RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Qu - Sl

415375 Sergeant Malcolm Edward John SHOGREN. Parents: Mr. and Mrs. N.L. Shogren of AUCKLAND.

Malcolm SHOGREN was born at New Plymouth on the 2nd December 1913. He received his secondary education at New Plymouth Boys' High School and at the New Plymouth Technical College. His principal sports were football and golf. His civilian occupation was that of an engineer fitter and he was so employed by McEvans Machinery Ltd., of Auckland, Engineers, when in June, 1940, he applied for war service in the R.N.Z.A.F.

Sergeant Shogren was enlisted for aircrew training on the 28th September, 1941, at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, and on the 17th November 1941, he embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, Sergeant Shogren was posted on the 4th December, 1941, to No. 2 Signals School, Calgary, Alberta. On the 25th May, 1942, he was posted to No. 6 Bombing and Gunnery School, Mountain View, Ontario, where on the 22nd June, 1942, he was awarded his flying badge as an air gunner and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On the 2nd July he proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Sergeant Shogren, arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, on the 30th July, 1942, and was posted on the 28th August to No. 7 Air Gunners School, Stormy Down, South Wales. On the 14th September, he was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. He was posted during February 1943 to No. 1483 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight, Marham, Norfolk, and on the 28th February he was posted to No. 1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishall, Suffolk, for converting to Stirling bomber aircraft. On the 30th April, 1943, he was posted to

-2- (centre aligned) No. 75 (N.Z.) Squadron, Newmarket, Suffolk. With this squadron as a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber he carried out eight operational flights his targets including Stuttgart, Ludwigshafen, Rostock and Duisburg. He also took part in minelaying operations off the Frisian Islands and off Bordeaux, and an air sea rescue flight over the North Sea.

Sergeant Shogren was a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber aircraft which took off on air operations on the night of the 28/29th April, 1943, and failed to return to its base. All the crew including Sergeant Shogren were classified as missing. Later, information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that the body of Sergeant Shogren had been washed ashore near Kirson, Denmark on the 2nd June, 1943, and that he had been buried in Svino Cemetery, Denmark. He was accordingly reclassified as missing believed killed in action. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 28th April, 1943.

The crew contained three other New Zealanders, Sergeant D.R. Ross of Tauranga, Sergeant R.C. Buckley of Auckland and Sergeant W.L.F. Brian of Wellington.

Find a Grave link with photos of Sgt. Shogren: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14042842/malcolm_edward_john-shogren/photo Auckland Museum link with more info on Sgt. Shogren: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C26882?n=malcolm+edward+john+shogren&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/3/15224 A.S.2. 202 hour as aircrew.

Mr. N. Shogren (F), (right aligned) 1 Eden View Road, (right aligned) Glen Eden (right aligned) AUCKLAND. (right aligned & underlined)

R.A.F. 42770: Pilot Officer Rupert Edward SHORT. (underlined) Parents: Mr. and Mrs. T.E. Short of Auckland. (underlined)

Rupert Short was born at Otahuhu on the 23rd February 1917. He received his secondary education at Auckland Grammar School reaching matriculation standard, and later attended night classes at Seddon Memorial Technical School. He played football at school and later as a member of the Campbell Park Tennis Club. His civilian occupation was that of a carpenter, in the employ of Mr. H.J. Short building contractor of Auckland, and while so employed he joined the Territorials as a gunner in the 4th Field Battery, for a period of two years. In August 1938 he applied for a short service commission, but this application was deferred pending further vacancies. In the meantime he was accepted for service in the Civil Reserve of Pilots, and commenced his training with the Auckland Aero Club, qualifying for his pilots "A" License in March 1939. The following month his application for a Short Service Commission in the Royal Air Force was accepted, and on the 27th June he embarked at Lyttleton in the "Rimutaka" for the United Kingdom.

On arriving in England, Pilot Officer Short was posted first to the Civil Flying School at Gatwick, Surry, on the 8th August 1939. On the 9th October he was granted a Short Service Commission in the rank of Pilot Officer, and on the same day posted to No. 3 Initial Training Wing, Hastings, Sussex, for a short disciplinary course. His next posting was to No. 3 Service Flying Training School, South Cerney, Gloucestershire, on the 21st October where he continued his training on twin engined Oxford aircraft, being then posted to No. 13 Operational Training Unit, Bicester, Oxfordshire, on the 4th May 1940. At this Unit he crewed up and completed his training on Blenheim aircraft prior to being posted on the 4th July to No. 101 Squadron, stationed at West Raynham, in Norfolk. From this base, flying Blenheim

2. (centre aligned) bombers, Pilot Officer Short carried out two operational flights, the target of the first being an aerodrome at Boulogne. The second of these operations took place on the 25th July, when Pilot Officer Short was the pilot of a Blenheim which took off to bomb oil storage depots at Cherbourg. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew were reported missing. No further information was received from any source, and in due course the death of Pilot Officer Short was presumed to have occurred at sea without trace on the 25th July 1940.

Find a Grave link with a photo of P/O Short: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15263179/rupert-edward-short Auckland Museum link with more info on P/O Short: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C26920?n=rupert+edward+short&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

18/1/835 A.S.2. 228 hours as Pilot.

Mrs. A.M. Short (M), (right aligned) Barrack Road, (right aligned) Mt. Wellington, (right aligned) AUCKLAND. (right aligned & underlined)

4212607 : Pilot Officer Eric Peter SHORTHOUSE (D.F.C.) Mentioned in Despatches. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. J.S. Shorthouse of Waimauku.

Eric Shorthouse was born at Portsmouth, England on the 24th May, 1921 and came to N.Z. with his parents at the age of ten. He attended Foxton District High School from 1933 to 1937, where he gained his Senior Free Place. He was then employed as a constructional carpenter apprenticed to Mr. W. Williamson of Christchurch, and continued his education by correspondence with the Druleigh Correspondence College and Seddon Memorial Technical College, both at Auckland. He played representative football for Foxton High School and third grade for Foxton United Club, was a member of a surf club team for four years and was a keen amateur boxer, being a member of the Thistle Gymnasium, Blenheim. In January 1942 he joined the Army and served with the 1st Hauraki Regiment until he was enlisted in the RNZAF in October of the same year.

He reported to Waipapakauri as a member of the Aerodrome Defence Unit, and in March 1943 was posted to Initial Training Wing, Rotorua and commenced his flying training for pilot. He passed to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Woodbourne where he was awarded his Flying Badge on 30th August 1943 and promoted to Sergeant in October. He was posted to No. 2 Operational Training Unit, Ohakea in November and to No. 15 Fighter Squadron flying Warhawks in December, proceeding overseas with them the same month.

Until January 1st, 1944 they were based at Espiritu Santo where they moved forward to Ondonga, New Georgia. From there they carried out patrols, mainly between Torokina, Munde and base. On January 14th, while providing cover for a bomber strike on Rabaul he attacked and shot down a Japanese Zero. On the 17th January the Squadron moved to Torokina airstrip on Bougainville, where they took off daily in strikes and attacks against the enemy airstrips at Vunakanau, Lakunai and and Tobera and against shipping in Rabaul Harbour.