40410 RNZAF	3rd February  1943
MURPHY, Terence Austin	Age 30	Sergeant  413307   RNZAF	3rd February 1943

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

 

 

Ake Ake Kia Kaha

Harold Whittington crew 1944

The Whittington crew. Back Row: F/S Andrew Crawford Fletcher, RNZAF, Rear Gunner; F/O Philip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR, Wireless Operator; Sgt Don W Gore, RAFVR, Flight Engineer; Sgt Alfred Alexander Simpson, RNZAF, Bomb Aimer. Front Row: F/L Joseph Stevens, RAFVR, Navigator; P/O Harold (Dick) Whittington, RNZAF, Pilot; Sgt Ronald John Morton Batty, RAFVR, Mid Upper Gunner.
Photo from Graham Nicholson.

Many thanks to Chris and all those involved in gathering information for this post!

On the 20th/ 21st of July 1944, 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF suffered one of its worst disasters, the loss of seven Lancasters and their crews in the attack on an oil refinery at Homberg. This the story of one of those crews.

Pilot Harold Whittington, from Hamilton, NZ, initially crewed up at No. 11 OTU, Westcott, Buckinghamshire, while training on Vickers Wellingtons.

11 OTU graduation photo, Course 66, 1944 – cropped version below to identify crew members: Back Row: 9th from left – Andrew Crawford Fletcher. Middle Row: 2nd, 3rd and 4th from left – Don W Gore, Alfred Alexander Simpson and Harold Whittington. Front Row: 1st and 2nd from left – Philip E Tompkins, Joseph Stevens and on the end Ronald John Morton Batty.
Photo from Graham Nicholson.

During April the full seven man crew, two Kiwis and four Englishmen, converted to Stirling bombers at 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit, RAF Stradishall, Suffolk. They then spent about a week at Lancaster Finishing School, RAF Feltwell.

 The Whittington crew was posted to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron at Mepal, Cambridgeshire, arriving on the 12th of June 1944, to report for operational duties.

The crew was:
F/S Harold “Dick” Whittington, RNZAF NZ42488 – Pilot.
F/O Joseph Stevens, RAFVR 125607 – Navigator.
Sgt. Alfred Alexander Simpson, RNZAF NZ425112 – Air Bomber.
F/O Phillip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR 157922 – Wireless Operator .
Sgt. Don W. Gore, RAFVR 1624691 – Flight Engineer.
Sgt. Ronald John Morton Batty, RAFVR 548542 – Mid Upper Gunner.
F/S Andrew Crawford Fletcher, RNZAF NZ42675 – Rear Gunner.

As part of his preparation for operations, Whittington flew a second dickie trip to Le Havre on the 14th of June with the McRae crew in Lancaster ND752, AA-O “Oboe”.

ND752 was at the time starring in a short film being made at Mepal, “Maximum Effort”, featuring Eric Witting’s crew.

Then the crew flew their first op’ together on the night of the 15th/16th of June, an attack on the Marshalling Yards at Valenciennes in France.

15/16.6.1944 – Attack Against Valenciennes
Lancaster Mk.III ND756, AA-M
F/S Harold Whittington, RNZAF NZ42488 – Pilot.
F/O Joseph Stevens, RAFVR 125607 – Navigator.
Sgt. Alfred Alexander Simpson, RNZAF NZ425112 – Air Bomber.
F/O Phillip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR 157922 – Wireless Operator .
Sgt. Don W. Gore, RAFVR 1624691 – Flight Engineer.
Sgt. Ronald John Morton Batty, RAFVR 548542 – Mid Upper Gunner.
F/S Andrew Crawford Fletcher, RNZAF NZ42675 – Rear Gunner.

The crew flew eight more op’s over France, in support of the Normandy invasion, and attacking V1 rocket launching sites:

17.6.44 – ND756, AA-M – Montdidier.
 Jettisoned bombs in the Channel after combat with a Fw190 – claimed as possibly destroyed.

 24/25.6.44 – ND747, AA-T – Rimeux.

 27/28.6.44 – ME691, AA-R – Biennais
The Form 541 says that F/S David Fox RNZAF NZ426065 replaced Andrew Fletcher as R/Gnr for this operation.

2.7.44 – ME691, AA-R – Beauvoir.
Harold Whittington promotion – now listed as W/O.

12.7.44 – ND747, AA-T – Vaires.

15/16.7.44 – ND747, AA-T –  Chalons Sur Marne.

