RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Ab - Bl

JN/NF

415052	:	Flying Officer David Maurice ADAMSON.
WIDOW	:	Mrs. E. A. Adamson of Auckland.

Flying Officer Adamson was born at Wanganui on the 23rd September, 1916. He received his secondary education at Wanganui Technical College and gained a Senior Free Place. His sports included football, cricket, boxing and tennis. After leaving school he was employed as a drapery salesman, and when he made application for service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force on the 5th July, 1940, was employed by F. Rendell, draper, of Auckland.

After completing the pre-entry educational course for aircrew, F/O Adamson was enlisted on the 7th September, 1941 at the Initial Training Wing, Levin. On the 19th October he was posted to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, and then to the Initial Training School, Ohakea, where his training as a pilot was terminated and he was remustered to air observer and posted to R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Rongotai, and thence to Rotorua to complete his initial training for this trade. He embarked for Canada on the 5th April, 1942, to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada F/O Adamson was posted - on the 10th May, 1942,-to No. 1 Air Observers' School, Malton, Ontario, where on the 11th September he was awarded his air observer's badge and promoted to Sergeant, but this was superseded by his commissioning in the rank of Pilot Officer with effect from the same date. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 11th March, 1943.

F/O Adamson arrived in England early in 1943 and on the 29th March was posted to No. 1 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Wigtown, Wigtownshire, Scotland. From here - on the 4th May - he was posted to No, 11 Operational Training Unit, Oakley Westcott, Buckinghamshire,

D. M. ADAMSON.

2.

and at this station and the satellite aerodrome of Oakley he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 22nd July, 1943, he was posted to No. 1665 Conversion Unit, Woolfox Lodge, Rutland, for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft. F/O Adamson's next posting was to No. 75 (NZ) Squadron on the 24th August, 1943. At this time 75 Squadron was stationed at Newmarket, Suffolk. From here as a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber aircraft, F/O Adamson took part in eight operational flights, the targets including Mannheim (2) and Hanover, in Germany, and Boulogne and Montlucon, in occupied France. He also took part in minelaying operations off the Frisian Islands, and in the Bay of Biscay.

Flying Officer Adamson was a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber which took off on the 27th September, 1943, to attack Hanover, in Germany. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all members of the crew, including F/O Adamson were classified as missing. Later, information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that he had lost his life, and in consequence he was reclassified as missing, believed killed.

Included in the crew were two other New Zealanders, F/Sgt. R. C. Whitmore of Pukekohe, and Sgt. T. H. Waerea of Auckland.

5/2/5552 AS2		Mrs. E. A. Adamson (W)
290 hrs. nd 45 mins. as aircrew.		13 Maidstone Street,
		Grey Lynn, AUCKLAND.

R.A.F. 645659		Flight Sergeant William ADAMSON D.F.M.
Sister		Miss R. Adamson of Auckland.

William Adamson was enlisted in the Royal Air Force at No. 2 Depot, Cardington on the 30th May 1939, and posted to No. 3 wing, Electrical and Wireless School, Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on the 11th August for wireless operator training. He proceeded to Royal Air Force Station, Leuchars, Scotland, on the 1st February 1940 for his bombing and gunnery training and then on the 6th April to No. 10 Operational Training Unit, first at Jurby, Isle of Man, and later at Abingdon, Berkshire. Here he flew as wireless operator on Whitby aircraft, and on the 10th June was posted to No. 77 Squadron at Topcliffe, Yorkshire. With this Unit he took part in thirty-four operational flights to targets in enemy territory. In December 1940, he transferred to No. 109 Squadron and converted to Blenheim and then Wellington aircraft. With this squadron he took part in a further twenty-eight operational flights to enemy occupied territory, and completed his second operational tour.

On the 17th January 1941, Flight Sergeant Adamson was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, the citatation covering the award being as hereunder: "645659 Sergeant William Adamson Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. No. 77 Squadron. As Wireless Operator/Air Gunner this airman has completed numerous operations against the enemy, during the course of which he has invariably displayed the utmost fortitude, courage, and devotion to duty".

During June 1941, Flight Sergeant Adamson proceeded to the Middle East as a member of the crew of a Wellington aircraft, by way of Gibraltar, and Malta, arriving at ABU SUEIR in Egypt on the 29th of the month, when he was posted to the Special Signals Flight of the Middle East Training School. With this unit he took part in numerous investigation flights, and returned to the United kingdom in September, arriving back at Portreath in Cornwall on the 23rd of the month, and returning to No. 109 Squadron at Grantham, Lincolnshire. In November the squadron moved to Oakington, Cambridge, and from this base he took part in a further fifteen operational flights the targets including, BREST (2), PARIS and CAP D'ANTIFER (2) in France.

Flight Sergent William Adamson D.F.M. (2)

Flight Sergeant Adamson ws the wireless operator of a Wellington bomber aircraft engaged during the night of 2/3rd July 1942 in an attack on a target in enemy territory. The aircraft failed to return to base and all the crew including Flight Sergeant Adamson, were classified as missing. In due course, his death ws officially presumed to have occurred on the 2nd 3rd July 1942.

A post-war casualty search revealed that the aircraft broke up in mid-air near the town of HARENARSPEL, in the province of North Holland, on the night of the 2/3rd July, and that Flight Sergeant Adamson was buried in the Communal Cemetery at BERGEN, North Holland.

4/9/97 AS 2		Miss R. Adamson (s)
770 hrs as wireless operator/airgunner.		26 O'Neill St.,
		Ponsonby,
		Auckland.

415053	:	F/Sgt. Frederick George ADDIS.
PARENTS	:	Mr. & Mrs. H. Addis of Christchurch.
WIFE	:	Mrs. Abigail Addis of Wellington.

Frederick Addis was born at Ashburton on April 2, 1912 and received his secondary education at Ashburton Technical College. His favourite sports were swimming and golf. At the time of his enlistment in the Royal New Zealand Air Force he was manager of the Mayfair Lounge Cabaret in Christchurch. He applied for training as a pilot in December, 1940 and commenced training at the Initial Training Wing, Levin in September 1941. He received his flying training at No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood and No. 2 Flying Training School, Woodbourne where he was awarded the Flying Badge on January 27th, 1942. He was promoted to Sergeant on February 28th, 1942 and the following month he left New Zealand for the United Kingdom.

On arrival in Britain, Flight Sergeant Addis spent a short time at the Personnel Reception Centre at Bournemouth and in May 1942 commenced flying at No. 6 Advanced Flying Unit, Little Rissington, Gloucestershire on Oxford aircraft. In September he proceeded to No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit at Silloth in Cumberland, where he trained on Hudson aircraft. He completed his course in November and in January 1943 went to No. 1444 Ferry Group, Lyneham, Wiltshire. Shortly afterwards he ws posted to No. 608 Squadron in North Africa and early in February priloted a Hudson bomber from Lyneham to Blida in Algeria, calling en route at Portneath in Cornwall and at Gibraltar to refuel. From the aerodrome at Blida, situated about 30 miles south of Algiers, Flight Sergeant Addis was engaged on convoy esccort duties and searches for German U-Boats in the Mediterranean. He spent some time based on Bône in Eastern Algeria. He was promoted to F/Sgt on May 1, 1945. On May 23 1943, Flight Sergeant Addis was the pilot of a Hudson aircraft which crashed immediately after taking off from the aerodrome at Blida, all members of the crew losing their lives.