No. 1 Aerodrome Construction Unit Escapees

[Dave Homewood]

I have found this list on Papers Past, in the Evening Post dated 7th of March 1942. It is the official list of members of No. 1 Aerodrome Construction Unit who managed to escape the Japanese invasion of Malaya and Singapore. I thought this might be worth repeating here as it's likely to be useful to some researchers.

[b]AERODROME UNIT

LIST OF NAMES

EVACUATED PERSONNEL[/b]

The names of officers and airmen of the New Zealand Aerodrome Construction Unit, successfully evacuated from Singapore to Australia, were announced last night by the: Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones), following the receipt of official advice at Air Headquarters, Wellington. Urgent telex grams have been sent to the next-of-kin advising them accordingly. The Minister said that inquiries were being made about the welfare of other New Zealanders who were at Singapore, and a statement would be made immediately further information was received. . In the meantime correspondence should be addressed care of Air Headquarters, Wellington. The list of names is as follows the town where tho next-of-kin lives being also given:—

Squadron Leader Eric Smart, Hokitika.

Flight Lieutenants:
Anderson, Kenneth. New Plymouth;
Begg, Adam, Dunedin;
Butler, Frederick. Hamilton
Furlong.-Maurice. Sydney;
Goldingham, Strachan, Palmerston North.

Captains:
McCowan, Allister. Auckland;
North. Noel, Blenheim.

Flying Officers:
Beveridge, Thomas, Wellington;
Gaby, William, Hamilton;
Goodheheere, Samuel, Fielding;
Hyde, Frederick, Hamilton;
Parsons, Robert, Auckland
Sinclair, Eliot, Christchurch;
Treloar, John,Lower Hutt.

Warrant Officers:
Baker, Lancelot, Wellington;
Chalklen, Thomas, Hamilton;
Sturdy. William, Featherston.

Flight Sergeants:
Keegan, Michael. New Plymouth;
McLean, Malcolm, Wellington:
Roberts, Leslie, Auckland.

Sergeants;
Campbell, Joseph, Wellington;
Glanville, Edwin, Gisborne;
Goodwin, E., Wellington;
Gunn. Francis, Lawrence;
Kitt, lan, Hastings;
Morrissey. Alan, Waitoa;
Neilson, John, Napier;
Newth, Walter, Gisborne.

Corporals;
Armitage, Hewson, Tuakau;
Clay, Gerald, Wanganui
Cummins, Francis, Stratford;
Gale, Francis, Auckland;
Gilchrist, Johu. Utlki
Hardie,Robert, Wellington;
Harris, Mervyn, Auckland;
Lockington, George, Reefton;
Maclean, James, Masterton;
Martin, Percy. Ratapiko;
Mephan, Harry, Auckland;
Meyers, Sidney, Wellington;
Murdock, Howard, Wellington
O'Brien, Edward, Auckland;
Oudaille. Francis, Wellington,
Peterson, Ernest, Albury;
Ross. Gordon, Gisborne;
Semple, Leonard, Wellington;
Stein, Adam. Stratford
Thorburn, Edgar, Auckland;
Walls, : Terras. Christchurch.

