New Zealand Airmen in WWI

[Dave Homewood]

Just an update of New Zealanders who served in the World War One Air Forces, I found a list of pilots who were all the founding members of the Territorial Air Force (also known as the NZAF) in June 1923. They had all served in WWI. I have added first names where I know them. The list is

Major Keith L. Caldwell, MC, DFC

Captains
R. E. Buckingham, MC
C. F. Meagher, AFC
Maurice W. Buckley
H. B. Burrell
C. C. L. Dowdall
J. L. Findlay, MC
G. L. Stedman
H. F. S. Drewitt, MC, DFC
P. K. Fowler
N. E. Chandler
John Seabrook, AFC
A. F. Upham, DFC
M. C. “Mad Mac” McGregor, DFC
F. W. Crawford

Lieutenants
R. A. Stedman
F. J. Horrell
John Coates
C. H. Noble-Campbell, AFC
George Hood
C. A. Umbers
K. W. J. Hall
G. V. T. Thomson
H. R. T. Hughes
Sidney Wallingford
Ivo Carr
F. de M. Hyde, AFC
W. F. Parke
S. T. Goodman, MC, DCM
T. W. White
G. G. A. Martin
A. C. McCarthur
A. H. Skinner
G. J. Wilde, AFC
Kenneth James Gould - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps
D. C. Inglis, DCM
I. L. Knight
W. R. Patey, DFC
T. B. Hardy
R. J. Thompson
F. S. Gordon, DFC
H. C. Lloyd

Second-Lieutenants
Maurice Denman Sinclair - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps
P. Mitford-Burgess
G. Cotton-Stapleton
J. E. Stevens
I. E. Rawnsley
George Carter
H. I. N. Melville
Frank Hazlett
J. R. Richardson
Dennis Winfield
D. G. Gregorie
N. F. Harston
I. A. McGregor
R. B. Reynolds
W. B. Gillespie
Herbert Nelson Hawker - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps, No.110840
J. W. H. Lett
E. A. F. Wilding
W. E. Norton
M. H. Otway
W. Gordon Coull
R. G. MacDonald
Ronald James Sinclair
Ronald John Melville Webber - WWI RAF316800, Royal Flying Corps/Royal Air Force
W. W. Withell
R. C. Hancock
I. H. N. Keith
J. R. Moncrieff
E. D. Williams

Captain Christopher Musgrave, AFC, RAF Reserve (Class C) was attached

So with these chaps, only a few who have been mentioned before, plus those already mentioned above not on this list -
Other WWI NZ
2nd Lt William B. Rhodes-Moorhouse VC
Air Marshall Sir Keith Park
Will Scotland
Laurie Pitcher
Captain Clive Collett
Geoffrey Callender
Captain Ronald Bannerman
Captain Harold Beamish
Major Arthur Coningham
Flt Lt Thomas Culling RNAS
Captain Euan Dickson
Lt Carrick Paul
Lt Alan Scott
Captain Gill Watson
2nd Lt Joe Hammond

...we are now getting a quite large and interesting list of NZ airmen from WWI

I can also add three more from my Cambridge research who moved here after WWI. Only one I know was a pilot, the other two I am still working on. They are:
- Leonard Lewis 'Dick' Orr (Pilot)
- Lt Thomas Henry 'Tommy' Hampshire
- Sgt William 'Bill' Meanie

Can you add other WWI New Zealanders who were pilots in particular, or other tradesmen from the RFC, RNAS or RAF (or other air forces)? Or can you add a first name to any of the above?

[mungus]

Another one. My Grandmothers cousin.

Major Harry Williams (believed MC)
From Mere Mere, Taranaki. (Although his family also farmed near Cambridge)
RFC 7 Squadron

Began WW1 as 1st Lt in mounted rifles Gallipoli.
Wounded July 1915 and evacuated to Egypt.
With permission from Gen Russell, transferred to RFC initially as an observor in BE2B/C in middle east campaign, then to UK for wings course. Pilot in SE5, Bristol Fighter, RE8, Avro, DH9 & Sopwith Pup. Shot down in no mans land, breaking both legs but survived the War...

I am lucky enough to have some of his original letters from Gallipoli to my Grandmother on NZEF stationary, and copies of some of his memoirs. But would like to see his records for confirmation of exact details, etc. As I have these for one of his nephews who was KIA in 1943 in the Solomons in RNZAF P40 NZ3076.

Does anybody know a way to get RFC officer records? And also NZ Army WW1 records? Thanks...

[Dave Homewood]

Welcome to the forum Mungus. Please tell me more about the Cambridge connection with this airman. Did he ever live in the Cambridge district himself at any point? If so he then comes under the area of my website project. Also, did the P-40 pilot have any connection to the Cambridge district?

As for his service records, you should be able to get them from Archives New Zealand I think, do you know his service number because they hold records for several Harry Williams's from WWI. If you have his service number do a search here for his name
archway.archives.govt.nz/CallSimpleSearch.do

The Military Personnel files come up on the second and third page when you search for 'Harry Williams'

[mungus]

Thank you for your welcome Dave.