17.7.44 HK562, AA-L – Vaires.
Recalled, refuelled and placed on standby.

18.7.44 HK562, AA-L Cagny.

18/19.7.44 HK562, AA-L Aulnoye.

See the crew’s full operational history here: https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/h-whittington-crew-15-6-44/

Then came the fateful Homberg operation on the night of the 20th/21st of July.

A force of 147 Lancasters, including 26 from 75 (NZ) Squadron, and 11 Mosquito’s of 1, 3 and 8 Groups, were dispatched to attack the synthetic oil plant at Homberg (8 mls NE of Düsseldorf). Although the refinery was severely damaged in this attack, aircraft losses were heavy. German night-fighters wrought havoc on the bombers, shooting down 20 aircraft – 13.6 per cent of the attacking force.

20/07/1944 – Attack Against Homberg
Twenty six aircraft took off, as detailed, to attack the oil refinery at Homberg. Nineteen aircraft were successful in bombing the target, with the aid of markers, which seemed well concentrated. Two good explosions were seen and smoke came up from the target area. Heavy A.A. fire was moderate, but fighters were very active, eight combats taking place. Seven aircraft failed to return, the captains were AUS22776 W/O. Gilmour, H., NZ428819 F/S. Howell, E., NZ421829 F/S. Mackay, K., NZ422057 F/S. Davidson, N., NZ42488 W/O. Whittington, H., NZ413219 F/S. Roche, G. & NZ414560 P/O. Burtt, H.

Lancaster Mk.I ME691 AA-R

W/O Harold Whittington, RNZAF NZ42488 – Pilot.
F/O Joseph Stevens, RAFVR 125607 – Navigator.
Sgt. Alfred Alexander Simpson, RNZAF NZ425112 – Air Bomber.
P/O Phillip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR 157922 – Wireless Operator .
Sgt. D. W. Gore, RAFVR 1624691 – Flight Engineer.
Sgt. Ronald John Morton Batty*, RAFVR 548542 – Mid Upper Gunner.
* ORB for this Op lists Sgt. Leslie De’Lungo, RAFVR as Mid Upper Gunner, however the recorded loss of Sgt. Batty clearly identifies this as an error.
F/S Andrew Crawford Fletcher, RNZAF NZ42675 – Rear Gunner.

Take Off 23:35 – Landed –
Flight Time Missing

Lancaster Mk.I ME691 AA-R was brought down by an enemy aircraft at 01:33hrs beside a road near Veghel (Noord Brabant), 4 miles South West of Uden. All but the flight engineer perished in the crash and were buried in the local War Cemetery, Uden. Sgt Gore, the flight engineer, survived but was taken as a P.o.W.

P/O Harold Whittington, RNZAF NZ42488 – Pilot.
Killed age 26.
Son of John Richard and Minnie Whittington, of Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 3. I. 2. 203

F/L Joseph Stevens, RAFVR 125607 – Navigator.
Killed age 32.
Son of Joseph and Hilda Stevens, of Newton-le-Willows, Lancashire. M.Sc.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 5. A. 8. 103
‘Greater love Hath no man than this,
That a man lay down
His life for his friends’

F/S Alfred Alexander Simpson, RNZAF NZ425212 – Air Bomber.
Killed age 28.
Son of Frederick John and Jessie Ann Simpson, of Gisborne, Auckland, New Zealand; husband of Gladys Simpson, of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 3. I. 4. 205

F/O Phillip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR 157922 – Wireless Operator.
Killed age 21.
Son of Edwin George and Gladys Elizabeth Tompkins; of Merton Park, Surrey; husband of Joan Grace Tompkins, of Merton Park.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 5. A. 10. 105
‘Father, In Thy gracious keeping
Leave we now
Thy servant sleeping’

Sgt. Donald W. Gore, RAFVR 1624691 – Flight Engineer.
P.o.W
Prisoner of War Number: 455
Prison Camps: Dulag Luft, Stalag Luft VII
Date of return to United Kingdom: not known

Sgt. Ronald John Morton Batty, RAF 549542 – Mid Upper Gunner.
Killed age 26.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 5. A. 9. 104

F/S Andrew Crawford Fletcher, RNZAF NZ42675 – Rear Gunner.
Killed age 24.
Son of Daniel Fletcher and of Jeanie Fletcher (nee McNeill), of Devonport, Auckland, New Zealand; husband of Dorothy May Fletcher, of Devonport, Auckland.
Buried Uden War Cemetery, Holland.     .
Grave location – 5. A. 1. 101

Back in New Zealand, Harold Whittington, Alfred Simpson and Andrew Fletcher were listed as missing.
photos from the Weekly News, via AWMM Online Cenotaph.

