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Cenotaph record

Thomas James Aiken

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Portrait from The Weekly News; 9 July 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait from The Weekly News; 9 July 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Thomas James AWMM
  • Surname
    Aiken AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    32209 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    Feilding, Manawatu-Wanganui AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Unknown AWMM Care of Bay of Islands Power Board, Kaikohe, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mr T.H. Aiken (father), Mitaitai, North Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Unknown AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    1941 Crete AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    32209 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Unknown AWMM Linesman/Civilian AWMM
    Kaikohe, Northland AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

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
    Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Thomas Aiken was the eldest son of Mr & Mrs T.H. Aiken of Tiriwiri. Born in Feilding, he moved with his family to the North as a child.

    He attended Hore Hore School and Dargaville District High School, later joining the staff of the North Auckland Power Board and Bay of Island Power Board.

    He enlisted at Kaitaia and sailed with the Third Echelon.

    He was keenly interested in sport, a member of the Dargaville Boy Scouts, a member of the Dargaville Old Boys' Football Club and was a holder of the Goldspray Challenge Cup for the 25 mile race, and was winner of the Dargaville lightweight boxing championship. He was a member of the Oldfellows' Lodge.

    A letter received from Lance-Corporal T J Aiken by his parents Mr and Mrs T H Aiken, said that he and his brother, who both served in the Greek campaign, did not see one another until they found themselves on the same ship which evacuated their units. The evacuation was on the 25th anniversary of the historic landing in Gallipoli of the first NZEF 25th April, 1915.

    Next of kin details compiled from information in the Casualty lists published in the newspapers. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    21 May 1941 AWMM
    Age 22 AWMM
    Crete, Greece AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed on Active Service AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Suda Bay War Cemetery, Crete, Greece AWMM 2. E. 17. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Auckland Domain, an Olive Tree (Olea europaea) planted close to the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the grounds of the Auckland Domain commemorates those who fought on Crete in 1941. AWMM
    • Roll of Honour, Northern Wairoa RSA, Dargaville AWMM
    • Kaikohe War Memorial Hall, Memorial Drive Kaikohe Far North AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a tribute or memory of Thomas James Aiken

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  • I never met my uncle Jim as he was killed on Crete before I was born. My mother, Jim's sister, always wanted to visit his grave on Crete but as she never had the chance to go, I visited his grave in 2001. A very special place, calm and serene, and beautifully maintained.
    Public - Catherine Rosemary - Other Relative - 21 April 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
    https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/936505
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
      Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139. AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 3: WW2 7 AWMM
    • Northland roll of honour and servicemen of WW II [electronic resource]. (2002). Whangarei, N.Z.: Returned Services Association. AWMM
    • Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
13 April 2022Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
21 April 2015Catherine RosemaryKamo WhangareiOther Relative

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