condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Rex Laughton Kippenberger

-
Lay a poppy

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Rex Laughton AWMM
  • Surname
    Kippenberger AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    WWII 29016 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    3 December 1907 AWMM Prebbleton, Canterbury AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes

Last known rank

Contribute ›
  • Last rank

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
    • Wing Commander Kippenberger,1 brother of Major-General Sir Howard Kippenberger, the distinguished New Zealand soldier, was to command No. 142 Wellington Squadron during 1941. He had done valuable work as a flying instructor in the pre-war years, and then served with the air contingent in France and later on the operations staff at No. 1 Bomber Group Headquarters. Wing Commander Freeman, who was to win distinction in operations with Wellingtons of No. 3 Group in 1941, had made his way to England in 1933 at the age of 17 and had entered the Royal Air Force. He later qualified as a pilot and served with a fighter squadron before joining the New Zealand Wellington Flight in July 1939. He flew with No. 75 Squadron until the end of 1940, winning distinction for outstanding efficiency as a captain of bomber aircraft ‘who was also a highly skilled and determined navigator, with an almost uncanny ability to find his target under the most difficult conditions. On one occasion he had made a special photographic reconnaissance of Stettin, using only astro-navigation, and had achieved complete success’. Freeman had made a special study of navigation and was one of the few service pilots to obtain the No. 1 Civil Navigator’s Licence at this time. After organising navigational training at No. 3 Group Headquarters, during which time he flew on many operations with young crews, he went to a Wellington squadron as a flight commander early in 1941. Later he was appointed to command another Wellington squadron, which he subsequently led in a successful attack on Turin as well as on many raids against targets in Germany. (Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force, vol.1, p.162-163)

      Brother of Howard Kippenberger. AWMM
    • In the above reference is made to Wing Commander Freeman - should this not be Kippenberger or are their two people here. Comments please. Very important to me that this is corrected. Public - Bevan - Other relative - 14 July 2021 - just does not make sense
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    21 April 1961 AWMM
  • Date of death
    21 April 1967 Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Death Notices & probate,
  • Age at death
    59 Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Born 3 Dec 1907
  • Place of death
    Barony Hospital, Nantwich, Crewe, Cheshire, England from Astbury House, Wybunbury Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Death Notices, Probate & Obituary
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
    Buried - 25 Apr 1967
    Stretton, Warrington, Cheshire, England
    Saint Matthew's Churchyard Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Funeral Report
  • Grave reference
    Plot D81 Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Find a Grave
  • Obituary
    Cbituary - 27 Apr 1967 • Nantwich, Crewe, Cheshire, England - Nantwich Chronicle, Pg 27 Public - Erina - Other relative - 27 March 2023 - Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Rex Laughton Kippenberger by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Rex Laughton Kippenberger

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Related Serviceperson

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
27 March 2023ErinaWanganuiOther relative
14 July 2021BevanAucklandOther relative

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.