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2. (centre aligned) Squadron Leader Rabone was the pilot of a Mosquito aircraft of No. 23 Squadron, which took off on July 24th 1944 to attack a target over north-west Germany and failed to return to base. Some three months later the body of Squadron Leader Rabone was washed ashore at Heligoland Island and buried the following day. He was later reinterred in the Hotten British Military Cemetery, Belgium.
Squadron Leader Rabone was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross on January 25th 1944, the citation reading:- "Acting Squadron Leader Rabone, prior to joining his present Squadron completed many bomber and fighter (including night fighter) operations and had destroyed three enemy aircraft. Since then he has taken part in many missions over Sicily and Italy and has achieved much success in night intruder sorties. He has also made most determined and damaging attacks on enemy road and rail targets, and on one occasion destroyed a coastal supply vessel. During his present tour of duty, Squadron Leader Rabone has destroyed a further three enemy aircraft and damaged one other."
Find a Grave link with a photo of Squadron Leader Rabone: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14042273/paul-wattling-rabone
Auckland Museum link with photos of Squadron Leader Rabone: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C19072?n=paul+wattling+rabone&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0
5/2/189 A.S.2. No Log Book.
Mrs. P.B. Rabone (W) (right aligned) "Ypres" (right aligned) Avisford Park Road (right aligned) Walberton, near Arundel, (right aligned) Sussex (right aligned) ENGLAND (right aligned & underlined)
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N.Z. 423420 Flight Sergeant Stanley Allan RAE. (surname underlined) Widow Mrs. T.A. Rae of Auckland. Parents Mr. & Mrs. W.M. Rae of Auckland.
Stanley Rae was born at Thames on the 12th January 1915 and received his secondary education at the Hamilton Technical College. He played rugby football being a member of his school's First Fifteen, and later played representative football for Hamilton. On leaving school he was employed for some years in farming with his father at Papakaura, and in 1937 joined the Police Department, Auckland as a constable. He was so employed on the 10th March 1941 when he applied for aircrew training in the R.N.Z.A.F.
Flight Sergeant Rae was enlisted at Nelson on the 27th May 1942, and was employed there on ground duties until the 3rd September, when he was remustered to Airman Pilot and posted to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua. He then proceeded on the 16th October to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood, and on completion of the course there was posted on the 20th December to No. 1 Flying Training School, Wigram. While at this Unit, he was awarded the Flying Badge on the 15th March 1943, and promoted to the rank of Sergeant on the 6th May. Shortly after his promotion on the 29th of the month, he embarked for the United Kingdom, travelling by way of the United States of America.
On arrival in England, on the 8th July, Flight Sergeant Rae remained attached to No. 12 Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton until his posting on the 3rd August to No. 14 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Banff, and later at Dallachy, both in Scotland. He returned to Banff on the 2nd September training on Oxford aircraft until the 21st December when he proceeded to No. 10 Operational Training Unit, Abingdon, Berkshire for crewing up and training on Whitley bomber aircraft. His next posting was on the 15th April 1944, to No. 1652 Conversion Unit, Marston Moor, Yorkshire for conversion to Halifax aircraft prior to commencing operational flying as a member of No. 78 Squadron, Breighton, also in Yorkshire on the 26th April.
From this base as pilot of Halifax aircraft he took part in six operational flights, the targets being Mont Fleury, Trappes St. Lo, Juvisy.
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-2- (centre aligned) Laval, and Amiens, all in France. From the raid on Amiens undertaken on the night of the 12/13th June 1944, the aircraft failed to return to its base, and all members of the crew, including Flight Sergeant Rae were classified as missing, and in due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 13th June 1944.
A post war casualty search conducted by the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit revealed that the aircraft had crashed near Varengeville in France and that Flight Sergeant Rae together with the other members of the crew was buried in the Longueil Communal Cemetery, in France.
Find a Grave link with a photo of Flight Sergeant Rae: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/14508047/stanley-allan-rae
Auckland Museum link with a photo of Flight Sergeant Rae: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C31034?n=stanley+allan+rae&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0
5/2/8739 AS2. 517 hours as Pilot.
