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416420 :Warrant Officer Douglas James EDMISTON. PARENTS:Mr. & Mrs. A. Edmiston of Karaka, R.D., Papakura.
Born at Auckland on the 23rd October, 1920, Douglas Edmiston received his secondary education at the Dargaville District High School. He played football and cricket at school and later became a member of Dargaville Harrier Club. At the time of his application for aircrew training - on the 18th September, 1940 - he was employed on Mr. J.G. Wilson's farm in Dargaville.
W/O Edmiston entered camp on the 30th November, 1941, reporting at the Initial Training Wing, Levin. On the 8th January, 1942, he embarked for Canada, to train as an Air Gunner under the Empire Air Training Scheme. In Canada he trained at No. 3 Wireless School, Winnepeg, Manitoba, and No. 8 Bombing and Gunnery School, Lethbridge, Aberta. He was awarded his Wireless Operator Air Gunner's badge and promoted to Sergeant at the latter school on the 26th October, 1942. On the 1st June, 1943, he was promoted to Flight Sergeant and a year later to Warrant Officer.
On the 23rd November, 1942, W/O Edmiston embarked for the United Kingdom, arriving at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 1st December. On the 2nd January, 1943, he proceeded to No. 10 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Dumfries, Dumfries-shire for a course, on the completion of which he proceeded early in March, 1943, to No. 11 Radio School, Hooton Park, Cheshire. On the 14th April, he was posted to Bridgnorth, Shropshire, and a fortnight later proceeded to No. 3 Operational Training Unit, Granwell, Lincolnshire, where he trained on Wellington aircraft. From Granwell he proceeded to Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, for a time before processing - on the 6th July, 1943 - to No. 1 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, Thornaby, Durham, for training On Halifax aircraft.
On the completion of the course late in August, 1943, W/O Edmiston proceeded to No. 58 Squadron, Holmsley South, Hampshire. From Holmsley and later from St. Davids, Pembrokeshire, he carried
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out during the following 12 months, 47 operational flights as a Wireless Operator Air Gunner on Halifax aircraft. These included anti-submarine patrols on shipping strikes in the Bay of Biscay. Later in 1944 he moved with the Squadron to Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides.
W/O Edmiston was (redacted a member of the crew) wireless operator of a Halifax aircraft which took off on the night of the 16th October, 1944, on a flare dropping training flight and failed to return to its base. All the members of the crew, including F/O Edmiston, were classified as missing. A report later received stated that the aircraft had crashed into the sea and that the body of the pilot had been recovered. W/O Edmiston's death has since been presumed to have occurred on the 16th October, 1944.
5/15/2267 AS2 725 hrs. as WOAG. Mr. A. Edmiston (F) Karaka R.D., Papakura, AUCKLAND (city underlined)
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NZ413254: Flight Sergeant Robert Fergusson EDMONDS. Parents: Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Edmonds of Hamilton
Robert Edmonds was born on the 17th April, 1915 at Ngawha, and received his education at Grey Lynn primary school. He was actively interested in football, running and cricket. At the time of his making application for aircrew training in the R.N.Z.A.F. in April, 1940 - he was employed as a linesman by the Public Works Department, Karapiro, Cambridge.
Flight Sergeant Edmonds was enlsited at Levin on the 8th June, 1941, and on satisfactorily completing his initial training embarked for Canada on the 14th August, 1941.
On arrival in Canada, Flight Sergeant Edmonds was posted on the 31st August, 1941 to No. 3 Wireless School, Calgary Alberta and on the 12th April, 1942 to the Composite Training School, Trenton, Ontario. Here he was remustered to Air Gunner and posted on the 25th May to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal (was Lingal), Ontario, where on the 22nd June, 1942 he was awarded the Air Gunner's badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He was further promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 15th May, 1943. He embarked from No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia for the United Kingdom on the 30th June, 1942.
Shortly after arrival at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, Flight Sergeant Edmonds was on the 1st September, 1942 posted to No. 7 Air Gunnery School, Stormy Down, Glamorganshire where he proceeded to No. 487 (NZ) Squadron Methwold, Norfolk and from this base as air gunner on Ventura aircraft he carried out fourteen operational flights, the targets including low level bombing attacks on the Docks at Rotterdam, an engine factory at Haarlem, and the Phillips Works at Emdhoven - all in Holland; Bruges in Belgium; Caen; Dunkirk (3), Abbeville, Dieppe, and Boulogne in France; and St. Brieve in the Channel Islands.
On the 12th June, 1943, Flight Sergeant Edmonds was Air Gunner of the crew of a Ventura bomber aircraft which took off from Methwold for an attack on Caen Aerodrome, France. The aircraft
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-2failed to return to its base and all the members of the crew including Flight Sergeant Edmonds were reported missing. An eye witness stated that the aircraft caught fire after being hit by anti-aircraft fire, and after turning away, began to lose height.
Later information was received through the International Red Cross Committee, that one of the members of the crew had been killed but no definite information of the burial place of the other members of the crew was received.
Subsequently the death of Flight Sergeant Edmonds was officially presumed to have occurred on the 12th June, 1943. There were two other R.N.Z.A.F. members in the crew of the aircraft Flying Officer G.W. Brewer of Papatoetoe and Warrant Officer R.W. Second of Chirstchurch.
5/15/1436 AS2 148 hours as Air Gunner.
Mr. J.W. Edmonds (F) TE KAWA. (underlined)
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NZ403312 FLIGHT LIEUTENANT EVEREST GEORGE EDMUNDS, D.F.C. Father: Mr. E.E. Edmunds of Wellington.
George Edmunds was born on the 29th November, 1915, at Wellington, and received his secondary education at the Wellington Technical College. He furthered his education by taking evening classes at the same college. The sports in which he was actively interested were tennis, cricket, swimming, and shooting. He was employed for a number of years by the Southern Sports Coy. Wellington, and at the time of his enlistment with the Royal New Zealand Air Force by A.G. Spalding Ltd., Christchurch, as a sports goods maker
F/L. Edmunds applied for aircrew training on the 1st October, 1939, and was enlisted at Levin on the 3rd September, 1940. On the completion of his ground training he proceeded to No. 3 Elementary Flying Trainiing School, Harewood, on the 29th September, where he commenced his flying training. On the 23rd November, 1940, he was posted to No. 2 Flying Training School, Blenheim, where he was, on the 18th January, 1941, awarded his flying badge. He was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 1st March, 1941, and promoted to Acting Flight Lieutenant on the 16th November, 1941.
Sailing for the United Kingdom via Canada, on the 25th March, 1941, F/L. Edmunds arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 19th May, and was posted the same month, to No. 17 Operational Training Unit, Upwood, Huntingdonshire, where he crewed up and completed his operational training on Blenheim Aircraft. On the 24th August, 1941, he proceeded to No. 18 Squadron, Horsham St. Faith, Norwich, where he carried out five operational flights including shipping sweeps off the Dutch Coast and North Sea.
In October, 1941, No. 18 Squadron was transferred to the Middle East and was stationed for some time at Malta. From Luga airfield in Malta he carried out raids on enemy shipping.
In November, 1941, F/L. Edmunds was awarded the D.F.C. for his work with No. 18 Squadron, the citation stating:-
"Acting Flight Lieutenant Edmunds was the pilot of an aircraft which carried/out an attack on shipping east of Tripoli. Despite extremely unfavourable flying conditions he persisted in his mission and, ably assisted by his observer, who skilfully