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Cenotaph record

William Rolf Calder

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Portrait (kindly provided by family) - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait (kindly provided by family) - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    William Rolf AWMM
  • Surname
    Calder AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    • Rolf William Calder AWMM
    • Mick AWMM
    • Rolf William Public - Dale - Child - 4 October 2017 - Rolf William is as per the Nominal Rolls 7 and 9. Another entry appears on the Cenotaph roll under the name of Rolf William Calder.
    • William Rolf: Mick Public - Dale - Child - 4 October 2017 - William Rolf Calder is as per the No 15 Nominal Roll. A separate Cenotaph entry exists for this. This has a lot more information.
  • Service number
    71478 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Anglican, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    23 March 1918 AWMM Kaipaki, Waikato AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    • Pre 25 June 1940 AWMM 160 Bank Street, Whangarei, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Pre 1942 AWMM 160 Bank Street, Whangarei, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Pre 1945 AWMM 160 Bank Street, Whangarei, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Mrs Jessie Lockwood (mother), 160 Bank Street, Whangarei, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Jessie Lockwood (mother), 160 Bank Street, Whangarei, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Catherine Calder (wife), C/o R. Doughty, Arran Road, Brown's Bay, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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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
    Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
    Heart attack AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Son of Jessie Lockwood

      Husband of Catherine (Cis) Davidson.

      Served with 15th North Auckland Regiment as a cadet, joining at age 16. Attained the rank of Sergeant with the territorials and was commissioned in September 1940.

      He successfully passed several courses and he was selected to join the 9th Expeditionary Force OCTU where he graduated as 2nd Lieutenant and was posted to Tank Transporter Company in charge of workshops.

      Before the appointment eventuated in 1941 he was sent to Fiji, B Force as Ordnance Mechanical Engineer to 14th Brigade, attached to Motor Transport Field Workshops.

      In March 1942 was appointed the Officer commanding the 37th Light Aid Detachment, attached to the 14th Infantry Brigade.

      September 1942 he returned to New Zealand and then in December with the 14th Brigade he embarked for Noumea, New Caledonia where he was stationed for 8 months after which he was moved to the forward zone South Pacific - Solomon Islands.

      At the Vella Lavella offensive he was promoted to Captain, 1943 and concurrently appointed Ordnance Mechanical Engineer to 14th Brigade and onto service on Green Island (Nissan Island) campaign.

      He again returned to New Zealand in August 1944, then embarked to the Middle East with the 14th Reinforcements (Royal New Zealand Electrical Mechanical Engineers)

      Married Catherine (Cis) Davidson the day before embarkation. The story is that his wife was smuggled into Papakura Camp for a night of wedded bliss before he embarked.

      He saw service in Egypt and Italy.

      Received Efficiency Decoration (ED) 1956

      Funeral service conducted at Rookwood Crematorium, Sydney and several weeks later a memorial service was held at Christ Church, Kamo Road, Whangarei.

      Ashes scattered at Maunu Cemetery, Whangarei. A memorial plaque is at the foot of his mother's grave.

      Cenotaph files contain a biography written by family. Service record initially records name as Rolf William Calder, later name changed to William Rolf Calder. Listed as Rolf William Calder on the Nominal Rolls 7 and 9 and as William Rolf on Roll 15 AWMM
    • The Efficiency Decoration was received in the course of his territorial service post-war. Public - Dale - Child - 21 November 2018 - Personal knowledge
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    15 September 1998 AWMM
    Age 80 AWMM
    Sydney, New South Wales AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Died of Disease AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Maunu Cemetery, Cemetery Road off State Highway 14, Whangarei, Northland, New Zealand AWMM Ashes scattered AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Death Notice: NZ Herald 16/ 17 September 1998

    Death Notice: Advocate 16/ 17 September 1998 AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Family grave memorial, Maunu Cemetery, Whangarei, New Zealand AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of William Rolf Calder

Leave a note

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  • Mick was survived by his wife Catherine (Cis) now deceased, his sons Dale and John and his daughter, Josephine (Jo); also his grandchildren William, Christos, Heidi, Reiner, Genna, Rebecca and Amelia. Mick's contribution during wartime, then later to his family and the Whangarei community was immense. We are both proud and so very grateful for the service you gave for your country; for your love and kindness and for all you taught us, Dad. Your son, Dale.
    Public - Dale Wood - Child - 19 May 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1942). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 7 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1942 to 31st March, 1942). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 7: WW2 26 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 9 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1942 to 31st December, 1942). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 9: WW2 61 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 15 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1945 to 31st December, 1945). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 15: WW2 24 AWMM
    • The New Zealand Herald AWMM
      Death Notice: NZ Herald 16/ 17 September 1998 AWMM
    • Northern Advocate AWMM
      Death Notice: Advocate 16/ 17 September 1998 AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • This record was partially created from data kindly provided by Dale Calder. AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
26 July 2021DaleAucklandChild
19 May 2015Dale WoodAucklandChild

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