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Post by Deleted on Feb 12, 2012 21:20:33 GMT 12
Hey guys!  I have to do a biographical essay for school, and I thought I would do it for a relative, better yet a relative that served in the RNZAF! ;D I did a piece of creative writing last year on the RNZAF and it got excellence so I'm hoping for a repeat. But I need help gathering the info. The personal in question is... -Fredick Jack Newman, aka Jack newman -Navigator of a blenheim IV R3889 -Died in the battle of britain on the 26th November 1940. -served in RNZAF No. 59 squadron -Panel 27 runnymede memorial -Rank:sergent -service number: 40626 I can gain access to his diary which has been writen right in up til the day he was shot down. But I was wondering if anyone could dig up some info on him too, if you have free time. I need to know what he was like as a person, behaviour, attributes, and stuff like that, if possible. It would be much appreciated! Cheers! ;D |
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Post by Luther Moore on Feb 12, 2012 21:37:25 GMT 12
I see all three crew were killed Sgt EF Battle, P/O KW Jerwood - Pilot, Sgt FJ Newman.That makes it hard to find out what he was like as a person.
Try emailing this guy, Lorenzo del Mann
aussie_59@live.com
For some reason he is linked to one of the crew.
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 12, 2012 21:53:49 GMT 12
I'm sure we'd all be interested in his diary. Any chance you can digitally photograph it when you get hold of it please?
It is going to be very hard to find anyone still around from the squadron in 1940 who would recall what he was like. However where was he from in NZ? You might be able to find old school friends of his who recall him. If it was a small town I'd ask at their local museum if anyone in their historical society or other older people social networks (such as Senior Citizens, Senior Net) etc recall him. I have found info on several Cambridge airmen that way here from old ladies who went to school with them.
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 12, 2012 22:52:52 GMT 12
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 12, 2012 23:53:08 GMT 12
Newman did not die in the Battle of Britain, which officially ended on 31 Oct 1940, nor did he fly operational during the battle itself.
The following entry from my trilogy For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Three: Biographies & Appendices) might be of assistance.
NEWMAN, Sergeant Frederic Jack.
NZ40626 (prev A40626); b Auckland 15 Jun 14; Mt Albert Grammar; clerk - Auckland EPB. Auckland Aero Club Pilot u/t c.Apr 39; RNZAF Levin/GTS as Air Observer u/t 13 Feb 40, 1AOS 11 Mar 40, Air Observers Badge & Sgt 27 Jun 40, att RAF & emb for UK 12 Jul 40, 1 Depôt 27 Aug 40, 2SAC 30 Aug 40, 59 Sqn (Blenheim - 9 ops) e.Nov 40, kao 26 Nov 40. Runnymede Memorial - Panel 27. Son of Charles Mark & Rosanna Ellen Newman, Mt Albert, Auckland.
Errol
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 13, 2012 0:57:20 GMT 12
In that case being from Auckland and going to a fairly large school I doubt you'll have much luck trying to trace schoolmates unless Mt Albert Grammar has recently had a reunion and they have details of people from his class/year.
What about family, did he have brothers and sisters or cousins who're still living?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2012 17:25:51 GMT 12
Thanks for the help  . unfortunately we could not find the diary today and so I have choosen to do the piece on Reginald Arthur Truman, or Arthur Reginald Truman. which ever one you prefer. He is also a relative and a pilot for the RNZAF during world war 2 according to my sources. Jack Newman wasn't a pilot, he was a navigator. Cheers! ;D |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2012 17:31:27 GMT 12
Oh and service info would be much appreciated for Mr. Truman, I haven't come accross anything yet. He was very good friends with Jean Batten, and was hoping to marry her. He lent her money for the southern cross.
Cheers
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 13, 2012 17:46:24 GMT 12
Southern Cross?
One of many men duped by her over the years... She was one of NZ's best con artists I reckon.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2012 18:48:25 GMT 12
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 13, 2012 19:00:51 GMT 12
Thanks for the help . unfortunately we could not find the diary today and so I have choosen to do the piece on Reginald Arthur Truman, or Arthur Reginald Truman. which ever one you prefer. He is also a relative and a pilot for the RNZAF during world war 2 according to my sources. Jack Newman wasn't a pilot, he was a navigator. Cheers! ;D Not a pilot as far as I can tell. According to RNZAF Routine Orders NZ413620 Arthur Reginald Truman enlisted at Harewood on 20 Jun 41 as a radio mechanic. On 13 Dec 41, as an AC1, he embarked on the Rangitiki for the UK and attachment to the RAF on radio mechanic duties (ie, radar duties) Errol |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Feb 13, 2012 19:02:36 GMT 12
So are you saying that Jean Batten bought the Fokker Tri-motor VH-USU "Southern Cross"? Or was the loan so she could have a ride in it?