Mrs T.A. Rae (W) (right aligned) 40 Elgin Street (right aligned) Grey Lynn (right aligned) AUCKLAND (right aligned & underlined)
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414340 Flight Lieutenant James Clarence RALPH D.F.M. (surname underlined) Parents Mr. & Mrs. J.C.A. Ralph of Auckland.
James Ralph was born at Christchurch on the 26th December 1919 and received his secondary education at the Seddon Memorial Technical College, Auckland where he passed the Senior Free Place examination. He played rugby for his school first fifteen adn other games of his were soccer and cricket. His civilian occupation was that of a motor car salesman in the employ of Motor Traders Ltd., Hamilton. In July 1940 he applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Flight Lieutenant Ralph was enlisted for aircrew training on the 26th July 1941 at the Initial Training Wing, Levin and was posted on the 8th September to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai to commence his flying training. This preliminary training completed he proceeded on the 20th October to No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Ohakea. While here on the 29th November he was awarded his Flying Badge and this was followed on the 10th January 1942 by his receiving his promotion to Sergeant. A year later when serving in England on the 10th January 1943 he was commissioned as a pilot officer. Promoted to flying officer on the 9th July 1943 and to flight lieutenant on the 7th December 1943. Meanwhile on the 31st January 1942 he had embarked for the United Kingdom.
On arriving in England on the 9th March 1942 Flight Lieutenant Ralph reported to No .3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth where and at the Reception Centre at Harrogate he was attached until posted on the 7th April to No. 6 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Little Rissington, Gloucestershire. His training here was interrupted on the 16th June while he attended an instrument flying course with No. 1513 Beam Approach Training Flight, Honington, Suffolk. At the conclusion of this course he resumed his training with the Advanced Flying Unit. His next posting was on the 26th July to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire, to crew-up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft prior to being posted on the 14th September to No. 101 Squadron, Stradishall, Suffolk, and commencing operational flying. During September he took part in four operational flights comprising attacks on Essen and Saarbrucken and minelaying sorties in Kiel Harbour and Kattegat. Early in October he was posted to No. 1654 Conversion Unit, Wigsley, Nottinghamshire to convert to
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-2- (centre aligned) Lancaster heavy bombers and on his completing this course he returned to No. 101 Squadron now at Holme, Yorkshire. As captain of a Lancaster bomber he took part in a further twenty-six operations bringing his total operations to thirty. These additional operations comprised attacks on Frankfurt, Duisburg, Munich, Essen (3), Berlin (2), Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Cologne, Wilhelmshaven (2), Bremen and Nurenburg all in Germany; Turin (5) and Milan in Italy, and Lorient in France, together with a minelaying sortie in Kiel Harbour and another in the Bay of Biscay. In recognition of his services in April 1943, Flight Lieutenant Ralph was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal, the citation reading as follows:- "Throughout his service with this squadron, Sergeant Ralph has pressed home his attacks in the face of strong opposition and has fearlessly completed many sorties in difficult circumstances. In December 1942 when returning from Frankfurt, Sergeant Ralph displayed exceptional skill and airmanship in landing his aircraft safely at base though both port engines had failed and visibilitiy was only 300 yards. During a raid on Berlin in January 1943 when his aircraft was damaged by anti-aircraft fire and the petrol tanks were holed, this airman again displayed great coolness and ability by returning without sustaining further damage despite very poor visibility. His fine fighting spirit, courage, and devotion to duty have been most commendable."
His tour of operational flying completed, early in March 1943 Flight Lieutenant Ralph was posted to No. 1662 Conversion Unit, Blyton, Lincolnshire, for duty as an instructor. He remained here until the 24th November 1943 when he was posted to No. 156 Squadron, Warboys, Huntingdonshire and resumed operational flying. As captain of a Lancaster bomber he took part in a further eight operational flights, his total of operations now being thirty-eight. These further operations comprised six raids on Berlin, on on Liepzig and one on Frankfurt.
On the 3rd January 1944 Flight Lieutenant Ralph was captain of a Lancaster bomber which took off on air operations to attack the target of Berlin. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all its crew was classified as missing. Later information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross that Flight Sergeant Ralph had lost his life and he was in consequence reclassified as missing believed killed in action. No further news was received and after due time had elapsed his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 3rd January 1944 as the result