pauld
Flying Officer
Posts: 65
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Post by pauld on Apr 15, 2014 21:09:43 GMT 12
Evening Gents,
I have recently picked up a couple of flying helmets belonging to Fl Lt Ronald Walter King whom i'm told flew Wellingtons.
Upon looking at Vol 3 of Errol Martyns fantastic triology, i discovered that he was a Prisoner of War.
Can anyone help with any info on him?
I also hope to get a diary he kept from jan to April 1945, which hopefully will shed some light on his wartime activities
Regards
Paul D
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Post by errolmartyn on Apr 15, 2014 22:46:06 GMT 12
Paul,
Here be some notes from my PoW file:
NZ405286 Flt Lt Ronald Walter King
Born London, England 23 Jan 20
RNZAF 22 Dec 40 to 26 Jun 48
RNZAF/TAF & Reserves 1 Jan 54 to 23 Jan 75 (served as an Air Traffic Control officer)
Whilst engaged on an aircraft delivery flight from England to Malta via Gibraltar on 16/17 Feb 42, the Wellington IC AD591 that he was piloting strayed off course and was hit by flak, and force-landed near Castelvetrano airfield. One of the crew of six was killed. The remaining five were taken prisoner, including, in addition to King, RNZAF men Sgts NZ405222 Ralph Bowling and NZ404045 Eric Ackroyd. There was also an RN officer on board as a passenger, also taken prisoner.
On 14 May 1945 King married a Belgian girl who at the time was also imprisoned at Stalag 3A, Luckenwalde.
He died at Nelson on 25 Mar 02.
Errol
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pauld
Flying Officer
Posts: 65
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Post by pauld on Apr 16, 2014 18:41:09 GMT 12
Errol, Many Thanks! i am in contact with his Son and will write out a small history about his fathers service for him, so all info is greatly received  I wonder about his active service? wether he actually got to do some "OP"s hopefully his son will be able to assemble some info for me, as he has promised to do this weekend. Once again thankyou Paul D |
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pauld
Flying Officer
Posts: 65
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Post by pauld on Apr 18, 2014 13:09:02 GMT 12
 ![]() With some searching on the Net, i found a rather good photo of Ron in later years wearing his Service Dress uniform also some info about his second marriage to Verna: Ronald married Verna May Woodhead, daughter of Frederick Redvers Woodhead and Martha Magdalena Engelbrecht, on 25 Aug 1972 in Nelson. (Verna May Woodhead was born on 24 Dec 1930 in Pretoria Transvaal South Africa and died on 25 Aug 2010 in Richmond, Nelson, New Zealand.) |
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Post by toomekejk on Nov 16, 2017 11:35:38 GMT 12
Hi Paul, very excited to see this post on my grandfather, I’m interested in retracing Ron movements during and after the war. I do remember grandad showing me extensive photos of the pow camp and tunnels. Would be interested in getting in touch.
Regards Jonathan King
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I wonder about his active service? wether he actually got to do some "OP"s hopefully his son will be able to assemble some info for me, as he has promised to do this weekend.