Donald Faulkner Williams Duty in the RNZAF World War 2

Donald Faulkner Williams

Service number: NZC 439997

Unit during World War 2: No. 13 Servicing Unit

Donald Faulkner Williams was born in 1925 New Zealand and would later in 1942 as a young man enlist in the Royal New Zealand Air Force known as the RNZAF. I have followed his service record as best as I could and there were several parts that I have left out, which were several of his retesting’s for his qualification. I will use both Don and Donald when referring him throughout the blog. I have found looking into the service record to be an interesting insight into his service, although there would have been plenty going on throughout New Zealand. I will focus upon his record and go from there.

Donald’s total service with the Air Force would be two years and 72 days with one year and 80 days spent in New Zealand. I am unsure of the reasons why he would have enrolled within the air force, but there is a clue to why Don could have been. Don’s career path was listed on his personal record and declaration of allegiance, where his ambition was flight mechanic and the career he wanted to follow was engineering. His interests that he participated in were also listed, Boxing, football, swimming, athletics and dancing. During the time he was attending Whangarei High, there was a teacher by the name of B. A. Kingan, who gave lectures with students in 1942 about joining the RNZAF.[1] Amongst Don’s attestation papers there was a signature from his commanding officer who happened to be B.A Kingan. A quick search in the online newspapers provided me with more information including being a teacher and the officer commanding the air training corps in Whangarei.[2]

As Don signed up on the 9^th of March 1942, he was only 17 years of age. At that time he was required to have a guardian to sign for him as he was under the age of 21. The guardian was Florence Mabel Alexander from Pakotai, which is near Maungatapere in Northland region of New Zealand.[3] His service number was NZC 439997 with a start date in March 1942. At the beginning Don was part of the No. 20 squadron in Whangarei and would be mobilised around the 16^th of July in 1943. He would later be discharged on the 25^th of September 1945. His full service with the RNZAF was one year and 80 days in New Zealand with 356 days beyond New Zealand. I will break down parts of Donald’s service especially the main parts and include further information too.

When he enlisted the trade, Don had put was Civil Engineering. Civil occupation, Surveyors assistant. Since leaving school around December 1942, Dons occupation was civil engineering, public works department in whangarei surveying road, highways. I don’t know if he needed something in civil engineering even though he was only really 17 at the time and would not have been working for the public works department for very long. On a training document known as the certificate of service, dated the 5^th July 1943 with the Air Training Corps, Don ranked as cadet received 95%. In the Elementary Educational Test, where his keenness and proficiency was classed as Superior. His conduct was marked as ‘Very Good’ and in the proficiency in service training was also superior. This would have to be what he needed to become part of the Servicing Unit he would later be part of. He did have to take an entrance exam for the RNZAF and the marks were 63%. The recommendation from the training group was for him to be placed in the maintenance section. He did not have to send and receive Morse Code to test his skills. The general remarks were encouraging as he ‘has good average ability, very conscientious worker in both educational and service subjects, has exceptional tenacity and courage, good team spirit’. While in Whangarei, Don was part of the No. 20 squadron, which according to a website was based at Onerahi from August 1942 to July 1943 and was reformed in 1944 at Ardmore after being disbanded. Ardmore is south of Auckland.[4]

The enlistment dated the 16^th of March 1943 was written as Delta, which I would guess was around Whangarei and be basic training. On the 16^th of August 1943, Don would be sent to a training school at Rongotai near Wellington. This would be a training school of sorts created in the initial rush that was the beginning of World War 2. I should mention there was a Woman’s Auxiliary Air Force around 1941 as well also known as WAAP.[5] By the 29^th of October 1943, Don was moved to Nelson, where there was a technical training school, which would be the centre of technical training until the end of 1945.[6] While in Nelson Don received a score of 67.6% on the 21^st of January 1944 for the F/mech GSE T.TS. According to Don’s Posting Record Card, he was experienced on several types of engines, Wright Cyclone, POW single & twin & double wasp while he was in Nelson. I had originally thought these were actual aircraft, but soon realised they were in fact engines. The Wright Cyclone according to Wikipedia are a family of air-cooled radial piston engines and were used in many different American aircraft including the B-17 Flying fortress and Grumman Avenger.[7] The Wasp engines were similar to the Wright Cyclone. I am no mechanic, so don’t hold me to that and I would guess Don would have had contact with many well-known military aircraft during his service and not just the RNZAF ones.[8]

