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Post by gaetandk on Nov 29, 2011 7:32:18 GMT 12
hello everyone I'm looking for more information from these two pilots JOHN GORDON THOMPSON from Palmerston North, Wellington and RONALD BAKER LAVENDER from Khandallah, Wellington I am looking for information about them because they are crashed in my village in belgium on 20/10/1943 thank you for your answers  |
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Post by errolmartyn on Nov 29, 2011 9:52:20 GMT 12
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):
THOMSON, Flying Officer John Gordon, (cvsa).
NZ413510; b Palm Nth 10 Mar 22; Palm Nth BHS, Levin DHS & Nelson Coll (1st XI/XV at?); clerk - Shell Oil, Wgtn. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Airman Pilot u/t 15 Jun 41, 3EFTS 17 Aug 41, 2FTS c.27 Sep 41, Pilots Badge [wef 18.11.41] & Comm 20 Dec 41, att RAF & emb for UK 14 Jan 42, 3PRC 10 Mar 42 [att 7PRC - dates?], 41OTU (Tomahawk/Mustang) 12 May 42, 169 Sqn (Mustang - 17 ops) 17 Jun 42 [att Central School of Aircraft Recognition 23 Mar-1 Apr 43], 485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire - 4 ops) 23 Sep 43, kao 20 Oct 43. Eernegem Communal Cemetery, West Flanders, Belgium. Son of Donald Sage Luther Macdonald & Ruth Isabel Thomson (née Green), Manakau, Manakau Line. Note: credited with 1 e/a dest & 1 dam. [BSD & phot. TWN 12.5.43].
BAKER, Flying Officer Ronald Lavender.
NZ391337 (prev A391337); b Nethem, Surrey, England 29 Mar 20; to NZ in 1920; Wgtn Coll; apprentice fitter & turner - NZR, Lower Hutt. NZ Army/TF 3 yrs 8 mths; RNZAF Civil Reserve Pilot/Wgtn Aero Club Dec 38, [flew 11 hrs prior RNZAF], RNZAF Levin/GTS as Airman Pilot u/t 20 Nov 39, 1EFTS 16 Jan 40, 1FTS 11 Mar 40, Pilots Badge [wef 7.5.40] & Sgt 28 Jun 40, att RAF & emb for UK 12 Jul 40, 1 Depôt 27 Aug 40, 6OTU (Hurricane) 11 Sep 40, 79 Sqn (Hurricane - 63 ops) 7 Jan 41, 247 Sqn (Hurricane - 23 ops) 22 May 41 [att battleship HMS Prince of Wales 'for a short cruise' 22 Oct-4 Nov], emb for Gold Coast West Africa 5 Nov 41, Fighter Defence Flt at Takoradi (Hurricane) 10 Nov 41, ferried Hurricane to Egypt via Nigeria & Sudan 18-23 Nov 41, Cairo Houseboat 23 Nov 41, HQ ME Pool 25 Nov 41, 107MU 27 Nov 41, 73 Sqn (Hurricane - 117 ops) 21 Dec 41, inj when a/c crashed after e/f on t/off during scramble 5 Feb 42 [& HQ ME (hosp/sick leave?) until 20 Mar, sick leave 9-17 May, hosp 27 May-19 Jun], Comm 5 Jul 42, 71OTU (fighters) as instr 4 Nov 42, emb for UK c.23 Mar 43, Uxbridge/NES c.30 Jun 43, 57OTU (Spitfire) 29 Jul 43, 485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire - 3 ops) 9 Oct 43, kao 20 Oct 43. Eernegem Communal Cemetery, West Flanders, Belgium. Son of Albert Victor & Sarah Christina Baker (née Tod), Wgtn; h of Margaret Gwenda Baker (née Hughes), Khandallah, Wgtn. Note: credited with 2 e/a dest, 1 prob & 3 dam [or 2 dest, ¼ shared dest, 2 prob, 3 dam?]. [OHT3 & phot. TWN 10.7.40 & 5.1.44].
And from Vol Two (Fates 1943-1998):
Wed 20 Oct 1943
FIGHTER COMMAND
Rodeo 263 - sweep over Lille and Vitry, France
485 Squadron, RNZAF (Hornchurch, Essex - 11 Group)
Spitfire LF.IX JK762 - took off at 0905 as ‘Blue 4’, being one of two which failed to return. The missing Spitfires were brought down during an engagement with enemy fighters over Belgium near Ostend, both crashing near Eernegem, 12km SE of Ostend. Both pilots are buried at Eernegem. A third Squadron member, Plt Off F Transom, RNZAF, nursed his badly damaged machine back to England, where he was obliged to abandon it. On parachuting safely to earth he was then collected by a Tiger Moth, which crashed on its way to Hornchurch, slightly injuring him.
