RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Ha - Hy

426041 Flying Officer Wilson Orchard HADLEY. Parents: Mr. and Mrs. C.J. Hadley of Amberley. Wife: (remarried): Mrs. R.G. Ramshaw of Christchurch.

Wilson Hadley was born at Christchurch on the 26th September, 1913, and received his secondary education at Christchurch Technical College where he passed the Senior Free Place examination. The sports in which he was actively interested included rugby, tennis and swimming. He was also a member of his school First XV, and represented North Cantebury Junior representative Rugby football team in 1931. His civilian employment was that of a transport driver, and he was so employed by the New Zealand Road Services at Christchurch when on the 4th June, 1941, he made application for aircrew in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Flying Officer Hadley was enlisted at R.N.Z.A.F. Woodbourne on the 30th May, 1942, and was employed on aerodrome defence duties until posting on 13th October, 1942, to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua, and on the successful completion of the initial course he proceeded to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harwood, for his elementary flying training. On the conclusion of this course, he embarked on the 12th February, 1943, for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Flying Officer Hadley arrived at No. 2 "M" Depot, Brandon, Manitoba, on the 2nd March, 1943, and proceeded on the 20th of the same month to No. 12 Service Flying Training School also at Brandon, Manitoba. At this Station he trained on Crane and Anson aircraft and on the 9th July he was awarded the Flying Badge and promoted to Sergeant. He was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 22nd April, 1944, and to Flying Officer on the 11th July of the same year. Meanwhile on the 19th July, 1943, he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await embarkation to the United Kingdom.

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Flying Officer Hadley arrived at No. 12 Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton, on the 12th August, 1943, and on the 14th September he was posted to No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit at Croughton, Northamptonshire, where he trained on Oxford aircraft until proceeding late in October to No. 1538 Beam Approach Training Flight also at Croughton. On the conclusion of this course, he returned to No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit at the same station. In January, 1944, he proceeded to the Reserve Flight of No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Kidlington, Oxfordshire, and he continued his training on Oxford aircraft. Late in January he proceeded to No. 1519 Beam Approach Training Flight, Feltwell, Norfol, and on the completion of this course he returned to No. 20 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit at Kidlington. On the 8th February he was posted to No. 26 Operational Training Unit first at Little Horwood, Buckinghamshire, and later at Wing in Bedfordshire he trained on Wellington bomber aircraft until posting in May to No. 1657 Conversion Unit, Shepherd's Grove, Suffolk, where he converted to Stirling bomber aircraft. Early in July he proceeded to No. 3 Lancaster Finishing School, Feltwell, Norfolk. At this station, he converted to Lancaster bomber aircraft and on the conclusion of this course he was posted to No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron at Mepal, Cambridgeshire. With this Squadron initially as second pilot and later as captain of Lancaster bomber aircraft he participated in seventeen (17) operational flights including th targets of Bois-Chalons - Sur-Marne; Amey-Sur-Sevells; L'Isle Adam' D'Ambes; Bordeaux, Caen; Lucieux and Le Havre (3) all in France. Stettin, Bremen, Russelheim and Kiel in Germany, Eindoven in Holland (was Belgium) Danzig in Poland and a minelaying operation in the Baltic Sea.

Flying Officer Hadley was the pilot of a Lancaster bomber aircraft which took off on the night of 11/12th September, 1944, for a minelaying operation to the Baltic Sea and which failed to return. All the members of the crew including Flying Officer Hadley were classified as missing.

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Later information was received from Air Ministry that Sergeant C.R. Fowler a Royal Air Force member of the crew had arrived safely in the United Kingdom but he was unfortunately unable to shed any light on the fate of the other members of the crew, other than the aircraft had crashed near Zealand, Denmark (was Holland), and that all other members of the crew, except Flight Sergeant Wilcox who was taken prisoner-of-war, were in the aircraft when he left. With no further news forthcoming his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 12th September, 1944.

A Post-war search by the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit operating in Europe revealed that Flying Officer Hadley had been buried in the Church Yard Cemetery, Orslav, Denmark.

There were five other Royal New Zealand Air Force members of the crew, Flight Sergeant D.J.R. Wilcox of Auckland who was taken prisoner-of-war and the following who lost their lives in the crash - Flight Sergeant J.B. Gudgeon of Christchurch, Flight Sergeant W.J. Boyd of Nelson, Flight Sergeant J.M. Biggar of Wanganui and Flight Sergeant J.P. Giles of Christchurch.

5/2/11353 AS2. 587 hours as pilot.

Mr. C.J. Hadley (F) right aligned 75 Vaques Road, right aligned Christchurch, right aligned & underlined

DA/NF (right aligned) 401272 : Flying Officer Harold John George HAEUSLER. PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. H.R. Haeusler of Whakatane.

Harold Haeusler was born on the 2nd July, 1918, at Whangarei, and received his secondary education at Opatiki District High School, where he gained his School Certificate. The sports in which he was actively interested included tennis, football, cricket and golf. He was member of his school 1st XV and 1st XI. Later he was Captain of the Opatiki Representative Cricket XI. After leaving school he was employed by M.O. Kidd Ltd., agents for Ford Motor Coy., Opatiki, and at the time of his making application for aircrew training in the R.N.Z.A.F. - on the 25th September, 1939, he was employed as a warehouseman by J. Chambers & Son, Auckland.

Flying Officer Haeusler was enlisted at the Ground Training School, Levin, on the 7th May, 1940, and on completion of his initial training, was - on the 3rd June - posted to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth, for his elementary flying training and thence - on the 30th July - to No. 2 Service Flying Training, Woodbourne, where - on the 30th September, 1940 - he was awarded his flying badge and on the 22nd November, 1940, promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On the 1st September, 1941, he was promoted to Flight Sergeant and, six months later to Warrant Officer. On the 6th May, 1942, he was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer, and promoted to Flying Officer on the 1st November, 1942. He embarked for the United Kingdom on the 5th December, 1940, on the "Aorangi".

Shortly after arrvial in the United Kingdom, F/O Haeusler was posted on the 1st February, 1941, to No. 3 School of General Reconnaissance, Squires Gate, Lancashire, for a course on Botha aircraft. Late in June, 1941, he proceeded to No. 3 Operational Training Unit, Silloth, Cumberland, where he crewed up and completed his training on Whitley aircraft. Early in

H.J.G. HAEUSLER. 2. (centre aligned)

July he was posted to No. 612 Squadron, and with this Squadron first at Wick and later at Limavady, North Ireland, St. Eval, Cornwall and Reykjavik, Iceland, as 1st and 2nd pilot on Whitley aircraft, he carried out 57 operational flights. These included anti-submarine sweeps and convoy escorts. On one occasion he was detailed for special escort for H.M.S. "Renown". During October, 1942, he attended a Beam Approach Training Course at No. 10 Beam Approach Training Flight, Leuchars, Scotland, returning to his Squadron late in the same month.

On the 9th November, 1942, F/O Haeusler was pilot of a Whitley aircraft which took off on air operations in the Faeroe Isles area. During the course of these operations the aircraft crashed, F/O Haeusler losing his life. He was buried in the Midraag Cemetery at Vaagar, Faeroe Islands.

5/2/2372 AS2 641 hrs. as pilot.

Mr. H.R. Haeusler (F) (right aligned) Paroa, (right aligned) R.D., WHAKATANE. (right aligned & underlined)