There was more movement as Don was transferred from Nelson to the 40 squadron at Whenuapai near Auckland on the 31^st of January 1944. This particular station was the first transport squadron formed by the RNZAF in 1943. The types of aircraft included Lockheed Hudsons and Dakotas.[9] The next part of his transportation becomes murky as I do not have enough information. Don transfers from the No. 40 squadron to No. 1 PD to transit overseas on the first of March 1944. I don’t know if this is a transport vessel or an aircraft. The paperwork trail has Don being transferred to the No. 13 Servicing Unit on the 11^th of April in 1944 in his overseas posting at Nausori in Fiji. There were two bases on the island of Fiji, one was Lauthala Bay where the RNZAF Catalina flying boats were stationed. Nausori nearby had other aircraft like the Hudson reconnaissance bombers, the new Venturas along with De Havilland 89’s. The ground crew were large, and the work required to keep as many aircraft in the air. Nausori had at the time a complete servicing unit able to care for all aircraft including the Douglas Dakotas from the RNZAF Transport squadron.[10] There is a list I have come across involving the Hudsons and mentions No. 13 Servicing unit. [11] Don would spend a total of eleven months and twenty-one days in Fiji before leaving for Remuera in New Zealand on the 2^nd of April 1945. New Zealand from what I have been reading were supporting the United States in the Pacific with the RNZAF.[12] He did have a medical report prepared for him while at Remuera, aged 19 and a half. Had no venereal disease, scar on left knee. No deterioration claimed. Fitness for future tropical service “A”. His examination was for non-flying personnel.

Between the 4^th of May 1945, Don did end up at the RNZAF station in Ardmore although the records did say Don did go to Remuera from the 2^nd of April 1945 he was said to have gone to Remuera. Between the 4^th of September and the 25^th of September 1945, Don was part of what was known as the Northern Group in the RNZAF, which was basically Auckland. He was then placed in the reserve and discharged from the armed forces on the 25^th of September 1945. On his discharge papers Don had civil engineering crossed out and has the occupation of farmer. The certificate of service and discharge is dated the 24^th August 1945. Medals – Earnt the Pacific Star and the 1939 – 45 Star. Didn’t receive his discharge certificate until June 1953, when he was living in Whangarei and well after the war. The letter looks like it was trying to provide him with options to become part of the air force or become a reservist.

For his war service gratuity, ended up with £ 59: 6: 8 Was never AWOL or LWOP. You would have money deducted if you were. When Don was discharged in his RNZAF posting instructions, it said he was 19 years 11/12. World War 2 had ended on the 2^nd of September 1945. I have left information about his leave out of the service record and may include it when I update the blog about his service.

Sources

Donald Faulkner Williams Service Record World War 2, RNZAF

Unknown, ‘Air Training Corps’, Northern Advocate, 10 March 1942, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19420310.2.61, Accessed 17/19/2019.

Unknown, ‘Training of young airmen’, Northern Advocate, 17 March 1942, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19420317.2.87, Accessed 17/19/2019.

J Rickard, (18 July 2013), No. 20 Fighter Squadron (RNZAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RNZAF/No_20_sqn_RNZAF.html, Accessed 17/19/2019.

New Zealand Airforce, ‘History’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/history/wwii.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

Ross, John Macaulay Sutherland ‘Chapter 18 Base organisation in New Zealand 1943 – 45’, Royal New Zealand Airforce, http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c18.html, Accessed 17/19/2019.

Unknown, ‘Wright Cyclone series’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Cyclone_series, Accessed 17/19/2019.

