Noel Leonard Pittendrigh RNZAF Service No. NZ42502

[jnf]

Hello
I am trying to trace Noel's service record. I am looking into his service history as he was killed in April 1943 near my home in England. The details I have collect so far are: -
He appears in the WW 2 Ballot List on 6th November 1940 (There is number reference 244487. Was this his ballot number?)
He ended up at RAF Cark (in the county of Cumbria), England during the spring of 1943 undergoing training at the No. 1 Staff Pilot Training Unit. So it suggests he was being trained to fly in an Observer Advanced Flying Unit. He is listed as being attached to 6 Air Observers School. (The course I suspect he was on was not completed until May 1943 so it may be that would have been his posting had he survived).
On 21st April 1943 he was killed (aged 21) when the Avro Anson (N4953) he was flying broke up in mid flight and crashed in north of the county of Lancashire.
He was buried at the church local to RAF Cark (St John the Baptist, Flookburgh).

His tragic end appeared in our local newspaper recently as a (successful) appeal was made to refurbish his gravestone which had been damaged. His story resonated with me for two reasons, my father lost his eldest brother (aged 21) when his Lancaster bomber was shot down over Germany in 1945 and 2. our middle daughter now lives in New Zealand.

We are visiting NZ in January for two months so any information or any ideas on possible research sources whilst there would be greatly appreciated.

[errolmartyn]

Entries 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:

Wed 21 Apr 1943
FLYING TRAINING COMMAND
Practice flight
Staff Pilot Training Unit, RAF (Cark, Lancashire - 29 Group)
Anson I N4953 - took off at about 1615 and 45 minutes later broke up after failure of the port wing while flying over the village of Warton, just north of Carnforth. As the wreckage fell into Milestone Main Street the pilot died when flung out at 300 feet without his parachute. He was buried on the 24th at Flookburgh, near his base. Investigation revealed that the main cross beam near the aileron had not been properly secured during manufacture. Upon inspection, four other Ansons were discovered to have the same fault.
Pilot: NZ42502 Sgt Noel Leonard PITTENDRIGH, RNZAF - Age 21. 333hrs.

PITTENDRIGH, Sergeant Noel Leonard.
NZ42502; b Auckland 19 Jun 21; Auckland Grammar; machinist - J Grant & Co, Auckland. NZ Army/TF (22 Fd Coy NZE) 3 mths; RNZAF Levin/ITW as Airman Pilot u/t 11 Jan 42, 2EFTS 7 Mar 42, emb for Canada 10 May 42, att RCAF 1 Jun 42, 3 M Depôt 6 Jun 42, 3SFTS 20 Jun 42, Pilots Badge & Sgt 9 Oct 42, 1 Y Depôt c.21 Oct 42, att RAF & emb for UK 28 Oct 42, 3PRC 5 Nov 42, 15(P)AFU 28 Dec 42 [att 1BAS for c.1 wk in Feb 43], 6AOS (Anson) as staff pilot 16 Mar 42, SPTU (Anson) 5 Apr 42, kaa 21 Apr 43. Flookburgh (St John the Baptist) Churchyard - grave 87, Lower Holker, Lancs., England. Son of Harold Oliver & Florence Edith Pittendrigh (née Cramp), Pt England, Auckland. [phot. TWN 26.5.43].

You can also request a free copy of his RNZAF service record from Personnel Records, New Zealand Defence Force. See here for details:
www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/

Errol

[jnf]

Errol thanks for excellent response to my query. Could I please ask you another question.

Today I visited the grave of another Kiwi who was based at RAF Cark and was killed in a local flying accident. Flight Sergeant John Charles Wilson (425967) died on 23rd August 1944 following an accident in Morecambe Bay, Morecambe, Lancashire. He was based with 650 squadron at RAF Cark and was flying a Martinet aircraft along with a Flt/Sgt. Harris on drogue towing details. At the end of the exercise, whilst returning to RAF Cark, the aircraft crashed in the bay. Sadly Flt/Sgt. Wilson died two days later whilst Flt/Sgt. Harris made full recovery and returned to operational duties.

Would you have any information on Flt/Sgt. Wilson

Nigel 

[errolmartyn]

Nigel,

Wilson entries herewith:

Mon 21 Aug 1944
ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY AIR FORCE
Target towing for Army Co-operation exercise
650 Squadron, RAF (Cark, Lancashire - 70 Group)
Martinet TT.I JN554 - took off at about 1505, dropping the drogue after the exercise and making a circuit out over the sea before flying low over the firing camp at Middleton Sands, 5 miles SW of Lancaster. Caught a wingtip on the sand when banking to port, cartwheeled, crashed and caught fire, at 1647. Both crew were seriously injured, the pilot dying at Morecambe’s RAF Hospital two days later. He is buried in the Morecambe and Heysham Cemetery at Torrisholme.
Pilot: NZ425967 Flt Sgt John Charles WILSON, RNZAF - Age 24. 289hrs (7 solo on Martinet)

WILSON, Flight Sergeant John Charles.
NZ425967; b Chch 2 May 20; Chch TColl; motor mechanic - Hutchinson's Motors, Chch. NZ Army/TF (NZASC) 2½ yrs; RNZAF Blenheim as Aircrafthand (ADU) 12 May 42, remust as Airman Pilot u/t & ITW 2 Jan 43, 3EFTS 3 Mar 43, crashed on 1st solo (uninj) 23 Mar 43, 2SFTS 1 May 43, Pilots Badge [wef 5.7.43] & Sgt 28 Aug 43, att RAF & emb for UK c.7 Oct 43, 12PD&RC 4 Dec 43 [att 24EFTS 22 Feb-? 44], 5(P)AFU 20 Jun 44, 650 Sqn (Martinet) 15 Aug 44, ser inj in a/c acc 21 Aug 44, died of injuries 23 Aug 44. Morecambe and Heysham (Torrisholme) Cemetery - A.Blue.19, Lancs., England. Son of George Charles & Mary Ellen Wilson (née Power), Chch. [phot. TWN 18.10.44]

Cheers,
Errol