The post was more about adding to a list of WW1 Kiwi pilots.

Regarding any Cambridge links. I was told he retired somewhere near Cambridge. He was also part of the family of the JJ Patterson / Williams farming enterprises in the Waikato and Taranaki. This included dairy farms around Cambridge.

Apparently his Legal name was - Henry Daniel Williams - Born 9.12.1893 and died on 26.6.1981. But always known as "Harry". But I would have to do more research to be sure of any details.
I will post back if I do.

As an aside 2 of his nephews also flew, in WW2. Lyn Williams KIA 31.07.43 in P40M NZ3076 in the Solomons, and Reeve Williams (Fleet Air Arm) POW, who sadly died about 2 or 3 years ago in Tauranga.

[praxis]

In 1965 a dinner of WW1 airmen was held in Napier. I guess they were all aged around 70 or more at the time. Those attending signed a menu. Here is the list of 37 names. They have been compiled off their signatures so there might be the odd mis-spelling. Some of the names have already been posted but for completeness I will give then all.
Gerry Stedman
George A Nichols
R Nimon
LW Lorrigan
Jarvis Nelson
AM Hyslop
Leonard Isitt
Garfield Stewart (wellknown locally as Ed Stewart)
George Carter
Roy Harris
D Checley
H Williamson
Harry Thornton
Charles Masson
J Clarence Griffith
TJ Leighs
HRT Humphries
FG Bursolem
JG McVernon
Lawson Field
Neville F Harston
RA Sheriff
GJ Wilde
WH Boadle
JWS McPherson
Gordon Hoskin
Harold Beamish
RJ Sinclair
P Fowler
KL Caldwell
E Ruddenklau
AR Kingsford
A Russell
A de Bath Brandon
HL Bayly
RJ Thompson
Ian J Keith
Names like Sir Leonard Isitt, Grid Caldwell and Lawson Field are well known. Harold Beamish DSC was RNAS and credited with 11 victories. Ed Stewart, R Nimon and Neville Harston became well known business names in Napier/Hastings. Shorty Fowler flew Avro 504K's up and down the country in the 1920's before (I think) opening a garage in Palmerston North. I found a story on the web which said that AR Kingsford became a well known photographer in Nelson.

[Dave Homewood]

More names from Archway of NZ WWI Air Force personnel who have files at the National Archives.

Reginald Richard Parsons - Cadet (2nd Lieutenant), Royal Flying Corps

Roland Henry David Hall - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.182594

Daniel George Spence - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

John Eugene McCarthy - Cadet, [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.184476

Archibald Findlay McArthur - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.182602

Arthur Herbert Keene - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.182598

Francis James Auchmuty Fulton - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.182589

Geoffrey Connor Austin - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316538

Archibald David Fleming - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316543

Douglas Huia Dawson - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316541

James Bell McGill - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316551

Ian Alexander Nicolson - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

Owen Bedell Stanford - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316558

Frederick Beresford Hans Alexander Hamilton - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

Ivan Edward Rawnsley - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps

Frederick Charles Macdonald - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps

Alan Arthur Boon - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.184126

Albert Charles Parsons - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.179494

Malcolm Lindsay Macbeth - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316813

George Herbert Christensen - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316798
View or download digitised record

William Thomas McKeague - Cadet [Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316804

Charles William Preece - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316805

John Terrance Tosswill - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

Norman Alfred Avery - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

Harold William Dawson - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps; also New Zealand Engineers

William Maxwell Elliott - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316819

William Thomas Luxton - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316824

Leslie Myers - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316827

William George Ross - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316830

James Ivan Meredith Black - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps, No.316817

Rex Alfred Jackson - Cadet, Royal Flying Corps

H A Cooper - Captain, Royal Flying Corps

Carrick Stewart Paul - Lieutenant, 1st Squadron, Australian Flying Corps

Harold Winstone Butterworth - 2nd Lieutenant, 18th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps

Robert Stanley Brewster - Corporal, Royal Flying Corps, No.140717 - File for

Norman Leslie Brain - Airman 1st Class, Royal Flying Corps, No.17094

L Pitcher - Corporal, 30th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps

George Aubyn Powell - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

Gerard James Wilde - Royal Flying Corps [WWI 6/856 - Army (Canterbury Infantry Regiment)]

T T Warnick - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

W F Belmore [W T Belmore?] - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

C Burton - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

A E Haylett - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

Albert Holden - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps; also Lance-Corporal, 28th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (Artists' Rifles), No.4386

Thomas Francis Northcote - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps; also served in King Edward's Horse (The King's Overseas Dominions Regiment), No.324

A H Reeve - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

D B Brown - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

E F Croll - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

D F Dunlop - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

George Alexander Pearson - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

R A E Vickers - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

J M Warwick - Captain, Royal Flying Corps

H D Williams - Captain, Auckland Mounted Rifles, attached Royal Flying Corps

David Deucher Miller - Corporal, Royal Flying Corps, No.17095

Henry Benge - Acting Corporal, Royal Flying Corps, No.16127

George Edmond Vernon Aimer - Flight Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

