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Cenotaph record

Cyril Patrick Towsey

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Cyril Patrick AWMM
  • Surname
    Towsey AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    WWII NZ403480 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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  • Military training
    Initially trained at New Plymouth, and then Ohakea till March, 1941. AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 29 September 1940 AWMM
    Age 22 AWMM
    Musician/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

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
    Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
    Cancer AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Commissioned as Flying Officer, 22 March 1941.

    Transferred to England; joined 51 Squadron at Abingdon Airbase from June 1941, and then Dishforth Airbase, Yorkshire, in September 1941.

    Flew raids over Germany, September 1941 to April 1942.

    On 17 December 1941 took part in raid over Brest and was mentioned in dispatches ( see Auckland Star, 8 January 1942).

    On 27 February 1942: Paratroop raid over Bruneval.

    From 13 October 1941 to 9 November 1941, carried out raids on Mannheim and Frankfurt (see diary accounts).

    March & April 1942: Operations in France and Italy.

    July 1942 : Based in Cornwell doing anti-submarine patrols.

    Oct/Nov 1942: Searches for lost pilot Squadron Leader G.R. Coates - awarded DFC for this action.

    April 1942: Transferred to 40 Squadron, Tripoli.

    Flying in Italy, Cairo, Southern Rhodesia and Palestine.

    Returned to Auckland via New Caledonia, 6 November 1944.

    Reported for service at Whenuapai Airbase, January 1945, and flew with 41 Squadron from February 1945 to October 1945.

    Flights in Pacific area.

    The Auckland Museum manuscripts collection (MS 2005/38) contains Towsey's diary, DFC citation, record of service, flyer's logbook, photographs and newspaper articles relating to his wartime service. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    19 March 1998 AWMM
    Age 79 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Died of Disease AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    New Zealand Herald 20 & 21 March 1998. AWMM
  • 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
    Auckland Star article:
    https://rnzaf.proboards.com/thread/30325/interview-towsey-rnzaf-bomber-pilot Public - Antonio - Researcher - 12 July 2022 - Wings over NZ web-link
  • References
    • Towsey, Cyril Patrick. Papers relating to war service, 1940 - 1998. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2005/38. AWMM
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
    • The New Zealand Herald AWMM
      20 and 21 March 1998. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762). AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
12 July 2022AntonioHastings DistrictResearcher

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