William Upton Hewett
Born 29 Aug 1912 - Died 12 Jan 1942
- Service number
- NZ404363 AWMM
- WWII 404363 AWMM
- Also known as
- Bill AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Pilot Officer AWMM Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 1 Depot Training Command AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Upton AWMM
- Surname
- Hewett AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Bill AWMM
- Service number
- NZ404363 AWMM
- WWII 404363 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 29 Aug 1912 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- Mrs Jane Elinor Hewett (mother), Roto-O-Rangi, Cambridge, Waikato, New Zealand AWMM
- WW2 Brother: Mr. B. S. Hewett, Roto-o-Rangi, Cambridge AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII AWMM
- Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Battle of the Atlantic AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- NZ404363 AWMM
- WWII 404363 AWMM
- Military service
- Royal New Zealand Air Force attached to Royal Canadian Air Force AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Dunnville, Ontario, Canada AWMM
Course 1: Class 24/I. Graduation Date: 8/11/1941. AWMM - British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 4 Air Observer School, London, Ontario, Canada AWMM
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario, Canada AWMM
- British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Dunnville, Ontario, Canada AWMM
- 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 Awatea 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 on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on transit from Canada to England AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Pilot Officer AWMM
Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 1 Depot Training Command AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- William Hewett was the son of Charles Robert Hewett, and of Jane Elinor Hewett (nee Slack), of Roto-O-Rangi, Cambridge.
Educated at Collegiate School, Wanganui and then joined his brother, Basil, on the family dairy farm.
He lost his life when his transport was sunk by a U Boat.
Fifty years later Basil and Cynthia Hewett have commemorated their brother by participating in the New Zealand Native Forests Restoration Trust. Late in 1991 the bequest was announced as its sixth reserve under the Trust's Memorial Forest Scheme. Miss C. Hewett and Mr B. Hewett of Cambridge, bought a block of 242 hectares at Titoki near Whangarei. The Reserve is named after William Upton Hewett and contains regenerating Northland forest, and is especially notable for its population of kiwi and fernbirds and many unique plants, some very rare locally.
Portrait on Wings over Cambridge website. Next of kin details compiled from information in the Casualty lists published in the newspapers.
Attended Wanganui Collegiate School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845611)) AWMM - RNZAF Pilot-Officer William Hewett had completed Pilot training at Canada and he was en-route from Halifax, Nova Scotia to RAF duty at England - with 2 fellow RNZAF Pilot Officers - Pilot Officer Maurice Melton Campbell (NZ40530) and Pilot Officer Michael Angland (NZ441357) - when the transit ship they were aboard - 'Yngaren' - was torpedoed by German U-Boat 43 - 600 miles west off the coast of Ireland (Position 57 degrees 00'W; 26 degrees 00W - Grid AL1938). Of the 40 crew and passengers aboard 38 (including the 3 RNZAF Air-men lost their lives). 2 Survivors were later found in a life raft.
Details here from website UBoat.net
At 08.02 hours on 12 Jan 1942 the unescorted Yngaren, a straggler from convoy HX-168 due to bad weather, was hit by two torpedoes from U-43 in heavy seas and sank within one minute about 600 miles west of Ireland. The master, 31 crew members and six British passengers were lost. On 10 February, two survivors (a Swede and a Dane) on a raft were spotted by a Hudson aircraft from the Coastal Command. They were picked up the next day by a British fishing trawler that was directed to them by a Catalina flying boat.Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 16 April 2019 - Website : UBoat-net
- William Hewett was the son of Charles Robert Hewett, and of Jane Elinor Hewett (nee Slack), of Roto-O-Rangi, Cambridge.
About death
- Death
- 12 Jan 1942 AWMM
Age 29 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed on Active Service AWMM
- Death notes
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- 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
- Ottawa Memorial (Commonwealth Air Force Memorial), Ontario, Canada AWMM
- William Upton Hewett Memorial Reserve, between Pipiwai and Titoki, Northland, New Zealand AWMM
- Cambridge Cenotaph, Victoria St, Cambridge 3434 AWMM
- Cambridge World War Two War Memorials AWMM
- Cambridge World War Two War Memorials AWMM
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Sources Used - Wings over Cambridge. Biography.
http://www.cambridgeairforce.org.nz/William%20Hewett.htm
Further Reference - William Upton Hewett Memorial Reserve
https://www.nfrt.org.nz/reserves/william-upton-hewett/
Further Reference - Air casualties. Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1942, Page 7
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19420210.2.96&srpos
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2622710
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ha - Hy. Archives New Zealand (R17845611)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845611
Sources Used
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
- References
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Martyn, E. (1998-2008). Vol 1, p. 171 - Baker, S.K. (1992). The William Upton Hewett Memorial Reserve Management Plan. Auckland, N.Z.: NZ Native Forests Restoration Trust.
- 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.
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ha - Hy. Archives New Zealand (R17845611) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [Missing - But Presumed Dead on Lapse of Time - Officers, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845743)
- 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 - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762).
- Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
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