James Bracegirdle
Born 17 Nov 1918 - Died 6 Sept 1940
- Service number
- NZ40199 AWMM
- WWII 40199 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Sergeant AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 44 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- James AWMM
- Surname
- Bracegirdle AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- NZ40199 AWMM
- WWII 40199 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 17 Nov 1918 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- WW2 Mr H. Bracegirdle, 7 Heather Street, Parnell, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- WW2 Father : Mr. A. Bracegirdle of Auckland AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- NZ40199 AWMM
- WWII 40199 AWMM
- Military service
- Royal Air Force, No. 106 Squadron AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, No. 106 Squadron AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- Levin - entered camp on 15 January 1940 AWMM
- Ohakea - trained as airgunner starting 9 February 1940 and awarded airgunner wings in March 1940. AWMM
- No. 16 Training Unit (UK) - entered unit on 2 June 1940 and trained on Hampden aircraft. AWMM
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 1 Air Observer School, Malton, Ontario, Canada AWMM
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW2 Engineer/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Akaroa AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Sergeant AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 44 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of Ethel Rose and Arthur Bracegirdle, Parnell, Auckland.
At the time of his death, Sergeant Bracegirdle had completed 81 hours of flying and was on what was possibly his 5th operation. He was attached at the time to Bomber Command and on the day of his death was flying in the position of Air Gunner.
In 1998 Adriaan de Winter and Ton van Alphen undertook a project in the Reichswald Forest Cemetery photographing all the headstones of New Zealanders buried there.
Papers held in the Manuscripts Collection of the Museum Library contains several items of interest. These include letters describing Sergeant Bracegirdle's first missions over Europe including damage to his plane, his life in Lincolnshire, and friends (Doris Hill, Spencer, Morry Edwards), drawings of the Handley Page Hampden Bomber, booklet of the Battle of Britain Memorial Service in Westminster Abbey. He also mentions his will. Bracegirdle, James. Papers, 1940 - 1948. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 99/43. Harold, Jack Nelson. Military service records relating to the Harold and Bracegirdle families. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 97/28. Harold, Jack Nelson. Papers relating to World Wars I and II, 1914 - 1982. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/177.
Attended Seddon Memorial Technical College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845608)) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 6 Sept 1940 AWMM
Age 21 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany AWMM 21. F. 11. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
Related objects
Related Serviceperson
Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2037102
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Bo - Cl. Archives New Zealand (R17845608)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845608
Sources Used - List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845744
Sources Used - https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/29418/wow-ordeal-amazing-escape-bomberPublic - Antonio - Researcher - 12 January 2022 - Web Site
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
- References
- Chorley, W. (1996). Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses of the Second World War: Aircraft and crew losses 1943 (Vol. 4). Leicester, England: Midland Counties Publications.
Chorley, W.R. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, vol.1 - Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- Bracegirdle, James. Papers, 1940 - 1948. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 99/43.
- Harold, Jack Nelson. Military service records relating to the Harold and Bracegirdle families. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 97/28.
- Harold, Jack Nelson. Papers relating to World Wars I and II, 1914 - 1982. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2002/177.
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Bo - Cl. Archives New Zealand (R17845608) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- Please note that the 11 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions.
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [(New Zealanders Attached to R.A.F. [Royal Air Force]) (Officers), (Europe) - Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845744)
- Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
- Chorley, W. (1996). Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses of the Second World War: Aircraft and crew losses 1943 (Vol. 4). Leicester, England: Midland Counties Publications.
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.