Urgent help needed ref Kessel Plaque

[oggie2620]

Pilot 422057 Flt/Sgt Neil Douglas Davidson (21) RNZAF of Porangahau, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Can anyone on here help with tracking/tracing the family of the above. Contact details are missing for the family and we would like to get them over for the unveiling of the plaque to commemorate Davidson and his crew on 21 July 2011(!).
Anyone who can help (Glen cant) please contact me. Many thanks.
Dee

[Dave Homewood]

A very quick search of the White Pages site turns up a family of Davidson's still living at Porangahau.

Davidson M H & J E
Te Tohe Rd
R D 1
Porangahau
Waipukurau 4291
06-855 5252

Also a search of 'Davidson' and 'Porangahau' on PapersPast revealed that as well as Neil Davidson, what must be a brother, Keith A. Davison of Porangahau and also the son of J. Davidson there, was wounded in WWII in the Army.

A search for K.A. Davidson in the White Pages places one at Waipukarau, just down the road. This may well be Neil's brother Keith.
K. A Davidson,
Svensons Rd
Waipukurau 4200
06-858 8283

I hope these contacts help.

[oggie2620]

Thanks so much for that. Will pass it on to Barrie. Hope the family can come over it would be awesome!
Dee ;D

[oggie2620]

Glen has had contact with the family and seems that one of the Great Nieces may well be in Europe at about that time which will be great. Thanks for your help...

[oggie2620]

I have had contact from another part of the Davidson Clan today and have passed them on to Barrie in Holland and Glen in New Zealand. If they come added to the members of the Hiscox family who have now told Barrie they come we will have 4 of the 7 families with representatives there so far. As you NZ people would say "Sweet as." My next task is to find the survivor of the crew!
Dee
Dee

[Dave Homewood]

Who is he?

[Andy Wright]

Here's the circumstances of the crew's loss. Little is your man, Dave.

www.cfww2.com/forums/showthread.php?1478-Kessel-Plaque-to-go-ahead

Avro Lancaster B.I bomber (code name AA-Q, fuselage No. Hotel Kilo 569). of 75 (NZ) Squadron RAF, took off from RAF Mepal, Cambridgeshire, England, on its way to bomb the Fischer Tropsch oil refinery/aviation fuel producer in Homberg, Germany with a full load of bombs on the 21st of July 1944. It was attacked by a German night-fighter over Heibloem, Limburg, The Netherlands on its way to the target. It crashed into a river bank near Kessel after the pilot avoided a village called Reuver. The crew were as follows:

The crew of HK 569:
Pilot: No: 422057 Flt/Sgt Neil Douglas Davidson (21) RNZAF of Porangahau, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Flight Engineer: No: 994220 Sgt. Robert Gerald Sloman (24) RAFVR of Snodland, Kent, England
Navigator: No: 1323147 Sgt. Arthur Ernest John Goddard (22) RAFVR of North End, Portsmouth, England
Wireless Operator: Air Gunner: No: 1501099 Sgt Douglas Corris (25) RAFVR of n/k England
Mid-Upper Gunner: No :1896528 Sgt. Raymond Stanley Lang (32) RAFVR of Streatham, London, England
Air Bomber: No: 1459875 Sgt T.G. Little (25) RAF(?) of n/k
Tail Gunner: No: 928092 Flt/Sgt Henry John Hiscox (35) RAFVR of Newport, Wales

Sgt Little and FS Hiscox survived the crash however FS Hiscox died on the river bank and is buried in the village of Beesel where his grave has been tended since then by a lady called Tiny Claessen (of whom there is another thread). Sgt Little became a POW and survived the war.

[Dave Homewood]

He might not be so easy to find then.

[oggie2620]

Umm no especially as the only reason they think he might be Canadian is that he spoke French to the person who found him!!! Have contacted the Canadians and if not will go to RAF Cranwell to see if they can give me at least a part of the world he came from when he signed on the dotted line...
Dee