RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Ma - McW

RS/NF 415348 : Pilot Officer Thomas Alexander MALLON. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. A. Mallon of Taranaki.

Thomas Mallon was born on 25th November, 1914, at Christchurch and was educated at the New Plymouth Boys' High School, where he obtained his Senior Free Place. He was interested in football, swimming and tennis. Prior to his enlistment he managed his own general store at Moturoa, Taranaki.

P/O Mallon made application for training as an airman pilot in January, 1941, and was accepted, and enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, on 27th September, 1941. On completion of his course in November, 1941, he was posted to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth.

He sailed for Canada on 28th December, 1941 for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme. On arrival he was posted to No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Uplands, Ontario, where he was awarded his flying badge and promoted to Sergeant on 8th May, 1942. The same month he was posted to No. 9 Bombing & Gunnery School, Mont Joli, Quebec, where he was engaged as a staff pilot on Fairey Battle and other types of aircraft. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on 8th November, 1942.

In May, 1943 P/O Mallon crossed to the United Kingdom where he spent a short time at No. 11 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, before proceeding to No. 20 Advanced Flying Unit, Weston-on-Green, Oxfordshire. Here he flew Airspeed Oxford aircraft. On 31st August, 1943, he was posted to No. 12 Advanced Flying Unit, Grantham, Lincolnshire, where he underwent training in Bristol Blenheim aircraft. On 8th November, 1943 he was promoted to Warrant Officer. In January, 1944 he was posted to No. 51 Operational Training Unit, Cranfield, Buckinghamshire. Here he converted to Bristol Beaufighter aircraft.

While at No. 51 OTU he was sent on a detachment to No. 551 Squadron, Twinwood Farm, Bedfordshire, where he remained until the end of April 1944. On 9th May 1944 he joined No. 488 (NZ) Squadron at Zeals, Wiltshire and from that base he took part in night-fighter patrols in Mosquito aircraft. In July the squadron moved to Colerne, in the same county. In October, 1944 they moved to Hunsdon, Hertfordshire, and from there he took part in several patrols over Northern France. On 2nd November, 1944 he was commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer.

The Squadron moved to Northern France in November 1944, and was based at Glisy, near Amiens. On 24th December 1944 P/O Mallon engaged and damaged a Junkers JU188 aircraft.

P/O Mallon was pilot of a Mosquito night fighter aircraft which took off from an aerodrome in Holland at 4.28 a.m. on 12th March, 1945. The aircraft failed to climb sufficiently to clear a building a mile and a half beyond the end of the runway, and it crashed some distance further on. Both members of the crew were killed instantly. The navigator P/O G.H. Brock was from Palmerston North. The airmen were buried with full Service Honours in the Breda Cemetery, Prinzenhagen, Zuylen, Holland.

5/2/7790 1175 hrs. as pilot.

Mrs. A. Mallon (M) (right aligned) Bell Block, TARANAKI (right aligned & town underlined)

RS/NF (right aligned) 415776 : Warrant Officer Richard Brandon MANDER. PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. R.W. Mander of Auckland.

Richard Mander was born at Hamilton on 5th November 1921, and was educated at the Takapuna Grammar School, Auckland, whre he was a keen participant in rugby, tennis, cricket and boxing. He gained his Senior Free Place in 1937. Prior to enlistment he was an apprenticed linotype operator employed by Wilson & Horton Ltd., Auckland. He attended the Seddon Memorial Techincal College for linotype instruction.

W/O Mander applied for training as a pilot in September, 1940, he was accepted, and enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on 19th October 1941. At the end of November, 1941 he was posted to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, where he commenced flying training. His flying training was temporarily terminated in February 1942 and after a short period at the ITW was posted to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood, where he recommenced flying training.

