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Cenotaph record

Ronald Claris Gordon

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Ron Gordon in his garden after retirement, photo courtesy of Wanganui Newspapers Ltd. - This image may be subject to copyright

Ron Gordon in his garden after retirement, photo courtesy of Wanganui Newspapers Ltd. - This image m …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Ronald Claris AWMM
  • Surname
    Gordon AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • 413705 AWMM
    • 130873 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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

Medical history

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  • Medical notes

Last known rank

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  • Last rank

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Ronald was the son of Mr D G and Mrs Eunice Gordon (Nee Claris).

    He married Helen Louisa Collier at Taihape and they had three children: Angus W. Gordon 6 May 1964, Douglas S.R. Gordon 21 April 1966 and John M. Gordon 26 July 1968.

    He was born at Taoroa and was educated at Taihape District High School and later at Fielding Agricultural College.

    After Working on the family farm for a while he left for the USA and Europe and was on the Isle of Islay when war was declared.

    Returning home he joined the Air Force in 1941. He trained in Canada as a navigator under the Empire Air Training Scheme. He elected to serve in England, and was attached to Bomber Command as a bomb aimer, serving in RAF Squadrons 101, 460 and 625.

    He did three tours of operations and served in Bomber Command as a bomb aimer in 101, 460 and 625 Squadrons; completing 70 operations in all.

    Discharged VJ Day at Wellington

    He returned home and bought the farm at Rongoiti which he developed.

    He has since received world recognition for his knowledge in several areas of horticulture. Information from 1894-1994 "give me Taihape on a Saturday night" by Denis Robertson, published by The Heritage Press. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Thompson, H. (1959). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vol II). Wellington: Dept of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital Copy
    http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2RAF.html
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Hanson, C. (2001). By such deeds: honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999. Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
    • Robertson, D. (1995). Give me Taihape on a Saturday night. Waikanae, N.Z.: The Heritage Press. AWMM
    • Hanson, C. (2001). By such deeds: honours and awards in the Royal New Zealand Air Force, 1923-1999. Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
      p. 216-7 AWMM
    • Thompson, H. (1956). New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Vols. 1-3). Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
      (Vol. 2, p. 404). AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM

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