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Te pūkete kohinga

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Photograph

human history
  • Ingoa Kē

    Andrew Fletcher with Frank Hudson in New York (descriptive name)

    NZ42675, F/S Andrew Fletcher, 75 (NZ) Squadron, RNZAF (associated name)

  • Kupu whakaahua

    Photograph of Andrew Fletcher and Frank Hudson in New York

  • Accession Number
    2018.22.17
  • Rā Tāpiringa
    17 May 2018
  • Wāhanga

    History

    War History

    [library]

photograph, 3 airman / 2018.22.17 / © Auckland Museum CC BY

Mātātuhi me ngā tuhinga

Mātātuhi

  • photograph, 3 airman / 2018.22.17 / © Auckland Museum CC BY
  • photograph, 3 airman / 2018.22.17 / © Auckland Museum CC BY
  • photograph, 3 airman / 2018.22.17 / © Auckland Museum CC BY

Taonga

  • Rārangi Mihi
    Collection of Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, 2018.22.17
    Gift of Mrs Margaret Hales-Owens
  • Tuhipoka Hāngai

    Andrew Fletcher was born on 16th May 1920 in Devonport, Auckland. He moved to Cambridge with his family and attended school there, but he returned to Auckland to work in farming in East Tamaki after his family moved back to Devonport. Fletcher enlisted at the RNZAF Station at Ohakea in 1942 and trained as a wireless operator/Air gunner in Levin. He left New Zealand on 1 April 1943 to train in Canada, and arrived in England on 17th November 1943, where he was posted to No.

    75 (NZ) Squadron RAF in 1944 for operational flying on Avro Lancaster bombers.

    Andrew Fletcher married Dorothy Maud Clifford in England on 27th May 1944. Dorothy was a supervisor in telecommunications at Bletchley Park during World War 11.

    Andrew Fletcher undertook 10 sorties with the No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. He was killed during a raid on an oil plant at Homberg in the Ruhr region of Germany on 20th July 1944. The Lancaster crashed near the Veghel-Uden Road and all the crew were killed except for the Flight Engineer who was taken prisoner. It was one of the worst disasters for the 75 (NZ) Squadron, with the loss of seven lancasters and their crews. Fletcher and the rest of the crew were buried at Uden War Cemetery.

    Andrew and Dorothy Fletcher had been married for just 55 days when Andrew died.

    After the war, Dorothy was repatriated as a New Zealand war widow and sailed to New Zealand in 1946. She returned to the UK in 1949.

  • Wā

    George VI (1936 - 1952)/House of Windsor/English reign

  • Pāoho

    photographic paper/paper (fiber product)

  • Raraunga Ine

    90mm

    65mm

  • Taumata whakarōpū

    photograph

    documentary artifact

  • Whakahounga o Mua
    15 May 2023
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