W/O Mander sailed for Canada on the 10th May, 1942, to undergo training under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Shortly after his arrival in Canada he was posted to No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary, Alberta, where he flew in Cessna Crane aircraft. He was awarded his flying badge and promoted to Sergeant on 9th October 1942. He sailed for the United Kingdom late in October 1942 and after a short period at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, he was posted to No. 15 Advanced Flying Unit he spent a short time on a beam approach course at Bramcote, Warwickshire. In February, 1943 he was posted to No. 24 Operational Training Unit, Honeybourne, Worcestershire, where he flew Whitley aircraft. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on 1st May 1943.

-2- (centre aligned)

Later in the month he was posted to No. 11 Radio School, Hooton Park, Cheshire, where he was engaged on general flying duties in Avro Anson and Blackburn Botha aircraft. In December, 1943 he was posted to No. 21 Operational Training Unit, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, where he converted to Wellington Aircraft, and was engaged on general navigation and cross-country flights. In March, 1944 proceeded to Hurn, Hampshire, from which aerodrome he flew, on the 26th March, to Foggia, Wetsren Italy, by way of Algeria and the Middle East. On April 1st, 1944 he joined No. 37 Squadron, then based in Italy, and two nights later took part in his first operation against enemy targets in Budapest, Hungary. During the following three months he took part in 19 operations over enemy targets in Rumania, Italy, Hungary and Yugoslavia. He was promoted to Warrant Officer on the 1st May 1944.

Warrant Officer Mander was the pilot and captian of a Wellington aircraft which took off from Tortorella on air operations against the target of Budapest, hungary on the 25th June, 1944 and failed to return to its base. All the crew, including Warrant Officer Mander, were reported missing. No further information regarding the aircraft or crew was gained through the International Red Cross Committee, and all the members of the crew were subsequently presumed to have lost their lives on that date.

A post war casualty search revealed that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed near Furged. All the crew were killed in the crash and were buried in a communal grave in the Furged Cemetery. The bodies of the crew including Warrant Officer Mander were re-interred in the Budapest Military Cemetery.

5/2/6360 AS2 1036 hours as pilot

Mrs. F. Mander (M) (right aligned) 27 Craig Road, (right aligned) Milford, AUCKLAND (right aligned & Auckland underlined)

40240 Sergeant Jack MANEY PARENTS Mr and Mrs C.V. Maney of Auckland.

Jack Maney was born at Auckland on the 30th October, 1917. His secondary education was received at Mount Albert Grammar School, where he gained his School Certificate and passed the Matriculation examination. He afterwards furthered his studies by attending classes in commercial subjects at Seddon Memorial Technical College. He was a prominent rifle shot winning a number of trophies and other sports of his were soccer and tennis. He was employed as an accountant by Messrs Kendon & Mills, Public Accountants of Auckland. In March, 1939 he applied for enrolment in the Civil Reserve of Pilots and on being accepted was assigned to the Auckland Aero Club for training. On the outbreak of war he at once applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Sergeant Maney was enlisted for aircrew training on the 15th January, 1940 at the Ground Training School, Levin, and posted on 11th February to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Tairei, to commence his service flying. He proceeded on the 9th April, to No. 1 Service Flying Training School, Wigram and while here on the 27th July, was awarded the flying badge and received his promoted to Sergeant. Following this on the 11th August he embarked on the "Akaroa" at Lyttleton to proceed to the United Kingdom.

Having arrived at No. 1 Depot, Uxbridge, Middlesex, on the 30th September 1940, Sergeant Maney was posted on the 20th October, to No. 57 Operational Training Unit, Hawarden, Flintshire, Wales, to complete his training on Spitfire fighter aircraft, and following this, on the 4th December to No. 258 Squadorn, Drem, East Lothian, Scotland. He remained with this Squadron until the 17th March, 1941, when he was posted to No. 485 (N.Z.) Squadron, first at Driffield, Yorkshire and later at Redhill, Surrey. With this Squadron as pilot of a Spitfire fighter he engaged in fourteen operational flights including four convoy patrols, three offensive patrols over the French Coast, three night patrols and three flights affording covering bombers.