Unknown, ‘Whitney Wasp Series’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Wasp_series, Accessed 17/19/2019.

New Zealand Air Force, ’40 squadron’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/squadrons/40-squadron/40-squadron-history.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

Unknown, ‘Defence of Fiji’, Auckland Star, 10 November 1944, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19441110.2.55, Accessed 17/19/2019.

NZ Serials, ‘RNZAF Hudson’, http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzhudson.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

New Zealand Air force, ‘World War 2’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/history/wwii.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

‘Wartime RNZAF timeline’, Wings over Cambridge, http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/rnzaf%20timeline.htm#1943, Accessed 17/19/2019.

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[1] Unknown, ‘Air Training Corps’, Northern Advocate, 10 March 1942, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19420310.2.61, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[2] Unknown, ‘Training of young airmen’, Northern Advocate, 17 March 1942, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NA19420317.2.87, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[3] Donald Faulkner Williams Service Record, RNZAF medical board.

[4] J Rickard, (18 July 2013), No. 20 Fighter Squadron (RNZAF): Second World War, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/RNZAF/No_20_sqn_RNZAF.html, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[5] New Zealand Airforce, ‘History’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/history/wwii.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[6] John Macaulay Sutherland Ross, ‘Chapter 18 Base organisation in New Zealand 1943 – 45’, Royal New Zealand Airforce, http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2AirF-c18.html, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[7] Unknown, ‘Wright Cyclone series’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wright_Cyclone_series, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[8] Unknown, ‘Whitney Wasp Series’, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratt_%26_Whitney_Wasp_series, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[9] New Zealand Air Force, ’40 squadron’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/squadrons/40-squadron/40-squadron-history.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[10] Unknown, ‘Defence of Fiji’, Auckland Star, 10 November 1944, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19441110.2.55, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[11] NZ Serials, ‘RNZAF Hudson’, http://www.adf-serials.com.au/nz-serials/nzhudson.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

[12] New Zealand Air force, ‘World War 2’, http://www.airforce.mil.nz/about-us/who-we-are/history/wwii.htm, Accessed 17/19/2019.

William Stickland Milverton from England to New Zealand

There are times when some family in the past lead exciting and interesting lives, where the information collected over the years increases as many become available at hand. Putting that information together does provide an insight into people’s lives and you do have to remember that life was very different to that of the world today. I have worked on William on and off from when I first started tracing my family tree. Much of the information, I have gathered on him have been between 2000 and 2019. That is around as long as I have been researching the family tree. Much of the information has appeared online, but there is always a few records that can be viewed at their source. I have written about William’s mother before and will include links to previous blogs about her life. The connection between William Stickland Milverton is as follows, he is my 3^rd great grandfather on my mother’s side of the family.

William Stickland Milverton was born in the Dorset town of Beaminster on the 24^th of August 1847 to Wilhelmina Milverton and the equally mysterious William Stickland, a farmer from Corscombe. This last bit of information was crossed out in the original record that I viewed in 2009 while I was doing some research at the Dorset Record office in Dorchester. The same is recorded on the OPC website as well.[1] I do not know if there is a bastardry record for them as I have not come across one. However in 2015, I did come across a news article in 1861 about a court case between Wilhelmina Milverton and William Stickland about marriage promises and the young William Milverton.[2] William appears in the 1851 census with his grandparents, John and Anne Milverton who ran the Swann Inn within Beaminster. Wilhelmina was listed at the same address being unmarried.