Pilot: NZ413510 Fg Off John Gordon THOMSON, cvsa, RNZAF - Age 21. 560hrs. 21 ops.
The CWGC register entry for Thomson credits him with an mid rather than a cvsa.
485 Squadron, RNZAF (Hornchurch, Essex - 11 Group)
Spitfire LF.IX EN559 - took off at 0905 as ‘Blue 2’, and lost as described in the above entry. (Note: While post-war casualty documents record the Spitfire serials for Thomson and Baker as shown, the Squadron ORB features them in reverse order.)
Pilot: NZ391337 Fg Off Ronald Lavender BAKER, RNZAF - Age 23. 204th op.
This was Baker’s third op with the Squadron, the others being undertaken with 79, 247 and 73 Sqns, RAF.
Errol
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Post by McFly on Nov 29, 2011 19:57:53 GMT 12
The 485 Sqn Operational Diary kept by F/O Vandyk during the war records more detail then the Operation Record Book (ORB) and recounts the events around Rodeo 263 as follows:  ________________________________________ October 20th -- 0950 – 1050 -- Rodeo 263An unlucky operation for the Squadron. The Wing was detailed as Fighter Sweep to sweep Lille and Vitry under Hythe Control.
F/Sgt Frehner’s engine cut on take off before he was airborne, and he managed to avoid running into a pillbox just by ‘A’ Flight before his undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft came to a halt on the perimeter track.
The Wing flew at low altitude until about 20 miles N.W. of Furnes at 0930 and then climbed rapidly crossing the Belgian coast at 10,000’ reaching the Ostend area at 0945 at 20,000’. During a starboard turn, Blue Section which was on the port was attacked from below and astern by 4 FW190’s. F/Lt Gaskin (Blue 1) ordered the section to break port and whilst breaking saw a Spitfire hit in the oil tank. This was F/Sgt Transom. Blue 1 found himself behind a FW190 and damaged it, leaving it on its back streaming white smoke. Blue 3, F/Sgt Transom was hit and oil covered his windscreen and hood. He managed to shake off further enemy opposition and dived down in aileron turns to 13,000’ until 12 miles off the Belgian coast. He than gave fixes and was guided back by Operations and eventually made landfall at North Foreland. He intended to glide to Manson but when the engine which had been just windmilling over started to belch smoke, he decided to bale out from 3000’ and came down West of Margate. On returning on October 26th to pick up his parachute, he was taking off from Manston with the Squadron Intelligence Officer (F/O Vandyk) in the Tiger Moth when the aircraft crashed. Neither occupant was injured, so twice in 6 days F/Sgt Transom was lucky.
Neither Blue 2 (F/O R. L. Baker) nor Blue 4 (F/O G. J. Thomson) returned and they are thought to have been shot down. Two of the FW190’s had unusually long noses and “Thunderbolt” camouflage with white rings round the cowlings.
After breaking for the 4 FW190’s the rest of the Squadron continued with the sweep which the Wing made uneventfully over the Lille area.________________________________________ Some interesting websites have additional information on Baker and Thomson, specifically the 'War Graves Photographic Project' (WGPP) with photos of both the graves – See: Thomson - twgpp.org/information.php?id=1228093Baker - twgpp.org/information.php?id=1228092\Thomson’s Grave -  Baker’s Grave -  Both airman lying side by side -  Photo of Ron Baker -  On another website ‘The Great War Forum’, they have a group who have adopted the graves of these two brave airman and have posted their information on the ‘Adopt a soldiers grave in Flanders’ thread. See: 1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=38000As well as the ‘New Zealand aviators died in Eernegem’ thread. See: 1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=36290&st=25Looks like they are being well looked after. ‘gaetandk’ are you involved or do you know of these people.. Estée, Sabrina and Fabrice…? One of the posters (in 2007) on this website is a ‘Phil Handford’ whose Uncle was Ron Baker and mentions that his Mum and her Brother and Sister would be pleased to know of the interest. Phil may be a good source of additional information for you.? |
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Post by gaetandk on Nov 30, 2011 6:02:09 GMT 12
hello thanks for the information but can somebody help me with the search after a picture of john gordon ? greetings from belgium |
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Post by errolmartyn on Nov 30, 2011 9:15:39 GMT 12