Leading Aircraftmen:
Achilles, Ernest, Wellington;
Adlam, Ernest, Midhurst;
Archer, Edward, Mahunui;
Armstrong, Roy, Christchurch;
Barraclough, Lawford, Remuera,
Beard, Thomas, Feilding;
Beatty, Charles; Levin;
Boyd, Edward, Hokitika;
Brown, Anthony, London;
Brown, William. Auckland:
Brownlie, Eiochan, Palmerston North:
Burgess, Francis, Rangiora;
Byrne. Joseph. Ikamatua;
Cadogan, Maurice, Palmerston North;
Carey, Arthur, Westport;
Catherall. Keith. Masterton
Chamberlain, Leslie, Wanganui
Church, Oswald, Wellington;
Clare, William, Auckland;
Claydon, John. Christchurch;
Coffin. James, Ohakune;
Colville, Paul, Christchurch;
Corich, Ivan, Christchurch;
Cunningham, William, Timaru:
Davies, Ronald, Nelson;
Dew, George, Manurewa;
Dron, Noel, Nelson;
Dyett; Carl, Kent. England;
East, Noel, Wellington;
Engel, George, Johnsonville
Fitzwilliam, Edward, Hamilton
Flavell, Howard, Gisborne;
Fowler, Leslie, Christchurch;
Gardiner, Bernard, Queenstown;
Graham, Athol, Wanganui;
Graham, Stanley, Shannon;
Hanlon, Norman, Wellington;
Harbldge, Brian. Christchurch
Harland, Ralph, Purham City, England;
Hayward, Heathcote, Christchurch
Haynes, Terence, Southampton, England;
Heffer. Donald, Blenheim;
Heslop, Cyril, Wairoa
Hikairo, Hone, Ngongotaha;
Hopkins, Edward, Christchurch
Howie, Ernest, Ohura
Jones, Gordon, Masterton:
Kennedy, James, Greymouth
Kerr, Walter, Nelson;
King, Peter, Oamaru
Kirkcaldie, David, Wellington;
Kruse James, Christchurch
Ladyman, Robert, Palmerston North;
Lafferty. Charles, Auckland;
Lapworth,- Owen, Wellington;
Lawton, Richard, Wellington
Lennox, Robert, Petone
Little, William; Wellington;
Jackie, Allan. Wellington;
Lynch, William. Waitahuna;
McArthur, Allan, Invercargill
McCarthy, Francis, Auckland;
McCormick, Clyde, Stratford;
McDonald, Alexander, Lake Waikaremoana;
McElligott, John, Wellington;
McFarlane, John, Nelson
McGlone. Phillip, Auckland;
McMillan, David, Christchurch;
McRae, Cyril, Mosgiel
Maguire, Andrew, Hamilton;
Manning, William. Wellington;
Mills, Noel Spencer. Blenheim;
Moneur, Alexander, Rotorua;
Morris, Ronald, Wellington;
Murch, William, Auckland;
Old. Joseph, Paeroa;
Peek. Gordon, Greymouth;
Phillips, Michael, Greymouth;
Poole, Norman, Siiverstream;
Powell, William, Wellington;
Prlchard, William, Ashburton;
Ramsay, Ivor, Te Kawa;
Fitchie, Phillip. Onhuhia;
Robertson, Ronald, Christchurch
Russell, Eric, Swanson;
Russell, Robert. Greymouth;
Sharpe, Kenneth, Wellington;
Smith. Joseph, Christchurch;
Smith, Sam, Petone;
Stewart, Daniel, Wellington;
Streater, Frank, Auckland;
Swallow, Thomas, Mosgiel
Thomson, John.: Scotland;
Todd. William, Christchurch;
Tombs, Arthur. Wellington
Upham, Francis, Paekakariki:
Wallace, Douglas. Auckland
Wallace, John, Blenheim
Warren, James, Dunedin:
West, Thomas, Christchurch
Willis, Percy, Greymouth:
Wilson, Raymond, Lyttelton;
Wineera, James, Rotorua.

Aircraftman;
Gould. Leonard, Wellington;
Roche, Percival, Greymouth.

Private:
Ward. Donald, Te Kuiti.

[markc]

My Granfather was LAC Cunningham, William from Timaru and I Have his photo album from Malaya, and Singapore. He also served up in the Solomon's, Guadalcanal (I believe), I think they helped to carve out Henderson Field..?

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome Markc, we'd really love to see the photos if you have a scanner please.

[buffnut453]

Hi Markc

I, too, would be interested in any pics your Grandfather took, particularly any showing aircraft.

Welcome aboard to this great forum!

Cheers,
Mark H

[30sqnatc]

I just found this Malaya web site that mentions Tebrau airfield an airfield the unit constructed

mhg.mymalaya.com/ww2_pljohor.htm

Also on the site is listing of RNZAF Bristol Freighter NZ5901 crash
mhg.mymalaya.com/bfreighternz5901.htm

[sqwark2k]

My grandfather was LAC Edward Boyd, Hokitika. By pure coincidence I asked my mother to pull out all the records she had of Pop's service this last weekend. Included was a very interesting booklet created by one of the survivors called "Singapore Harriers" giving account of Unit 24, No.1 ACU and it's deployment to Malaya, construction (& demolition) of Tebrau Airfield and their very harrowing evacuation from Singapore. Didn't read it all, saving that for another day, but what excerpts I did read was very interesting. Photo's were included but poor quality as it was a photocopy of the original. It was produced for one of the last reunions held by Unit 24 til the 80's in Palmerston North.

One thing I'm trying to investigate is Pop had a RAF pay book, with his service number NZ414151, but his discharge certificate was on a Army form with a (completely different) Army Number.

Curious also he was discharged in 1943 when the war was still on, and not at the completion of hostilities in 1945......

I am in the process of applying for his Service record from NZDF Archives.

Thanks for the post Dave, a very informative couple of days into Pop's service life...

Cheers


S2K

[Dave Homewood]

Mark McGuire sent me this link this morning with photos from Jim Kennedy's collection:
westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/24618#idx36584

[Dave Homewood]

Here's another set of photos that Mark found. Does anyone recognise the aerodrome?

westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/24743#idx36947

[davidd]

No. 1 ACU did not participate in the construction of Henderson Field, that work must be credited to the Japanese (and their hapless prisoner labourers), and later the Americans. When Nos. 1 and 2 ACUs were returned to NZ (from Malaya and Fiji respectively, although the Fiji chaps may have spent up to a year overseas before coming home) and many were posted to Rukuhia and did further work helping rebuild and extend fields in NZ. Some were probably also sent back to Fiji to help rebuild or maintain airfields there, serving with No. 7 Composite Construction Unit (think that was its name).
David D