Lawrence Furby Croft
Born 1 Jan 1921 - Died 29 Oct 1944
- Service number
- WWII NZ422079 AWMM
- WWII 422079 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Flying Officer/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 582 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Lawrence Furby AWMM
- Surname
- Croft AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII NZ422079 AWMM
- WWII 422079 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 1 Jan 1921 Martyn
- 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 Wife: Mrs. E. Croft of Wadestown Wellington AWMM
- WW2 Parents: Mr. & Mrs. I. F. Croft of Amberley Canterbury AWMM
- Relationship status
- Married/WWII AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- WWII NZ422079 AWMM
- WWII 422079 AWMM
- Military service
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada AWMM
Course 1: Graduation Date: 24/05/1943. AWMM - Royal Air Force, No. 626 Squadron AWMM
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 3 Service Flying Training School, Calgary, Alberta, Canada AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
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- Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Bloemfontein AWMM Farmhand/Civilian Base Record 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 on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Flying Officer/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 582 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Lawrence Croft was theson of Isaac Furby Croft and of Bertha Croft (nee Anderson); husband of Elizabeth Croft, of Wadestown, Wellington, New Zealand.
Attended Christchurch Technical College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845609)) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 29 Oct 1944 AWMM
Age 23 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- Westkapelle, Walcheren Island, Scheldt estuaryPublic - Fraser - Researcher - 10 October 2023 - Ray Parke completed 40 operational missions with Bomber Command 10/44-03/45. Ray Parke is alive and aged 98.5, living in Norwich.
- Cause of death
- Killed on Active Service AWMM
- Death notes
- Former RAF flight engineer, W/O Ray Parke 3005095, part of the RAF 218 Squadron Klenner crew from Methwold, in Lancaster HA-A PD277 was on the same daylight mission as F/O Croft of 582 Squadron, who was a pathfinder marking German gun positions over the Walcheren Island, as a prelude to Operation Infatuate.
Ray recalls his Lancaster HA-A was following the stream of 358 aircraft over Westkapelle (a coastal town on the far west end of the Walcheren peninsula), that he saw, recorded and reported this pathfinder Lancaster as being hit by a heavy anti-aircraft gun, probably an 88mm, just prior to delivering it’s load and the aircraft exploding just above Westkapelle. The debris fell in very small parts into the town below, with no parachutes seen.
It is clear in Ray’s record as it was the only Lancaster reported as lost on that raid.
Other details from Ray’s logbook are ‘Sunday morning , taking off at 10.01 and it only taking 2 hours 10 minutes before landing. Part of the RAF 3 Group mission, which took place shortly before British amphibious landings PD277 dropped a bombload of 11 x 1000lbs and 4 x 500lb bombs on Nazi fortifications. 1 Lancaster was lost from pathfinder 582 Squadron. Visibility good and targets were marked by a Pathfinder Master Bomber and the outcome reported as ‘concentrated’.
Ray completed 40 operational missions with Bomber Command 10/44-03/45.
Ray Parke is alive and aged 98.5, living in Norwich.Public - Fraser - Researcher - 10 October 2023 - Ray Parke was there and completed 40 operational missions with Bomber Command 10/44-03/45.
Ray Parke is alive and aged 98.5, living in Norwich. - Former RAF flight engineer, W/O Ray Parke 3005095, part of the RAF 218 Squadron Klenner crew from Methwold, in Lancaster HA-A PD277 was on the same daylight mission as F/O Croft of 582 Squadron, who was a pathfinder marking German gun positions over the Walcheren Island, as a prelude to Operation Infatuate.
Ray recalls his Lancaster HA-A was following the stream of 358 aircraft over Westkapelle (a coastal town on the far west end of the Walcheren peninsula), that he saw, recorded and reported this pathfinder Lancaster as being hit by a heavy anti-aircraft gun, probably an 88mm, just prior to delivering it’s load and the aircraft exploding just above Westkapelle. The debris fell in very small parts into the town below, with no parachutes seen.
It is clear in Ray’s record as it was the only Lancaster reported as lost on that raid.
Other details from Ray’s logbook are ‘Sunday morning , taking off at 10.01 and it only taking 2 hours 10 minutes before landing. Part of the RAF 3 Group mission, which took place shortly before British amphibious landings PD277 dropped a bombload of 11 x 1000lbs and 4 x 500lb bombs on Nazi fortifications. 1 Lancaster was lost from pathfinder 582 Squadron. Visibility good and targets were marked by a Pathfinder Master Bomber and the outcome reported as ‘concentrated’.
Ray completed 40 operational missions with Bomber Command 10/44-03/45.
Ray Parke is alive and aged 98.5, living in Norwich.Public - Fraser - Researcher - 10 October 2023 - Ray completed 40 operational missions with Bomber Command 10/44-03/45. Ray Parke is alive and aged 98.5, living in Norwich.
- Former RAF flight engineer, W/O Ray Parke 3005095, part of the RAF 218 Squadron Klenner crew from Methwold, in Lancaster HA-A PD277 was on the same daylight mission as F/O Croft of 582 Squadron, who was a pathfinder marking German gun positions over the Walcheren Island, as a prelude to Operation Infatuate.
- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- 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
- Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/231512
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Co - Dy. Archives New Zealand (R17845609)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845609
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 - List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. Archives New Zealand (R17845747)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845747
Sources Used
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
- 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) - Co - Dy. Archives New Zealand (R17845609) - 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)
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [List of Missing]. Archives New Zealand (R17845747)
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