It is incredibly sad to note that at least three of  the crew left behind young widows.

Dave Homewood has put together a wonderful record of Andrew Fletcher’s life and full service history on his Wings Over Cambridge website:  http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/Andrew%20Fletcher.htm

F/O Philip Edwin Tompkins, RAFVR, Wireless Operator.
Photo from Graham Nicholson.

Wireless Operator Philip Tompkins was 21, and had married the girl next door, Joan, only two months earlier.

Later, she re-married, and it is her second husband, Graham Nicholson, that we have to thank for these photos of Philip and his crew. Graham (86 at the time) posted about Lancaster ME691 on the Wings Over New Zealand forum a couple of years back, and he and I briefly corresponded by email. He was very keen to share the photos, to make sure that the crew is remembered.

A further postscript can now be added to the story, as the same WONZ thread recently led to contact with Dutch researcher Adrian van Zantvoort. Adrian has long been interested in crash sites in the area where he lives, the South East of The Netherlands.

In 2005, he spotted an article in a local newspaper, the Udens Weekblad, about the discovery of a wartime photo album. This is Adrian’s translation:

Herman du Maine, a citizen from Haarlem, found a shelter from November 1943 until the liberation in September 1944 in a farm at Maria-Heide (a village east of Veghel).  After his death his daughter, Willie Bloks-du Maine, discovered a pile of letters and documents about the war period, and also a photo album with never published pictures.

It took some to getting used to but the stay of Herman went very well. He started with buying postcards and also he got a photo camera and a few rolls of film to take pictures of certain events in his neighbourhood. The pics he took were printed by Johan van Eerd, a photographer from Veghel. Herman started with taking some pics of his fellow hiding comrades. In the night of 20/21 July 1944, a Lancaster bomber crashed on the edge of Maria-Heide village. The cockpit touched the farmhouse which was belonging to the Family A. Vissers. The remainder of the aircraft fell around the farm in a field. Six crew members where killed and buried at Uden War Cemetery. One crew member managed to bale out, but was arrested later and became a POW. Willie Bloks-du Maine said “as soon as he got the chance my Father Herman made a pic of the damaged farm with in front a part of the aircraft”. 

The article was published alongside Herman’s photo of the crash site. Adrian contacted his daughter Willie, and has obtained a copy:

ME691 crash site, with the Vissers family and their damaged farmhouse, 1944. Piece of Lancaster wreckage at left.
Photo from Mr H.F.du Maine, via his Daughter Mrs Willie Bloks-du Maine, and Adrian van Zantvoort.

Adrian is very keen to visit the crash site, although Willie says that the original farmhouse is currently being demolished to make way for a new one. Apparently Mr du Maine only took the one photo, but Mrs Bloks-du Maine has provided a map.

The photo has revealed another piece of fascinating information. The aircraft wreckage lying on the ground at left of the photo is part of the fuselage, from just below the cockpit where the Pilot would be sitting, and there are faint bomb markings and clear writing on it – evidence of nose art and probably a name that was applied to ME691.

The visible lettering is “.. RGAN GRINDER’S SWING”, probably “Organ Grinder’s Swing”. This was a popular song of the 30s and 40s (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_Grinder’s_Swing) and perhaps there is also a humorous reference to the place where the (street entertainer) organ grinder’s monkey sat, ie., the guy who is not really the boss at all.

Referring back to the operational history of the aircraft, Avro Lancaster ME691, AA-R (https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/me691/), her first five op’s were flown by W/O Des HORGAN and his crew! So the nose art was probably applied by or for them.

In fact, Des Horgan & crew flew all of their last seven op’s in ME691 before ending their tour (https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/horgan-crew-27-8-43-empty/).

There may be more to add to this story, as Adrian continues his research, as I try and track down Andrew Fletcher’s family (he came from Devonport where I live), and as we try and learn about Flight Engineer Don Gore’s POW exploits. Hopefully, someone will see this post and be able to contribute more about the other crew members.

However, in the meantime it is very satisfying to put together the pieces that we do have, in memory of Harold Whittington, Philip Tompkins, Andrew Fletcher and the rest of the crew of Lancaster ME691.

Ake Ake Kia Kaha!

Special thanks to Graham Nicholson, Adrian van Zantvoort, Mrs Willie Bloks-du Maine. Thanks also to Dave Homewood and the fantastic resources and community that he has created and fostered at Wings Over New Zealand and Wings Over Cambridge.