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NZ413393 Sergeant George Bevan EATHORNE Mother. Mrs M. Eathorne of Christchurch. Wife. Mrs G. Eathorne of Christchurch (Married at Christchurch June 1st 1940)
George Eathorne was born at Christchurch on June 25th 1914. He was educated at the Christchurch Boys' High School where he passed the Public Service Entrance Exam. He was a member of the school cadets and an outstanding sportsman, being both senior Athletic and Boxing Champion and a member of the first fifteen. He continued to play football and he left school and represented Canterbury for three years at Rugby. He was a buyer and sales' manager in the grocery business.
In January 1939 he applied for a permanent commission in the RNZAF as an Equipment Officer but owing to domestic reasons was forced to withdraw the application.
Eventually he enlisted at Levin on June 15th 1941 as an airman pilot under training. Then in July he was posted to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School. Harewood and I?T?S Wigram (redacted where he proved a good steady average pupil). On October 18th, 1941 he won the Flying Badge and was promoted Sergeant on November 29th. He was then posted to No. 1 B.R. Squadron, Whenuapai.
Sergeant Eathorne lost his life on December 21st 1941. He was engaged on a routine Hudson training flight when the aircraft crashed near Helensville. F/O Holloway and Sergeant Eldershaw lost their lives in the same crash.
5/2/1305 A.S. 2 152 hours
Mrs. G. Eathorne (M strikeout) (Wife) 199 Hills Rd. St Albans Christchurch (Underlined)
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40759 : Pilot Officer/ Raymond Gordon ECCLES. PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. T. Eccles of Dunedin.
Raymond Eccles was born on the 10th April, 1915, at Dunedin, and received his secondary education at Dunedin Technical High School, where he attained School Certificate standard. While at secondary school he played rugby football. On leaving school he took a position of chauffeur for Andrew Hagerty, Dunedin, and later was employed in motor repairs and garage work. Prior to his enlistment with the R.N.Z.A.F. he was employed as a garage attendant by Todd Motors, Dunedin.
P/O Eccles was a member of the Civil Reserve of Pilots and on the outbreak of war, transferred to the R.N.Z.A.F. He was enlisted at the Ground Training School, Levin, on teh 12th March, 1940, and on satisfactorily compleing his initial training, he was posted to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Wigram, where on the 17th September, 1940, he was awarded his flying badge and, on the 26th October, 1940, commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer. He embarked on the 31st October 1940, on board the "Rangitata" for the United Kingdom via Canada.
Shortly after arrival in the United Kingdom P/O Eccles was posted in December, 1941, to No. 20 Operational Training Unit, Lossiemouth, Morayshire, whre he carried out air exercises as a pilot on Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 7th March, 1941, he proceeded to No. 103 Squadron, Newton, Nottinghamshire, from where as a pilot of Wellington aircraft he successfully took part in several operational flights, the targets including German warships at Brest, and the U-Boat pens at Lorient, France; and Kiel (3), Hamburg, Bremen, Gelsenkirchen, Cologne and Emden in Germany.
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R.G. ECCLES. 2. On the night of the 15th/16th May, 1941. P/O Eccles was a pilot of a Wellington aircraft which took off on an operational flight to Hanover, Germany, and failed to return to its base. All the members of the crew, including P/O Eccles, were reported missing. Later his death was officially presumed as at the 16th May, 1941. Later information recieved through the International Red Cross Committee stated that the aircraft had been shot down at Pekela-Onde, Holland, and that P/O Eccles was buried in the cemetery at Esserveld, Groingen, Holland.
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R.A.A.F. 402232 Flying Officer William Davies ECCLETON. Widow - remarried - no address. Mother: Mrs. F.M. Eccleton of Mt. Roskill, Auckland.
William Eccleton was born at Levin on the 22nd February 1916. He received his secondary education at the Mt. Albert Grammar School, Auckland, passing the University Entrance examination. He played football, cricket and tennis, also taking part in swimming and golf, afterwards proceeding to Australia.
Flying Officer Eccleton was enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on the 22nd July, 1940, and proceeded on the 22nd August to No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School, and for his elementary flying, afterwards embarking on the 31st October for Canada, to train under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
Shortly after arrival there, he was posted on the 24th November to No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Camp Borden, Ontario, Where on the 12th February 1941, he was awarded the flying badge and comissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer. While serving in the United Kingdom, he was further promoted to Flying Officer on the 12th August 1941. Meantime, on the 23rd February 1941, he had embarked for the United Kingdom.
Flying Officer Eccleton arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 5th March, and was posted a week later to No. 57 Operational Training Unit, Hawarden, Chester, for crewing up and completion of his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 5th May he joined No. 452 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey, Lincolnshire, and from this base took part in a number of operational flights over enemy territory.
On August 19th 1941 Flying Officer Eccleton was the pilot fo a Spitfire aircraft operating over France with a number of other fighter aircraft. According to other pilots who took part in this engagement his plane was seen to lose a wing and spin down out of control. Flight Officer Eccleton is buried in the Dunkirk Town Cemetery, France.
4/9/525 A.S. 2 No Logbook Mrs. F.M. Eccleton (M), 26 Donald Crescent, Mt. Roskill AUCKLAND (underlined)
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MRP/NF 392026 : Flying Officer Morris Charles ECKHOLD. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. E.E. Eckhold of Ngapara, North Otago.
Morris Eckhold was born in Whangarei on the 29th June, 1918. He received his secondary education at Waitaki High School, Oamaru, where he passed the Intermediat Examination. His interests in sport included football and tennis. At the time of his entry into the R.N.Z.A.F. he was and exchange clerk employed by the Post & Telegraph Department, Albury.
F/O Eckhold applied for service in the ground staff of the Air Force in early October, 1939, and was enlisted at Levin on the 29th December of the same year. on the 12th January, 1940, he was posted to Wigram where he was employed in ground duties. In June, 1940, he applied for training in aircrew, and eventually, on the 28th December, 1941, he was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin, and remustered to air observer. On the 2nd March, 1942, he embarked for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.
F/O Eckhold arrived in Canada on the 2nd April, 1942, and shortly afterwards was posted to No. 1 Air Observers' School, Malton, Ontario. At this school he was awarded his air observer's badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Later he was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer with effect from the same date. In November, he proceeded to No. 10 Bomber Reconnaissance Squadron, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, where he carried out, as navigator on Digby aircraft, a number of anti-submarine sweeps and convoy patrols. On the 14th February, 1943, he was promoted to Flying Officer; and on the 23rd June of the same year he embarked from Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the United Kingdom.