William does vanish from the official records between 1851 and 1867. He hasn’t appeared in the 1861 census, so his whereabouts is unknown at this period of time and he could appear within a census, but the writing might be unreadable. William turns up in Middlesex in 1867 getting married to Caroline Brake whose parents are Frederick and Amelia Brake of Crewkerne. William lists his father’s name as William Stickland and occupation as farmer. I do not know if there is a relationship between the two men, but it is interesting that he had listed his father on the marriage certificate. I do not know if he was present at the wedding, but an uncle of William’s was present signing his name, Joseph Milverton. Joseph Milverton and family would immigrate to New Zealand in 1873 where they would end up in Palmerston North near Wellington in New Zealand’s North Island. The family would have known each other in the city of London. They did live around 3 miles from each other according to Google Maps. The address listed on the marriage certificate was 44 Goodge street, London and Joseph lived at 3 Cirencester Street, Paddington occupation was painter.[3] The Vicar to marry them was James Moorhouse who from what I have figured was living at St. John’s Church in what could be Fitzroy Square a short walk from Goodge Street. The church no longer seems to exist. James Moorhouse would later go to Melbourne in 1877 to the St James’s Cathedral.[4] William was at the time of marriage a cabinet maker, but I do not know any more information about his occupation or if he was part of some company or even independent.[5]

I don’t know much about cabinet makers of the time that William Milverton lived especially during the 1860s. They were apparently highly skilled people. I should do some research of the trade and London might have had an over supply of the trade. I will include some sources that I will look at later on down the track. There are questions that I will eventually have answered as to why William entered this trade and if certain addresses the family resided were significant for the cabinet making trade as I have come across a brother of Caroline Milverton’s nee Brake living at the same location at the same time and several years down the track as he too was a cabinet Maker. The occupation would mean they would make tables, chairs. I have included a thesis that I came across that would come in handy for this blog.

William and Caroline would have eight children between 1871 and 1887. Their children were, Frederick William, Rosena, Percival Amos, Amelia, Amy, Herbert Charles, Frank Joseph and Dorcas. Amy would pass away in 1882 around 12 months of age. Over that time period, I was able to trace where they lived through the city directories located in the London metro archives that are available on Ancestry. They did live in the London locality,

1871, 197 Stanhope street London.

1878, 4 Hargrave-place London

1881, 3 Landseer Rd Islington

1885, 100 Wynford road, London

By 1886, William and family were on a ship bound for New Zealand with the exception of Frederick Milverton their eldest son, who stayed behind for some reason. He would eventually make his way to the United States around the 1890s. That is another blog about his life overseas. I don’t know if part of the reason for them to be leaving London was due to the poverty and for a whole new life that would be vastly different to that of England. Maybe Joseph had written to them letting the family know about the opportunities in the new country. The departure of the Milverton family with six members was not easy to find for some strange reason and the entry was found within the New Zealand newspapers. They had left on the 22^nd of April 1886 from London on the S.S. Doric under the command of Captain J.W Jennings and headed for New Zealand direct through the company Shaw, Savill and Albion Steamship Company. The ship was due at Part Chalmers near Dunedin in the 7^th of June.[6]

William and family made their way to Palmerston, where William’s uncle Joseph and family lived. Joseph was a prominent member of Palmerston North and an early settler to the town. He was known for his business Milverton and Sons. William was still a cabinet maker and he is recorded in 1890 in the electoral roll as living in Palmerston North. He was still living in Palmerston North in 1891 in the Post office directory. In 1896 the family had moved from Palmerston North to the nearby Pohangina. Pohangina is to the north of Palmerston North and Feilding with the Ponhangina River running through the town towards Ashurst, where it branched off towards Palmerston North. The Pohangina County Council was established in 1895 and disestablished in 1989 where it would merge with the Manawatu District Council. Around December 1895, William was listed in the local newspaper as having purchased land in Pohangina. I don’t know if this meant in the future he would be stretched thin or not.[7] By 1896 William was now listed as a shopkeeper in the Pohangina area. At the same time William was on the school committee as it seemed many people ended up doing that. It could mean that he was a serious businessperson.[8] William applied for a hotel license in Pohangina in June 1896, but the judge refused as there was already a licensed house nearby.[9]

