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

The only other New Zealander in the crew was Flight Sergeant F. D. Thomson (Navigator). Flight Sergeant Addis is was buried at the El Alia Cemetery, near Maison Carrée, Algiers.

5/2/7405		Mrs. A. Addis (W)
534 hrs. as pilot		Flat 4.
		Salamanca Road,
		Kelburn, WELLINGTON

539037		F/SGT. Gordon Marsh ADIE
Born	:	Christchurch on 28th October 1919
Parents	:	Mr. & Mrs. Walter Adie of Linwood.
Wife	:	Mary Fleming Adie of Avonside, Christchurch.
		(Married on April 13th 1942).

Gordon Adie was born and educated at Christchurch, on October 28, 1919 where he was employed as a clerk in N.Z. Railways when he enlisted. He was attested at Whenuapai on July 8th 1940, and on completion of his course as Wireless Operator/Air gunner, was a Sergeant and employed as an Instructor at Wigram.

A year before the war, he commenced training as a Wireless Operator, and by the outbreak of war, had a good knowledge of W/T practice in aircraft. Being in the Territorial Air Force, he was mobilised immediately, on September 4th 1939, and posted to Christchurch General Reconnaissance Squadron. There he trained on Baffin aircraft as a Wireless Operator until in March 1940, he was transferred to Whenuapai for seven months. During 1941, he was instructor at Harewood and Wigram to Wireless Operators (Courses W.15,W.16,W.17 & W.18) and during 1942 served as a Wireless Operator in Operational Training Units at Whenuapai, Levin and Nelson. In October 1942 he was posted to a forward Pacific Area as a member of No. 3 General Reconnaissance Squadron based on Espiritu Santos, and Guadalcanal; he took part in many operations against the enemy as Wireless Operator in Hudson aircraft piloted by F/Sgt. Page. Returning to New Zealand in January, F/Sgt. Adie was posted to Whenuapai until May 23rd 1943, when he went by Dakota to Nausori for service with No. 6 Squadron.

While with No.6 F. B. Squadron based on Lauthala Bay, F/Sgt Adie was one of the crew in a Catalina which, on a flight from Fiji to New Zealand, crashed off Dravini Island, (35 miles S.S.E. of Suva) on June 5th 1943. Some wreckage was recovered, but there was no trace of any of the crew. Subsequently, all the crew, including Flight Sergeant Adie, were presumed to have lost their lives on the above date.

4/2/3056 A.S.2		Mrs. M. F. Adie, (Wife)
		63 Westenra Street,
Log Book seen		Avonside, CHRISTCHURCH.

MJR/NF

424403	:	F/Lt. Frank Percival ADLAM.
WIFE	:	Mrs. P. M. Adlam, Palmerston North.
PARENTS	:	Mr. & Mrs. E. A. Adlam, Waipuku, Taranaki.

Frank Adlam was born at New Plymouth on December 12, 1915. He received his secondary education at the Stratford Technical High School, which he attended during the years 1929-1933 inclusive, and where he passed his University Entrance Examination in 1932. Both at school and in civilian life, F/Lt. Adlam had an outstanding record in athletics and sporting generally. While at school, he was a member of the 1st XV at rugby and 1st XI at cricket from 1930 to 1933 and in the latter year captained both teams. He also played in the 1st XI at hockey. Upon leaving school, he played rugby for the United Old Boys' Club and later for Stratford Seniors, of which he was captain in 1940. In 1939 and 1940 he represented Taranaki. In addition he represented South Taranaki at cricket in 1937 and 1938. His record in athletics was remarkable and he was the most prominent contender in field events in Taranaki in the years preceding the War, being the shot, discus and javelin champion of the province in 1938 and 1939. He won the New Zealand Javelin championship in 1940. He was employed on his father's farm at Waipuku prior to his enlistment.

In October, 1939, F/Lt. Adlam applied for enlistment in the aircrew section of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, but his application was deferred owing to the fact that he was married. He served for a period in the Home Guard and was eventually enlisted in the Air Force on May 2, 1942 at Rotorua, where he commenced training at the Initial Training Wing. He was posted on June 12 to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth, where he made his first solo flight on June 27, 1942. He completed his course at New Plymouth early in September and on October 2, he embarked for Canada.

He commenced training under the Empire Air Training Scheme at No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Dunnville, Ontario, in November, 1942 on Harvard aircraft. He completed the course at the end of February, 1943 and was awarded the flying badge and promoted to Sergeant on March 5, 1943. He was shortly afterwards commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer with effect from the same date.

F/Lt. Adlam left Canada about a month later for England, where he disembarked on April 11, proceeding to the New Zealand Reception Centre at Bournemouth, from which he was posted early in June to No. 7 Advanced Flying Unit, Peterborough, Northamptonshire. He was engaged on advanced training, mainly on Miles Master aircraft, until the end of July. In August he was posted to No. 1 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit. He served with the flights of the unit at Western Zeyland in Somerset and Cleave in Cornwall until November, 1943, chiefly flying Hawker Henley aircraft on co-operation work. He was promoted to Flying Officer on September 5, 1943. On December 1, he was posted to No. 639 Squadron, also at Cleave, where he was engaged on similar duties until June 1944, although in his final month he did considerable flying in Hurricane fighters. His next move was to No. 41 (Fighter Reconnaissance) Operational Training Unit at Hawarden, near Chester, where he trained on Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft until late in September.

After a week spent on artillery reconnaissance work at the School of Artillery at Lankhill in Wiltshire, F/L Adlam was posted on October 17 to No. 8 Operational Training Unit at Dyce near Aberdeen for photographic reconnaissance training on Spitfire aircraft. On November 25, he made his first operational flight, a photographic reconnaissance trip to Norway. His training concluded, he proceeded to the Royal Air Force Station at Benson, Oxford in December, and on January 2, 1945, left England on the first stage of a flight to Egypt in a Spitfire XI. He stopped to refuel en route at Gibraltar and at stations in Algeria and Libya, and arrived at Abuqir near Alexandria on January 8. He returned to England two days later by Avro York transport and was posted to No. 541 Squadron at Benson.

During the following weeks, F/Lt. Adlam made numerous missions to all parts of Germany, occupied Europe and the Channel Islands. He was promoted to Flight Lieutenant on March 5, 1945. On March 20 he completed his 14th operational flight over Germany, at the conclusion of which he landed at the Melsbroek Aerodrome near Brussels in Belgium to refuel. Owing to failing light he decided to stay the night. The next morning, March 21, he set out for his base and shortly after crossing the English Coast, at a position slightly East of Grinstead in Surrey, his Spitfire crashed and F/Lt. Adlam was killed instantaneously. He was buried with full Service Honours in the RNZAF section of the Royal Air Force Cemetery at Brookwood, Farnsborough.

5/2/7482 A.S.2.		Mrs. P. M. Adlam (w)
892 hrs. as pilot		C/o H. McDonald
		Slacks Road, PALMERSTON NTH.