Royal New Zealand Air Force Officers 1939-1945

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) Officers
1939-1945

Looking for details on a RNZAF officer not listed here yet?
Just e-mail me, and I might be able to help out.
Of course, any additions, corrections etc. can also be e-mailed.

For detailed biographies of key RAF personnel (Air Commodore and higher) there is already an excellent website: www.rafweb.org
Only RNZAF officers of ranks below Air Commodore will be shown here.

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Badcock,
John
J. Badcock
Son of John and Claudia Colston Badcock, of Mataura, Southland, New Zealand.
1920 ?
-
04.06.1943
[age 23]
[Medjez-el-Bab War Cemetery, Tunisia, 7.A.11]

P/O
? [NZ/411004]

?
-
04.06.1943
152 Squadron RAF (had 437 flying hours)
[accidental death on active service; killed in a motor vehicle accident when the light truck he was travelling in hit a car that had pulled out of the convoy and then collided with an 8th Army vehicle; Badcock and two other pilots of 152 Squadron were killed]

Baker,
Colin Roy
C.R. Baker
Son of Stanley Roy and Kathlyn Ada Baker, of Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand.
From Auckland.

1923 ?
-
16.04.1945
(KIA) [age 22]
[Oxford (Botley) Cemtery, plot H/1, grave 199]

P/O
? [NZ 42999]

F/O
?

DFC
06.06.1944

?

(03.1944)

pilot, 75 (RNZAF) Squadron RAF
[at 13.03.1944 at 23.00 hrs taken off from Mepal in his Stirling III (EF236 AA-J) for a sea/coastal minlelaying operation off Brest; outbound, an aileron control rod broke and the crew made an emergency landing at Castle Combe airfield, Wiltshire, touching down on the short runway; unable to stop in the distance available, the Stirling ended up in the overshoot area with its undercarriage broken; later, three of the five mines exploeded]

?
-
16.04.1945
pilot instructor, 11 Operational Training Unit RAF
[taken of at 00.30 hrs from Oakley for a training in his Wellington X (LP 651) which collided with another in the funnels area at 00.38 hrs, coming down about 2 miles NNE of the airfield and in the general direction of Borstall; twelve airmen died in the incident, representing the OTU's heaviest loss of life in a single accident]

Breed,
Mervyn Ryburn
M.R. Breed
?
-

(WS) F/Lt.
18.10.1947, seniority 07.04.1945 [59651]

F/Lt.
18.10.1947, seniority 01.09.1945

F/Lt. RNZAF
? [NZ/133718]

DFC
?

?

Cmdn
10.06.1961
HM's birthday 61

(1942)

70 Squadron RAF

?
-
10.02.1944
105 Squadron RAF
[his Mosquito Mk. IV [DZ558 HS-T] took off from Marham at 0151 hrs 10.02.1944 and crashed at Laar (Limburg) 3 km N of Weert, Holland; initially evaded capture]

28.02.1944
-
1945
POW in German captivity (Stalag L1)

18.10.1947
-
26.05.1952
extended service commission, RAF (General Duties Branch)

26.05.1952
-
?
RNZAF Reserve

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Chambers,
Leonard
"Len"
L. Chambers
18.02.1919
Karramea, NZ
-
1982
(or 1985?)

P/O
? [NZ/403748]

F/O
? (reld 10.02.1945)

DFC
28.05.1943

attack of Moehne, Eder and Sorpe dams in Germany 16.05.43

09.1940

joined RNZAF

75 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF (flew 31 operations)

No. 26 Operational Training Unit

07.04.1943

Wireless Operator, 617 ('Dambusters') Squadron RAF

03.11.1944

returned to New Zealand

Carpenter.

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Herrick,
Dennis Trevelyan [Dalrymple]
D.T. Herrick
One of six sons & two daughters * of Edward Jasper Herrick, and Ethne Rose Herrick.
Brother of:
F/O B.H. Herrick, RAF
Sq.Ldr. M.J. Herrick, RAF
Cdr. L.E. Herrick, RN
Capt. T.D. Herrick, RN
Husband of Mary Rowena Herrick (née Birch), of Island Bay, Wellington, New Zealand; one son.

* one of which married Gen. Sir Nigel Poett
1912
Hastings, New Zealand
-
30.06.1941
[age 29]
[Lorient (Kerentrech) Communal Cemetery, 62.A.7]

P/O
? [40974]

GM
?
*

* When training at Taieri (near Dunedin) when he and another airman extricated a pilot from an aircraft on fire although there was a live bomb in the burning wreckage.

Education: Wanganui Collegiate School

?
-
26.06.1941
pilot, 53 Squadron RAF (Coastal Command)
[taken off from St Eval at 11.10 hrs, he was brought down into the sea flying a Blenheim IV [V6087 PZ-O] on an anti-shipping strike off Brest; wounded & taken prisoner, but died a few days later in the German Naval Hospital at Lorient]

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Munro,
John Leslie
"Les"
J.L. Munro

05.04.1919
Giborne, NZ
-

Te Kuiti, NZ

P/O
? [NZ/413942]

F/O
?

F/Lt.
?

(A) Sq.Ldr.
14.02.1944 (reld 05.02.1946)

CNZM
02.06.1997
for services to local government and the community

DSO
28.04.1944
for 21 operations *

QSO
15.06.1991
for public services

DFC
11.06.1943

for 21 operations

* Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross this officer has completed very many sorties, involving attacks on well defended targets. He has displayed unfailing devotion to duty throughout and his example of gallantry and leadership has inspired all. On many occasions his aircraft has been damaged by enemy action but in every instance, Squadron Leader Munro has flown safely to base. His achievements have been worthy of the greatest praise.

05.07.1941

joined RNZAF

20.10.1941

went to UK

1942
-
1943
pilot, 97 Squadron RAF

25.03.1943

pilot, 617 ('Dambusters') Squadron RAF

13.07.1944

No. 1690 Bomber Defence Training Flight

Farmer. Mayor of Te Kuiti for several years. Justice of the Peace (JP).

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Shand,
Michael Moray
"Mick"

20.02.1915
Wellington, NZ
-
22.12.2007
Masterton, NZ

P/O
? [NZ/391368]

F/Lt.
?

DFC
29.09.1942

*

* A skilful pilot and a fearless leader this, officer has completed 60 sorties over Northern France. In low-level attacks against 'the enemy's transport he has achieved much success.

485 (New Zealand) Squadron RAF

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