By December in 1896, William Stickland Milverton was declared bankrupt and the local official from Palmerston North, G.J. Scott summoned a meeting of creditors on the 10^th of December, 1896. Two years later William Milverton passes away in the Palmerston North hospital in December 22^nd, 1898. William’s cause of death was Morbis Cordis in other words heart failure and gangrene of lung for two months would be something along the line of a lung infection.[10] At the time of death, William’s wife, Caroline was apparently upriver in Pohangina. It does sound like there were no roads constructed or the river was used as a highway of sorts.[11] William died at the age of 51, but his wife, Caroline would outlive him by 45 years. The one very strange part about the death of William Stickland Milverton was on the 14^th of November 1899 there were proceedings about Bankruptcy cases. They were before the audit office and William’s name was mentioned in the list of people to be heard in December. It was like they did not know William had passed away nearly a year before in 1898. William was buried in the Terrace End Cemetery in Palmerston North.

Sources

Unknown, ‘Pohangina Notes’, Feilding Star, 3 September 1896, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18960903.2.22, accessed 08/10/2019.

Unknown, ‘Shipping, Evening Star, 22 May 1886, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18860522.2.21, accessed 08/10/2019.

Unknown, ‘Manawatu Daily Times’, Manawatu Times, 23 December 1898, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT18981223.2.4, accessed 08/10/2019.

Unknown, ‘Pohangina County Council’, Feilding Star, 16 December 1895, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18951216.2.23, accessed 08/10/2019.

New Zealand Bankruptcy Notices, Extracted from the New Zealand Gazette. Available Ancestry website.

New Zealand Electoral Rolls, 1853–1981, available Ancestry website.

Petersen, G.C. Palmerston North A Centennial History, AH&AW Reed, Wellington, 1973.

William Milverton and Caroline Brake 1867 Marriage Certificate, COL463102.

William Stickland Milverton Death certificate 1898, Registration 1899000913.

Cabinet making and wood carving, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol2/pp139-141, accessed 08/10/2019.

Kirkham, Patricia Anne Furniture-making in London c. 1700-1870: craft, design, business and labour., PHD Thesis, https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/8f86/2e2ec9b316b01ba9fe6d92a72f0f1f9590ec.pdf,, accessed 08/10/2019.

James Moorhouse, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Moorhouse, accessed 08/10/2019.

Finding Wilhelmina, 2011 blog, https://tangaroa81.blogspot.com/2011/02/finding-wilhelmina.html

Mystery newspaper article explaining Wilhelmina Milverton's past, 2015 blog, https://tangaroa81.blogspot.com/2015/01/mystery-newspaper-article-explaining.html

Beaminster baptisms 1841 -1850 from Dorset, http://www.opcdorset.org/BeaminsterFiles/BeaminsterBaps1841-1850.htm, accessed 08/10/2019.

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[1] Beaminster baptisms 1841 -1850 from Dorset, http://www.opcdorset.org/BeaminsterFiles/BeaminsterBaps1841-1850.htm

[2] Mystery newspaper article explaining Wilhelmina Milverton's past, 2015 blog, https://tangaroa81.blogspot.com/2015/01/mystery-newspaper-article-explaining.html

[3] 1867 William Milverton and Caroline Brake Marriage Certificate; joseph milverton directory

[4] James Moorhouse, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Moorhouse, accessed 08/10/2019.

[5] Cabinet making and wood carving, https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/middx/vol2/pp139-141, accessed 08/10/2019.

[6] Unknown, ‘Shipping’, Evening Star, 22 May 1886, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD18860522.2.21, accessed 08/10/2019.

[7] Unknown, ‘Pohangina County Council’, Feilding Star, 16 December 1895, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18951216.2.23, accessed 08/10/2019.

[8] Unknown, ‘Pohangina Notes’, Feilding Star, 3 September 1896, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18960903.2.22, accessed 08/10/2019.

[9] Unknown, ‘Palmerston licensing Committee’, Feilding Star, 3 June 1896, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/FS18960603.2.24, accessed 08/10/2019.

[10] William Stickland Milverton Death certificate 1898, Registration 1899000913.

[11] Unknown, ‘Manawatu Daily Times’, Manawatu Times, 23 December 1898, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MT18981223.2.4, accessed 08/10/2019.