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 13, 2012 19:28:16 GMT 12
Oh and service info would be much appreciated for Mr. Truman, I haven't come accross anything yet. He was very good friends with Jean Batten, and was hoping to marry her. He lent her money for the southern cross. Cheers It was Frederick Lionel Truman to whom Batten owed money, not Reg Truman, who was a brother. Freddie Truman, born at Hampden, Otago, on 11 July 1902, served in the RAF on a short service commission from December 1927 until December 1932, when he was transferred to the RAF's 'C' Reserve. His RAF postings were: RAF Depot, Uxbridge 9 Dec 1927 to Middle East 4FTS, Abu Sueir, Egypt for flying instruction 6 Jan 1928 to India Aircraft Depot, Karachi, India 30 Oct 1928 Promoted from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer 9 Jun 1929 31 Sqn, 3 (India) Wing, Quetta 6 Nov 1929. 'C' Reserve 9 Dec 1932 (on arrival back in UK?). On his return to New Zealand he joined the RNZAF, in February 1936, being posted as a flying officer to Wigram. In June the following year he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers. He was transferred to the Active List upon the outbreak of WWII in September 1939, but in September 1941 was transferred back to the Reserve. He died at Palmerston North on 14 August 1948 following a serious illness. There are some interesting papers about him on his RNZAF service record as held by NZDF Archives at Trentham. A free photocopy of these can be obtained from the PA upon request. See here for details: www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/Errol |
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 13, 2012 19:34:13 GMT 12
Oh and service info would be much appreciated for Mr. Truman, I haven't come accross anything yet. He was very good friends with Jean Batten, and was hoping to marry her. He lent her money for the southern cross. Cheers Not for the Southern Cross but towards her record flying attempt, if I recall correctly. All is explained in detail in Ian Mackersey's supurb bio Jean Batten - The Garbo Of The Skies. |
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 13, 2012 19:40:17 GMT 12
Jack Newman wasn't a pilot, he was a navigator. Cheers! ;D Note that he was an air observer, navigation was just one of the duties that fell to an air observer. The others included bomb aiming, photography, air gunnery and signalling. Errol |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 14, 2012 17:04:31 GMT 12
Yeah, I meant the atempt not the aircraft itself. I'm going off what my grandparents have told me. In a photo of Reg I have, he is in his uniform, on his shoulder/arm is three downwards arrows, looks to be a sergent marking similar to this one here, www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/rnzaf-ranks.htmBut my grandparents are pretty sure he was a pilot, he was very enthusiastic about aviation and did alot of gliding and glider towing after the war. |
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Post by errolmartyn on Feb 14, 2012 17:53:02 GMT 12
Yeah, I meant the atempt not the aircraft itself. I'm going off what my grandparents have told me. In a photo of Reg I have, he is in his uniform, on his shoulder/arm is three downwards arrows, looks to be a sergent marking similar to this one here, www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/rnzaf-ranks.htmBut my grandparents are pretty sure he was a pilot, he was very enthusiastic about aviation and did alot of gliding and glider towing after the war. According to NZ Wings of March 1947 Reg gained his 'A' Licence in January 1947, suggesting perhaps that he only trained as a pilot after leaving the RNZAF. Errol |
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Post by baronbeeza on Feb 14, 2012 18:27:51 GMT 12
Frederick Lionel Truman to whom Batten owed money Errol seems to have come across a few details of his service record. We don't get to hear much about the RAF in the Middle East and then India in the late 20's. To go on from there and join the fledgling RNZAF and see first hand the war preparations must have been amazing. Very few of his peers in this country would have had the recent operational experience like his. Researching his career would be most interesting. |
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hamishr
Leading Aircraftman
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Post by hamishr on Jul 25, 2013 16:16:55 GMT 12
Fred Truman was my grand dad. Unfortunately I never got to meet him. I am the son of his eldest daughter Lorraine. I'm currently starting out research into his branch of our family and this includes getting his service records. I do have some hand penned letters he sent back home while in India and Pakistan/Afghanistan... he was quite the dab-hand at dropping bombs on "targets", and during the outbreak of WW2 he was the only chap in the land able to train other pilots here on sub hunting.
Best regards,
Hamish Richardson
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Post by davidd on Jul 27, 2013 12:48:26 GMT 12
If I am not too much mistaken, Freddy Truman was the pilot of Avro 626 NZ203 which accidently struck a bus parked at the new government-owned and built Mount Cook airfield when it was officially opened in early March 1936 - despite the apparently open/shut nature of this case, Truman seems to have managed to talk himself out of a serious reprimand (at the very least) for this grave lack of judgement. See Harry Wigley's autobiography "Ski-Plane Adventure", pages 36 - 39 - Harry was in the back seat!
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. unfortunately we could not find the diary today and so I have choosen to do the piece on Reginald Arthur Truman, or Arthur Reginald Truman. which ever one you prefer. He is also a relative and a pilot for the RNZAF during world war 2 according to my sources. Jack Newman wasn't a pilot, he was a navigator.
haha runs in the blood.