Cedric Alfred Hunter - Airman 2nd Class, Royal Flying Corps, No.52890; also New Zealand Expeditionary Force

Herbert Sylvester Raphael MM - No.2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, No.1750

Charles Edward King - Private, Royal Flying Corps, No.53218

Francis Luke Adams - Australian Imperial Force - Air Mechanic, Australian Flying Corps, No.44

Francis Kitto - Australian Imperial Force - Private, Australian Flying Corps, No.1404

Vincent John Parkinson - Australian Imperial Force - 2nd Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps - Casualty for

Ernest Wilfred Burton - Australian Imperial Force - Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps - Casualty for

Harry Wilfred Macfarlane - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps, No.179492

Philip Harris Vyner - Australian Imperial Force - Air Mechanic 2nd Class, No.2 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps, No.1489

Stanley Grant Hay - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps [WWI 35860 - Army]

J A P Edwards - Australian Imperial Force - Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps

Alfred Victor Barrow - Australian Imperial Force - Lieutenant, Australian Flying Corps

Melville Johnstone - Captain, Royal Flying Corps

E H Garland - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps - Casualty for

Howard Ellis - Lieutenant, The Northumberland Fusiliers/16th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps - Papers for - Prisoner of War, Germany

Arthur Sidney Talbot - 2nd Lieutenant, 48th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps - Casualty for

H M Mathieson [H M Matheson?] - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps - File for

Charles Harold Wilkinson MC - Lieutenant, Royal Field Artillery - File for; also awarded the Croix de Guerre [also contains a document for a Lieutenant C Wilkinson, Royal Flying Corps]

Cuthbert Trelawder MacLean - Captain (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel), The Royal Scots Fusiliers and Royal Flying Corps

Robert John Walker - Cadet [2nd Lieutenant], Royal Flying Corps, No.316836

C. C. Clyde - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

J L Bowie - 2nd Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps

T Crissold - Royal Flying Corps

Leslie W White - Lieutenant, Royal Flying Corps and 3rd Battalion, The Wiltshire Regiment

[Dave Homewood]

Today I have heard from Dave Williamson who's father was WWI pilot and WWII RNZAF member Charles Williamson. Dave has kindly sent through the following photos and information.


Dave says, "My dad was in the RFC in 1917/8 , he went to the UK on the "Ruahine" and spent 4 months there doing coastal patrols, then came back to NZ. The one called Charles in white shows my dad just before they were shipped over to England in Jan 1918."


Charles Robert Williamson


Dave says, "Charles R. Williamson talking to the aircraft engineer, standing next to a Caudron G3 training aircraft at Sockburn."

"Scans of very old press cuttings."







Dave says, "I recall being told that Dad was involved in organising the flights for Gracie Fields around NZ... Gracie Fields after she has just got off the plane at Ohakea and it was taken approx. August 1945 . My dad is on the right hand side in the photo.


Dave says, "Re photo of dad getting into the Harrier was taken, the title self- explains it. The photo was taken ... I think... in the mid 1980's at Whenuapai during a visit of a UK aircraft carrier I believe."


"Full story about Dad's Whenuapai/Harrier visit....from a 1984 newspaper."

[errolmartyn]

May 10, 2020 16:25:51 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Today I have heard from Dave Williamson who's father was WWI pilot and WWII RNZAF member Charles Williamson. Dave has kindly sent through the following photos and information.


Dave says, "My dad was in the RFC in 1917/8 , he went to the UK on the "Ruahine" and spent 4 months there doing coastal patrols, then came back to NZ. The one called Charles in white shows my dad just before they were shipped over to England in Jan 1918."


Charles Robert Williamson


Dave says, "Charles R. Williamson talking to the aircraft engineer, standing next to a Caudron G3 training aircraft at Sockburn."

"Scans of very old press cuttings."







Dave says, "I recall being told that Dad was involved in organising the flights for Gracie Fields around NZ... Gracie Fields after she has just got off the plane at Ohakea and it was taken approx. August 1945 . My dad is on the right hand side in the photo.


Dave says, "Re photo of dad getting into the Harrier was taken, the title self- explains it. The photo was taken ... I think... in the mid 1980's at Whenuapai during a visit of a UK aircraft carrier I believe."


"Full story about Dad's Whenuapai/Harrier visit....from a 1984 newspaper."

History here has become rather mixed up over time, I fear. Charles Robert Williamson sailed for the UK on the Ruahine on 17 August 18 and disembarked in London on 30 October. As the Armistice was signed less than a fortnight later he received no training in the UK and was on his way back to New Zealand on the Matatua on 8 January 1919, disembarking in Wellington on 21 February. He was thus never a member of the RFC and certainly flew no coastal patrols.

That’s a very nice photograph of a Canterbury (NZ) Aviation Company Caudron (not a G3, by the way). The ‘engineer’ referred to is CAC’s Grant Mackie.

Cheers,
Errol

[drumcar7988]

Hi Errol: His name was: Charles Robert Williamson