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

HW/NF (right aligned) 416574 : Flight Lieutenant Richard Maitland SINGER. FATHER: Mr. R.A. Singer of Melbourne, Australia.

Richard Singer was born on the 21st May 1921, at Auckland and received his secondary education at Auckland Grammar School and Auckland University College. He gained his Matriculation and Higher Leaving Certificate, and passed three stages of his LL.B. degree. He was actively interested in cricket, boxing, swimming and athletics. From February to December, 1938, he was employed on the editorial staff of the "N.Z. Observer", Auckland, and from January-December 1939 was a full time student at University. During the following seven months he was employed as a law clerk by Singer and Robinson, Auckland. He then served eight months in the Territorials after which he served a further sixteen months on the temporary staff, N.Z. Military Forces.

F/Lt. Singer made application for aircrew training in the RNZAF - on the 2nd March, 1941 - and was enlisted at Levin on the 30th November of the same year. On satisfactorily completing his initial training he was posted to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai. He embarked from N.Z. on the 8th March, 1942, to continue his flying training in Canada.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, F/Lt. Singer was - on the 12th April, 1942 - posted to No. 9 Service Flying Training School, Summerside, Prince Edward Island, where - on the 3rd July - he was awarded the flying badge and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer. He was promoted to Flying Officer on the 3rd January, 1943, and to Flight Lieutenant on the 3rd July, 1944. In continuation of his flying training he was - on the 6th July, 1942 - posted to No. 16 Service Flying Training School, Hagersville, Ontario. On completion of the course he proceeded to the Central Flying School, Trenton, Ontario, and here carried out air exercises on Cessna Crane and Fleet aircraft. In October he was posted to No. 38 Service Flying Training School, Estevan, Saskatchewan, where - on the 15th of the same month - he qualified as a flying instructor. He was employed in this

R.M. SINGER. 2. (centre aligned) capacity at No. 38 SFTS until 5th January, 1944 with exception of a short period - in August, 1943 - when he underwent a course at No. 1 Instructors Flying School, Deseronto, Ontario. He embarked from Canada for the United Kingdom on the 20th January 1944.

Sometime after arrival at No. 12 (RNZAF) Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton, F/Lt. Singer proceeded to the RAF Station, Honiley, Warwickshire, where in March and April 1944 he carried out some local flying on Magister aircraft. On the 2nd May he proceeded to No. 60 Operational Training Unit, High Ercall, Shropshire, for a course on Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft. On completion of the course he was - on the 28th June - posted to No. 605 Squadron, Manston, Kent, from which base he flew as pilot of a Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft on 33 operational flights. These included numerous attacks on enemy anti-aircraft installations, and a special reconnaissance operation to Rotterdam, Holland.

On the night of the 9th November, 1944, F/Lt. Singer was pilot of a Mosquito fighter-bomber aircraft which took off to attack the targets of Marx and Andof, in Germany. The aircraft failed to return to its base and F/Lt. Singer and the other RNZAF member of the crew, F/O J.C. Rodgerson (Navigator) were reported missing. Later, information received from Air Ministry revealed that the aircraft crashed near Arnhem, Holland. It was also stated that F/O Rodgerson had been killed and was buried, together with one unknown airman, at the site of the crash. In consequence of this F/O Singer was reclassified to missing, believed killed. Subsequently his death was officially presumed.

Find a Grave link with a photo of F/Lt. Singer: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12733024/richard_maitland-singer/photo Auckland Museum link with more info on F/Lt. Singer: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C26999?n=richard+maitland+singer&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/2/9519 AS2 1473 hrs. as pilot.

Mr. R.A. Singer (F) (right aligned) C/o Radio 3DB, (right aligned) Melbourne, Victoria (right aligned) AUSTRALIA (right aligned & underlined)

NZ404574 Sergeant Ernest Arthur SISSON. PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. T.R. Sisson of Auckland.

Ernest Sisson was born at Auckland on the 7th July, 1914. He received his secondary education at Mount Albert Grammar School, Auckland, and later studied commercial subjects with a correspondence school. His sports included cycling, tennis and boating. He was employed as manager of a Self-Help Co-op, grocery store at Tauranga, when on the 26th September, 1939 he applied for war service in the R.N.Z.A.F.

