Arthur Coningham
Born 11 Mar 1895 - Died 29 Jan 1948
- Service number
- WWI 1/456 AWMM
- WWI 7/1177 AWMM
- Also known as
- Arthur Mary Coningham AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Trooper AWMM Canterbury Mounted Rifles AWMM
- WW2 Air Marshal/Military AWMM Royal Air Force, Flying Training Command (Commander in Chief) AWMM
- War
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- Arthur AWMM
- Surname
- Coningham AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
- Arthur Mary Coningham AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 1/456 AWMM
- WWI 7/1177 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 11 Mar 1895 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Pre 05 Aug 1914 AWMM Maungahuia, Dannevirke, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- WW1 Mrs A. Coningham (mother), 123 Cuba Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 15 Aug 1914 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- Samoa AWMM
- 1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Italy AWMM
- Western Desert AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 1/456 AWMM
- WWI 7/1177 AWMM
- Military service
- Served as an instructor at the School of Technical Training and the Central Flying School, 1920 AWMM
- Officer Commanding (OC) of 55 Squadron, 1923 AWMM
- Royal Australian Air Force, No. 1 Tactical Air Force AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 2 Tactical Air Force AWMM
- No. 4 Group, Bomber Command, Royal Air Force AWMM
- Royal Air Force, No. 55 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Flying Corps, 92 Squadron AWMM
- Royal Flying Corps, 32 Squadron AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Knight Commander of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath (KCB) AWMM
- Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE) AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: London Gazette, 26 September 1917. Citation: "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. With three other pilots he attacked an enemy machine which was protected by ten others, shot it down, and destroyed another one the same evening. Shortly afterwards he and two others attacked five of the enemy, and although wounded and rendered unconscious for the moment he succeeded in driving down two of the enemy. In spite of being exhausted by loss of blood he continued his patrol until he was sure there were no more enemy machines in the vicinity, setting a splendid example of pluck and determination." (Haigh & Polaschek, p310) AWMM - Military Cross (MC) AWMM
MC: London Gazette, 17 September 1917. "For conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty in attacking enemy aircraft. On numerous occasions he has displayed great dash and a fine offensive spirit in engaging the enemy at close range, and driving them down completely out of control." (RAF Web biography) AWMM - Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) AWMM
- Air Force Cross (AFC) AWMM
- 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
- General Service Medal 1918-62 (Kurdistan clasp) AWMM
- 1939-1945 Star AWMM
- Air Crew Europe Star (France and Germany clasp) AWMM
- Africa Star AWMM
- Italy Star AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
- King George V Silver Jubilee Medal 1935 AWMM
- Coronation Medal 1937 AWMM
- Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (France) AWMM
- Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France) AWMM
- Distinguished Service Medal (USA) AWMM
- Legion of Merit (USA) AWMM
- Grand Cordon de l'Ordre de Léopold, division militaire (Belgium) AWMM
- Croix de Guerre with Palm (Belgium) AWMM
- Order of the Phoenix (Greece) AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 05 Aug 1914 AWMM
Age 19 AWMM
Farmer/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 14 Aug 1914-28 Aug 1914 AWMM
HMNZT 2 AWMM Private AWMM 5th (Wellington) Regiment, B Company AWMM Samoan Advance Party AWMM - WW1 17 Apr 1915-25 May 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 23 AWMM Vessel was Waitomo AWMM Trooper AWMM Canterbury Mounted Rifles AWMM 4th Reinforcements AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
- WW1 14 Aug 1914-28 Aug 1914 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
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Contracted typhoid fever in 1916 AWMM - Wounds Diseases Etc., WWI AWMM
Wounded in action twice with the Royal Flying Corps AWMM - 29 Jan 1948 AWMM Killed in Air Accident, Cause of Death AWMM
Coningham disappeared when G-AHNP Star Tiger was lost off the east coast of the United States on route to Bermuda. AWMM
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 1 Apr 1916 AWMM
Discharged medically unfit for war service AWMM
Trooper AWMM
Canterbury Mounted Rifles AWMM - WW2 1947 AWMM Air Marshal/Military AWMM
Royal Air Force, Flying Training Command (Commander in Chief) AWMM
- WW1 1 Apr 1916 AWMM
- Last rank
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Biographical information
- Although Coningham was born in Australia, he was raised in New Zealand.
Educated Terrace School and Wellington College.
Joined the New Zealand forces on the outbreak of war in 1914. He first served with the Wellington Regiment in Samoa
Later he ended up at Gallipoli with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. At some point in 1916, he contracted typhoid fever, invalided and was discharged from the NZEF.
Determined not to sit out the rest of the war, after he had sufficiently recovered, he traveled to England and joined the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) late in 1916.
Flight Commander with 32 Squadron, RFC in 1917.
Officer Commanding (OC) of 92 Squadron, RFC, in 1918.
The actual number of enemy aircraft he shot down in WWI differs depending on the source. According to Haigh & Polaschek, it was only 9 confirmed victories; according to the Aerodrome.com website, it was 14; and according to the RAF Web biography, it was 19. The Aerodrome.com website gives a detailed list of his victories.
Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of 4 Group, Bomber Command, Royal Air Force (RAF) 1939-41.
AOC 1 Tactical Air Force (TAF), North Africa, Sicily, Italy, 1943-44.
Coningham appeared on the cover of Time Magazine on 14 August 1944.
AOC 2 TAF, invasion of northwest Europe and Germany, 1944-45.
Commander-in-Chief of Flying Training Command, RAF, 1945-47.
While en route to Bermuda on board a British South American Airways flight, the aircraft on which Coningham was travelling, BSAAC "Star Tiger", disappeared in the area known as the Bermuda Triangle. On board the "Star Tiger" was fellow NZer Brian McMillan (see separate Cenotaph record for more information).
Date of death may have been 29 January or 30 January 1948.
Haigh & Polaschek give Coningham's birthdate as 19 January 1895. Other sources give his birthdate as 11 March 1895. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 29 Jan 1948 AWMM
Age 52 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 in Air Accident 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
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Sources
- External links
- Website: Air of Authority - A history of RAF organisation. Biography.
http://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Coningham.htm
Further Reference - Private website, the Aerodrome with air forces information and photographs.
http://www.theaerodrome.com/aces/australi/coningham.html
Further Reference - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BSAA_Star_Tiger_disappearance
Further Reference - Military Personnel File
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21896567
Further Reference - Squadron Commander Arthur Coningham - R.F.C. Distinguished Service order: Military Cross Distinguished Flying Cross
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R24184613
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2739491
Further Reference - Powles, C.G. (Ed). (1928). History of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles 1914-19. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210315175255/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1CMRi-t1-body.html
Further Reference
- Website: Air of Authority - A history of RAF organisation. Biography.
- References
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 143 - Orange, V. (1990). Coningham: a Biography of Air Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham. London, England: Methuen.
- Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
volume 2. - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait - McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- 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.
V1,n8,p24, V7,n5,p16 - Powles, C.G. (Ed). (1928). History of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles 1914-19. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
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