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

-2- (centre aligned) The journey, which was accomplished in a Wellington bomber was made via Gibraltar and Malta. The journey totalled 24 hours 30 minutes flying time. England was left on the 14th May and Almaza, Egypt was reached on the 19th May. The Wellington bomber having been delivered to the Middle East, Warrant Officer Simmons returned by sea to the United Kingdom and on the 21st July 1942 was posted to No. 1653 Conversion Unit, Snaith, Yorkshire, for converting to Liberator bomber aircraft. At the conclusion of his conversion course he was posted on the 29th March 1943 to No. 301 Ferry Training Unit, Lyneham, Wiltshire. On the 16th April, 1943 as a member of the crew of a Liberator bomber he proceeded by air to India on posting to No. 159 Squadron, Salbani, Bengal.

The journey was made via Gibraltar, Cairo West, Aqir (Palestine), Habbaniya (Iraq) and Karachi (India) from where a return was made to Heliopolis (Egypt) for repairs. On the repairs being effected, the journey was resumed via Habbinya, Shaibah (Irak), Bahrain (Persian Gulf) and Karachi. Crossing India only one landing was required at Allahabad (United Provinces) Salbani (Bengal) was reached on the 27th July 1943 after 53 hours 10 minutes flying time.

Warrant Officer Simmons was a member of the crew of a Liberator bomber which took off on the 12th August 1943 and crashed at Salbani about a mile and a half from the aerodrome on account of engine failure. All the crew including Warrant Officer Simmons lost their lives. Warrant Officer Simmons was buried with service honours on the 13th August 1943 at Midnapore Cemetery, Bengal.

5/15/245 A.S.2. 228 hours as aircrew.

Mrs. A.I. Simmons (M), (right aligned) 112 Carroll St., (right aligned) DUNEDIN. (right aligned & underlined)

NZ404101 : Pilot Officer David Ernest SIMMS. Mother : Mrs. H.M. Simms of West Melton, CANTERBURY.

David Simms was born at West Melton on the 8th May 1913. He received his secondary education at Christchurch Technical College. His sports were football and cricket. At the time of making application for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force on the 30th November, 1939 he was employed on general farm work by Mr. J.H. Jarman of Darfield.

Pilot Officer Simms was enlisted for aircrew training at the Ground Training School, Levin on the 27th October 1940 and on the 5th December he embarked on the "Aorangi" at Auckland to proceed to Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, Pilot Officer Simms was posted on the 23rd December, 1940 to No. 2 Wireless School, Calgary, Alberta on the 26th May, 1941 he was posted to No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School, Dafoe, Saskatchewan, where on the 23rd June 1941 he was awarded his flying badge as a wireless operator air gunner and promoted to Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st February, 1943 and was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 30th July 1943. Meanwhile, on the 30th June 1941 he had proceeded to No. 1 "M" Depot, Debert, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Pilot Officer Simms arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 28th July 1941 and on the 6th August was posted to No. 2 Electrical and Wireless School, Yatesbury, Wiltshire, on the 31st October he was posted to No. 1 Air Armament School, Manby, Lincolnshire. He was posted on the 23rd December 1941 to No. 60 Operational Training Unit, East Fortune, East Lothian, Scotland where he completed his training on Defiant two seater fighter aircraft. On the 27th February, 1942 he was posted to No. 153 Squadron, Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland. He was posted to No. 6 Air Observer's School, Moreton Valence, Gloucestershire on the 22nd August, 1942 for a course in Navigation. During September the course was continued at Aberporth, South Wales on the 27th October, 1942 he waas posted to No. 62 Operational Training Unit, Usworth, County Durham, for a radio observer course. On the 13th January, 1943 he returned to No. 153 Squadron

-2- (centre aligned) at Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland. He was posted on the 26th February, 1943 to No. 301 Ferry Training Unit, Lyneham, Wiltshire and on the 9th March he proceeded by air to the Middle East on posting to No. 108 Squadron Shandur, Egypt.

The journey was made in a Beaufighter long range fighter aircraft and England was left on the 10th March, 1943. Stops were made at Gibraltar, Maison Blanche (Algeria) and Castel Benito (Tripoli), Cairo West (Egypt) was reached on the 16th March and Pilot Officer Simms reported to No. 108 Squadron at Shandur on the 20th March 1943. On the 13th May the squadron moved to Luqa, Malta. From these two stations he took part in forty-nine operational flights mostly patrols over Sicily but including one anti-submarine patrol and nine enemy aircraft interception flights. During these flights enemy aircraft were often encountered and Pilot Officer Simms was credited with two Dornier 217 destroye, one Arado damaged and one Cant damaged. From the end of November 1943 the Squadron was operating from the forward aerodrome at Borizzo, Sicily, returning to headquarters at Luqa between operations.

