Who was the last RNZAF Pilot killed in WWII?

[Dave Homewood]

S/Lt (A) Glen McBride of the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm was the last New Zealander killed in action in the air in WWII on 10 August 1945. However he was an Observer and was not RNZAF.

P/O Albert Henry Lethaby was the last RNZAF pilot killed during hostilities in WWII on 11 August 1945, in a Typhoon during rocket practice, so an air accident.

The last RNZAF pilot killed in action in WWII was W/O David Joseph Gallagher in a Liberator on special operations in Burma, on the night of 2/3 August 1945.

However the very last RNZAF pilot to die before the actual war officially ended on 2nd of September 1945, was F/O William John Henry Henley flying a Dakota from Malta to Hendon, England.

And the last member of the RNZAF of any trade to die during WWII was Harold James Morrison who was a Fitter IIE who was killed when his car went into Te Puia Springs and he drowned, on the night of 1/2 September 1945 - the day the war officially ended.

These notes skimmed from Errol's Volume Two.

[Dave Homewood]

It depended where they were. I have talked with a guy who flew on a Ventura patrol over Rabaul the morning after the ceasefire (August 15) and he said they were nervous at first but found when they flew low over the airstrips there, Japanese people waved to them and no gunfire was seen at all.

[errolmartyn]

Jan 29, 2012 1:12:19 GMT 12 Luther Moore said:

What a sight to see,Japs waving at you not trying to shoot you out of the sky!

Ok, I must ask last 14 Squadron pilot to be killed?

NZ4212771 Plt Off Peter George MOORE on 31 May 1945.

Errol