Claude Joseph Frederick Jarvis

Born 19 Jun 1920 - Died 6 Sept 1942

Service number: WWII NZ411722 AWMM
WWII 411722 AWMM
Also known as: Nipper AWMM
Armed force / branch: Air Force AWMM
Last rank: Sergeant (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner) AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 75 (NZ) Squadron AWMM
War: World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Claude Joseph Frederick Jarvis — Portrait (kindly provided by family) - This image may be subject to copyright

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Biographical information

Son of Frederick Joseph Jarvis and Blanche Jarvis (nee Bath), Hastings, New Zealand

Claude was a great sportsman from an early age, playing mainly cricket and table tennis. He had been picked as Captain to the NZ Under 21 Team to Australia when war intervened. His sister Dawn writes he had a kind and generous nature.

The Claude Jarvis Shield for Competition between Wellington and Hutt Valley cricket colts, was donated by the relatives of Claude after his death. The trophy having been provided from funds set aside for cricket by Claude prior to his departure from NZ.

On 21 October 1942 the New Zealand Herald reported C.J.F. Jarvis as missing on operations.

The family received a letter on 11 February 1947 from the Air Ministry. The letter details the location of the graves of the crew in a Military Cemetery at Krefeld, and the subsequent interviewing of a farmer in whose garden the aircraft crashed 'He told me that the accident occurred between 11 and 12 pm on the 7th September, 1942, and had not exploded after catching fire. Some of the bodies found were not complete. A large bag was found near the crew. All of these were confiscated by the Wehrmacht. The farmer and his family gathered all the human remains and he was certain there could only have been five in the crew. I then ordered the exhumation of all these graves and found that the Germans had buried the remains of one man in two graves. As this substantiated the evidence of the farmer, I accordingly arranged for the remains in these two graves to be re-interred in one grave. This now clears the mystery surrounding the "6th man." Arrangements have now been made to have the collective marking of all the crew on a cross over this grave".

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.

Attended Hutt Valley High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845612)) AWMM

Sources

External links: Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2055819
Sources Used
RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845612
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 (R17845745)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845745
Sources Used
Archive Loss Report:
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/sharman-george-william.html
Public - Kelvin - Researcher - 3 October 2021 - http://www.aircrewremembered.com/sharman-george-william.html
References: Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
This record is a work in progress and was partially compiled from the “Database of New Zealand Airmen who took part in Advanced Air Training in Canada during WW2”. Researched by Ivan and Lorna Lindsey of Tauranga. N.Z. 2003 – 2012. Reproduced with permission.
Information kindly provided by family
RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612) - 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. [List of Missing - United Kingdom, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845745)

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Claude Joseph Frederick Jarvis