On the 28th December, 1943 Pilot Officer Simms was a member of the crew of a Beaufighter aircraft which took off at dawn from Borizzo in order to return to Luqa. About three miles from the aerodrome the starboard engine failed and the aircraft crashed both members of the crew being killed.

Pilot Officer Simms was first buried in the Cemetery at Marsela but was later exhumed and re-interred in the British Cemetery at Catania.

Find a Grave link with a photo of P/O Simms: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/39310130/david-ernest-simms Auckland Museum link with more info on P/O Simms: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C18783?n=david+ernest+simms&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/15/349 AS2. 600 hours aircrew

Mrs. H.M. Simms (M) (right aligned) West Melton R.D., (right aligned) CANTERBURY. (right aligned & underlined)

NZ438024 Leading Aircraftman Horace Dean SIMONSEN. Parents: Mr. & Mrs. N.R. Simonsen of Rai Valley, Marlborough.

Horace Simonsen was born at Havelock, Marlborough on the 1st November, 1909 and received his secondary education at the Wellington Technical College. He served in the Territorials, first with the 15th Battery of the Nelson Marlborough Mounted Rifles and later with an R.N.Z.A.F. Territorial Squadron at Wellington as a Wireless Operator. On the outbreak of war he was in the employ of the Electricity Department, Wellington.

LAC Simonsen was mobilised on the 4th September, 1939, with the General Reconnaissance Squadron at Rongotai. The whole Squadron was moved two days later to Blenheim. On the 15th March, 1940, after completing his Wireless Operator training, he was posted to No. 2 Flying Training School also at Blenheim. On the satisfactory completion of the course, he embarked on the 14th September, 1940 aboart the Tamaroa for the United Kingdom to continue training.

Shortly after arrival in England, LAC Simonsen was posted on the 4th November, 1940 to No. 18 Squadron, Massingham, Norfolk. On the 5th February 1941 he proceeded to No. 75 N.Z. Squadron, Feltwell, Norfolk where he carried out exercises on Wellington Bomber aircraft.

LAC Simonsen was killed on the 17th April 1941 during an enemy air raid on London. He was buried in the Brookwood Cemetery, Brookwood, Surrey.

Find a Grave link with a photo of LAC Simonsen: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17666372/horace_dean-simonsen/photo Auckland Museum link with more info on LAC Simonsen: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C26966?n=horace+dean+simonsen&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/6/20 AS2 40 hours as a W/Op. on aircraft

Mr. N.R. Simonsen (F) (right aligned) Box 186, (right aligned) BLENHEIM (right aligned & underlined)

RV/NF (right aligned) 425212 : Flight Sergeant Alfred Alexander SIMPSON. WIFE : Mrs. G.E. Simpson of Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. F.J. Simpson of Gisborne.

Alfred Simpson was born on the 10th October, 1915, at Gisborne. He received his secondary education at Gisborne High School, where he gained his Senior Free Place. Prior to his application for aircrew training in the RNZAF he was a student at the Bible Training Institute, Auckland, and at the time of his enlistment was a home missionary in the Presbyterian Church.

F/Sgt. Simpson applied for aircrew training on the 13th May, 1941 and on the 30th May 1942 he entered the Aerodrome Defence Unit at Waipapakauri, where he was employed on ground duties. On the 14th August, 1942 he was posted to Rotorua, where on the 1st October, he entered the Initial Training Wing and remustered to Air Observer. On the 24th December, 1943 he embarked for Canada for instruction under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada F/Sgt. Simpson was posted to No. 8 Bombing and Gunnery School, Lethbridge, Alberta. He contracted pleurisy during the early stages of his training and was confined to hospital for approximately one month. On the 13th June, 1943 he resumed training at No. 7 Air Observers' School, Portage la Prairie, Manitoba where on the 6th August 1943 he was awarded his air bomber's badge and promoted to Sergeant. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 6th February 1944. He later embarked for the United Kingdom.

F/Sgt. Simpson arrived in England on the 1st September 1943, and on the 5th of the following month was posted to No. 3 (Observer) Advanced Flying Unit, Halfpenny Green, Worcestershire. On the 16th November 1943 he was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, where he trained as an air bomber on Wellington aircraft at Westcott, Buckinghamshire, and the nearby satellite