William Arthur Middleton
Born 31 Dec 1918 - Died 27 Aug 1941
- Service number
- NZ39928 AWMM
- Also known as
- Bill AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Flying Officer (Pilot)/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 485 (NZ) Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Arthur AWMM
- Surname
- Middleton AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Bill AWMM
- Service number
- NZ39928 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 31 Dec 1918 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- —
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs J.C.M. Middleton (mother), Mt Eden, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- WW2 Mother: Mrs. J. C. M. Middleton. C/o Mr. A. H. Hornblow, P. O. Box 20, Wellington AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII AWMM
- Pre 07 Jun 1940 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1940 AWMM Battle of Britain AWMM
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- NZ39928 AWMM
- Military service
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Sep 1939 AWMM
Age 21 AWMM
Clerk AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Vessel was Rangatira AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
York Military Hospital, after collision with crashed aircraft AWMM - Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations AWMM
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Flying Officer (Pilot)/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 485 (NZ) Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- William Middleton was the eldest son of Frederick Charles Middleton and Jean Caroline Myrtle Middleton, of Auckland
Educated at Lyall bay school, Wellington and Auckland Grammar School
Member of the College Rifles Rugby Football Club, Auckland, and the Poneke Football club, Wellington
His father was the Postmaster in Newmarket, Auckland
Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981).
Attended Auckland Grammar School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845613)) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 27 Aug 1941 AWMM
Age 22 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Dunkirk Town Cemetery, Nord, France AWMM Plot 2 Row 2 Grave 17 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland Grammar School War Memorial, New Zealand AWMM
- Newmarket War Memorial, Olympic Park, Newmarket, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Roll of Honour, College Rifles, Rugby Union Football & Sports Club, 33 Haast Street, Remuera, Auckland AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Sources Used - Obituary: Pilot Officer Middleton Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 144, 20 June 1942, Page 6
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19420620.2.68&srpos
Further Reference - Battle of Britain, a website.
http://web.archive.org/web/20000815053959/http://web.archive.org/web/20060403113135/http://www.raf.mod.uk/bob1940/bobhome.html
Further Reference - Battle of Britain Historical Society website.
http://www.battleofbritain1940.net/
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2275045
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ma - McW. Archives New Zealand (R17845613)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845613
Sources Used - See a list of New Zealanders awarded the Battle of Britain Clasp here (PDF). Compiled with the assistance of Errol Martyn and linked from the NZHistory page produced by Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture and Heritage.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/nz-battle-of-britain-list.pdf
Further Reference - Battle of Britain: Allied Pilots, Aircrew Remembered
https://aircrewremembered.com/BattleOfBritainDatabase/battlebritain-alpha-list.html
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference - Aircrew Remembered:
https://aircrewremembered.com/middleton-william-arthur.htmlPublic - Antonio - Researcher - 10 January 2026 - Internet research
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
- References
- Auckland Grammar School Chronicle. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland Grammar School.
Auckland Grammar School chronicle. 1941. portrait - Hanson, C. (2001). By such deeds: honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999. Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Hanson, C. (2001). p. 348 - Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
Martyn, E. (1998-2008). vol. 1 p. 139; vol. 3 p. 347 - Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author.
Wynn, K. (1981). pp. 292-294 - Kirk, Stan. Letters from members of the College Rifles Rugby Football Club 1939-1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library- Tāmaki Paenga Hira.. MS-1418
- The Evening Post
- Connolly, A., & Stanes, P. Rememberance: Auckland Grammar School Great War Roll of Honour. Vols 1 & 2. Auckland: Petand Prodctions.
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. (2012). New Zealanders serving with RAF Fighter Command during the Battle of Britain, 10 July – 31 October 1940. [A list compiled by Ministry for Culture and Heritage with Errol Martyn].
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ma - McW. Archives New Zealand (R17845613) - 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.
- Royal New Zealand Air Force. (1941–1945). Contact: National magazine of the R.N.Z.A.F.; the official organ of the Air Force Association (Inc.). Levin, New Zealand: Royal New Zealand Air Force.
V7,n5,p16
- Auckland Grammar School Chronicle. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland Grammar School.
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