Leon Bremner 'Pip' Piper

[Dave Homewood]

Does anyone happen to know the whereabouts of WWII RNZAF pilot Leon 'Pip' Piper?

He was interviewed in 2015 by a reporter for the Herald.


Here is the article www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/veterans-remember-ww2s-fallen-and-the-uselessness-of-war/TXSBJAXWX6DXBZL3X6TPOJMC4I/

Pip flew Corsairs with No. 21 Squadron RNZAF.

I note he does not appear to be on the NZ Death register, but I cannot find him in White Pages either. he may perhaps be in a care home, or living with family.

I wonder if any of our Wellington members know him? I'd love to make contact if possible.

[Dave Homewood]

Well thanks to this post I think I might have found him.

[McFly]

"Group. Pilots course 41B, No. 2 Service Flying Training School, RNZAF Station Woodbourne.
L-R: Back; F Symon, KW Basch, RA Barnett, JMcR Calder, JD Dungey, KW Wright.
Third Row; JF Knight, KL Armstrong, LB Piper, HE Wilson, G George, RR George, RL Bayley.
Second Row; CC Olsen, HJ Liggins, RH Wheeler, P Steele, GDL McDonald, WG Newfield, C Palmer.
Front; T Cheetham, HP Crump, DW Barr, VJ Mortensen, RS Mabin, PWG Millton, WD Smith. - MUS001167"


(Air Force Museum Collection)

[davidd]

Few slight corrections to the names of the 41B pilots from Woodbourne.

F Symon = F T Symon

K W Basch = K W J Busch

J F Knight = J M Knight

R R George = R P George

H J Liggins = N J Liggins

P Steele = P Steel

C C Olsen = C C Olson

R L Bayley = R L Bayly

C Palmer = C E Palmer


Of the 30 members of this course, Dungey didn't quite make it, so remustered to navigator and was unfortunately killed 4/12/44 with 8 squadron in a PV-1. Peter Steel was shipped overseas to serve with the RAF, and survived the war. J K Williams became temporary wastage and was carried over to 42B Course, subsequently ending up with 20 Sqdn. Kingston was killed in a Harvard accident during this course 22/10/43. Cheetham, Liggins, Mabin, Millton, Mortensen were all retained to be trained as flying instructors at Tauranga, although Mortensen later also got onto fighters, but was killed with 23 Sqdn at Los Negros on 28/3/45. All the rest bar Piper were posted direct to various fighter squadrons, although several others did not survive the war, including G D L McDonald (car accident 22/1/44), W D Smith (lost 14 Sqdn 11/6/44), K L Armstrong (lost 19 Sqdn 24/4/44), R L Bayly (lost 19 Sqdn 29/8/44), and J M Knight (lost 19 Sqdn 28/8/44). So to 14 Sqdn went Barnett, Crump, George G, George P R, G D L McDonald, W D Smith; to 16 went Barr, Newfield; to 17 went Olson and Wheeler, to 19 went Armstrong, Bayly, Calder, Knight, Palmer, Symon, Wright, and to 20 went Busch and Wilson. Seems like a fairly typical bunch to graduate from a wartime course.
David D