Sergeant Sisson was enlisted for aircrew training on the 24th November, 1940 at the Initial Training Wing, Levin and on the 6th January 1941 he embarked on the "Empress of Russia" at Auckland to proceed to Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, Sgt. Sisson was posted on the 23rd January 1941 to No. 4 Air Observers School, London, Ontario. He was posted on the 13th April 1941 to No. 4 Bombing and Gunnery School, Fingal, Ontario, where on the 26th May 1941 he was awarded his flying badge as an air observer and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. At the end of May he was posted to No. 1 Air Navigators' School, Ribers, Manitoba. On the 30th June, 1941 he proceeded to No. 1 "M" Depot, Debert, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Sergeant Sisson arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 29th July, 1941 and was posted on the 11th August 1941 to No. 16 Operational Training Unit, Upper Heyford, Oxfordshire where he crewed up and completed his training on Hampden bomber aircraft. On the 1st January 1942 Sergeant Sisson was posted to No. 144 Squadron, Leuchars, Fife, Scotland. With this Squadron he carried out two operational flights on the first of which Le Havre was bombed, on the second operational flight, Sergeant Sisson's aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and returned to its base. On the 23rd May, 1942 after short attachments with 49 and 61 Squadron he was posted to No. 408 Squadron, Syerston, Nottinghamshire. With 408 Squadron he carried out six operational flights bringing his total to eight. His targets included Cologne, Bremen, and Emden. During August he was attached to No. 1506 Beam Approach Training Flight, Waddington, Lincolnshire for a blind flying course.

During September he was attached to No. 1654 Conversion Flight, Wigsley, Nottinghamshire for converting to Lancaster bomber aircraft and this was followed in November by a further conversion course with No. 1660 Conversion Unit, Swinderby, Lincolnshire where he converted to Manchester bombers. On the 7th December, 1942 he was posted to No. 50 Squadron, Swinderby, Lincolnshire. With No. 50 Squadron he carried out a further three operational flights bringing his total to eleven. These further flights comprised bombing attacks on Munich, and Duisberg, and a mine-laying sortie in enemy waters.

Sergeant Sisson was a member of the crew of a Lancaster bomber which took off on the night of the 8/9th January 1943 to attack the target of Duisberg. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the members of the crew including Sergeant Sisson were classified as missing. Later information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that Sergeant Sisson had been killed and was buried in the military cemetery, North Cemetery, Dusseldorf. In consequence of this information he was reclassified as missing believed killed in action. In due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 8th January 1943.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Sgt. Sisson: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56038234/ernest_arthur-sisson/photo Auckland Museum link with more info on Sgt. Sisson: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C18587?n=ernest+arthur+sisson&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/3/1136 AS2 366 hours as aircrew.

Mrs. E. Sisson (M) (right aligned) Pleasant Road, (right aligned) Glen Eden, (right aligned) AUCKLAND. (right aligned & underlined)

R.A.F. 40949 Pilot Officer Arthur James SKIDMORE (surname underlined) Parents Mr. & Mrs. W.H. Skidmore of Christchurch.

Arthur Skidmore was born at Belfast, Canterbury, on the 17th December 1914 and his secondary education was received at Christchurch Technical College where he attained Matriculation standard. The games he played were rugby, hockey and cricket. After leaving school, he joined the staff of Adams Ltd., Christchurch, in a clerical capacity. In December 1937 he applied for a short service commission in the Royal Air Force and on being accepted embarked on the "Rangitata" at Wellington on the 7th April 1938 to proceed to the United Kingdom.

On arriving in England he reported to the Air Ministry and was instructed to proceed on the 16th May, 1938 with the rank of Pilot Officer to No. 7 Elementary & Reserve Flying Training School, Desford, Leicestershire to commence his flying training. The elementary flying training completed he proceeded on the 9th July, 1938 to the Royal Air Force, Depot, Uxbridge, Middlesex, for a short disciplinary course, and following this was posted on the 23rd July to No. 10 Flying Training School, Tern Hill, Shropshire. While here, on the 8th December 1938 he was awarded his flying badge. His next posting was on the 4th March 1939 to No. 6 Armament Training Station, Warmwell, Dorset, for duty as a staff pilot, and on the 3rd September, 1939 he was posted to No. 10 Bombing & Gunnery School, Dumfries, Scotland, where he was similarly employed. On the 4th December, 1939 he was posted to No. 219 Squadron, Catterick, Yorkshire.

On the 13th March 1940 Pilot Officer Skidmore was pilot of a Magister aircraft taking part in flight formation practice. While changing formation, Pilot Officer Skidmore's aircraft lost flying speed and went into a spin and in the resulting crash both occupants of the aircraft were killed. Pilot Officer Skidmore was buried in the Catterick Cemetery, Yorkshire.

18/1/235 AS2 461 hours as pilot.

Mrs. E.N. Skidmore (M) (right aligned) 94 Hills Road (right aligned) Shirley (right aligned) CHRISTCHURCH (right aligned & underlined)