hello thanks for the information but can somebody help me with the search after a picture of john gordon ? greetings from belgium A photo of him appeared in The Weekly News of 12 May 43. You can obtain a scan of it from the Air Force Museum of New Zealand for a small fee - info@airforcemuseum.co.nzErrol |
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Post by McFly on Nov 30, 2011 11:37:59 GMT 12
THOMSON, Flying Officer John Gordon, (cvsa). NZ413510; b Palm Nth 10 Mar 22; Palm Nth BHS, Levin DHS & Nelson Coll (1st XI/XV at?); clerk - Shell Oil, Wgtn. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Airman Pilot u/t 15 Jun 41, 3EFTS 17 Aug 41, 2FTS c.27 Sep 41, Pilots Badge [wef 18.11.41] & Comm 20 Dec 41, att RAF & emb for UK 14 Jan 42, 3PRC 10 Mar 42 [att 7PRC - dates?], 41OTU (Tomahawk/Mustang) 12 May 42, 169 Sqn (Mustang - 17 ops) 17 Jun 42 [att Central School of Aircraft Recognition 23 Mar-1 Apr 43], 485 Sqn RNZAF (Spitfire - 4 ops) 23 Sep 43, kao 20 Oct 43. Eernegem Communal Cemetery, West Flanders, Belgium. Son of Donald Sage Luther Macdonald & Ruth Isabel Thomson (née Green), Manakau, Manakau Line. Note: credited with 1 e/a dest & 1 dam. [BSD & phot. TWN 12.5.43]. Errol This group photo includes a 'Thomson', which going by the information Errol supplied earlier having our JG Thomson being posted to No. 3EFTS on the 17 Aug 41, it then makes sense to have your group photo taken the next day although I cant confirm whether it's course 19B, however I suspect it may be him.? Photo description - Group, pilots course 19B, Number 3 Elementary Flying Training School (3EFTS), Royal New Zealand Air Force Station Harewood taken 18 August 1941. (Original negative WgF1671). L-R: Back; Sanders, Rickerby, Taylor, Hopkins, Bailey, Cowin, E. Gardner, Eady, Evers-Swindell, Brabant, R. Harper, Jensen, Brockett, Ingpen. Third row; Robinson, Milestone, Wilson, Wills, Wakelin, Tempest, Dickson, Templer, E. Johnson, P. Johnson, Hayward, Kainamu, Fraser, Fleming, Noble-Campbell, Thomson. Second row; Leigh, D.E. Martin, Nicholls, Smith, Stewart, McCook, Lornie, Mansill, Dwyer, Pryde, Hill, J. Harper, Lambourne, R. Gardner, Gordon, Warne. Front; White, Mattson, Flack, Sparks, McGregor, Lock, Cockerill, Arkinstall, Corson, Brooker, Dudding, Garlick, D.J. Martin.  (Photo Air Force Museum) |
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Post by errolmartyn on Nov 30, 2011 11:50:49 GMT 12
Evers-Swindell, back row, was also posted to 3EFTS on 17 Aug 41. So Thomson in the photo must indeed by J G Thomson.
Errol
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Post by McFly on Aug 30, 2013 20:32:19 GMT 12
The 485 Sqn Operational Diary kept by F/O Vandyk during the war records more detail then the Operation Record Book (ORB) and recounts the events around Rodeo 263 as follows: ________________________________________ October 20th -- 0950 – 1050 -- Rodeo 263An unlucky operation for the Squadron. The Wing was detailed as Fighter Sweep to sweep Lille and Vitry under Hythe Control.
F/Sgt Frehner’s engine cut on take off before he was airborne, and he managed to avoid running into a pillbox just by ‘A’ Flight before his undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft came to a halt on the perimeter track.________________________________________ Neville Frehner's service uniform, greatcoat and tin helmet for sale on Trade-Me here: www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/militaria/uniforms/auction-631771236.htm |
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Post by McFly on Sept 4, 2013 10:33:19 GMT 12
The 485 Sqn Operational Diary kept by F/O Vandyk during the war records more detail then the Operation Record Book (ORB) and recounts the events around Rodeo 263 as follows: ________________________________________ October 20th -- 0950 – 1050 -- Rodeo 263An unlucky operation for the Squadron. The Wing was detailed as Fighter Sweep to sweep Lille and Vitry under Hythe Control.
F/Sgt Frehner’s engine cut on take off before he was airborne, and he managed to avoid running into a pillbox just by ‘A’ Flight before his undercarriage collapsed and the aircraft came to a halt on the perimeter track.________________________________________ Neville Frehner's service uniform, greatcoat and tin helmet for sale on Trade-Me here: www.trademe.co.nz/antiques-collectables/militaria/uniforms/auction-631771236.htmWhoa...!! Did not sell. Reserve price was $2000.00 and the bidding topped out at $755.00  |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Sept 4, 2013 22:32:58 GMT 12
Tell em they're dreaming.  |
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