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Cenotaph record

Thomas Grey Culling

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Portrait, T Culling, photo from the King's College Roll of Honour - No known copyright restrictions

Portrait, T Culling, photo from the King's College Roll of Honour - No known copyright restrictions

Identity

About

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

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    31 May 1896 Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators' Certificates, 1910-1950 AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    WW1 Remuera AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards
    Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) AWMM
    22 June 1917 AWMM
    Citation for Distinguished Service Cross (DSC): "In recognition of his services on 23rd April 1917, when with two other machines he engaged a formation of nine hostile scouts and two-seater machines. Two two-seater machines were shot down, one of them by Flt Lieut. Culling unassisted." (London Gazette, issue no. 30147 published on 22 June 1917, p. 6256) AWMM

Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • 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
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Thomas Culling was the son of Mrs F.E. Culling of 23 Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland, and the late Mr T.S. Culling.

      Culling appears on the list of New Zealanders who served with other forces and is commemorated on the Walls of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.

      He is listed in the King's College Roll of Honour, where he was a pupil from 1909 to 1913. His death is erroneously given as 1916.

      Member of the College Rifles Rugby Football Club

      Joined RNAS 29/1/1916. In 1917 serving with 1 [Naval] Squadron on Western Front. Awarded DSC for actions on 22/4/1917. Flying a Sopwith Triplane on a special mission presumed shot down and killed by enemy aircraft over northern France near the Belgian border. Body not recovered and honoured on Arras Flying Services Memorial age 21 AWMM
    • During May, Culling received promotion to Flight Lieutenant. Less than 3 weeks later Culling went missing flying Triplane N5491. Having successfully negotiated the most dangerous part of the year, he fell in an airfight against an opposite from the German Maritime Air Service during an offensive patrol on the morning of 8 June 1917. North of Warneton, just inside the Belgium border, just before midday Viceflugmeister (Non-Commissioned Airman) Bossler of Marine Feldjagdstaffel Nr 1(Marine Field Fighting Squadron No. 1) shot down a triplane believed to be his.

      Mrs Fanny Culling in memory of her son gifted two new stained-glass windows for the King's College Memorial Chapel. They formed part of the general series of windows in the chapel, all designed by the same artist, Mr. A. L. Ward, of London, to illustrate aspects of the life and teaching of Christ. The memorial windows were unveiled by Mr. J. C. Whitney, Thomas Grey Culling's brother-in-law, and were dedicated by Archbishop Averill at the Anzac Day memorial service on 25th April 1927.

      Thomas Culling is commemorated on the Remuera Primary School gates, King’s College Roll of Honour, St Aidan’s Church war memorial, College Rifles’ Roll of Honour and the Warbirds of Wanaka Fighter Ace Wall which commemorates pilots who have scored at least five victories in air-to-air combat. Public - Sue - Researcher - 10 April 2017 - Remuera Heritage http://www.remueraheritage.co.nz/people/ww1-thomas-grey-culling-new-zealands-first-air-ace

      The Air Aces - Thomas Grey Culling, in Pacific Wings, Dec-Jan 2014, page 50, by Paul Sortehaug
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    8 June 1917 AWMM
    Age 21 AWMM
    France, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Roll of Honour, College Rifles, Rugby Union Football & Sports Club, 33 Haast Street, Remuera, Auckland AWMM
    • Arras Flying Services Memorial, Faubourg-d'Amiens Cemetery, Arras, Pas-de-Calais, France AWMM
    • Remuera Primary School World War One Gates 1914-1918, 25 Dromorne Road, Remuera Auckland 1050 AWMM
    • St. Aidans Church, 5 Ascot Avenue, Remuera, Auckland 1050 AWMM
    • College Rifles Park, 33 Haast Street, Remuera, Auckland AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a tribute or memory of Thomas Grey Culling

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  • Always admired and remembered. Special Rememberence to be held on Centenial at Kings College Chapel 8th June 2017
    Public - Heather May - Direct descendant - 3 March 2017
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Included in the World War I Digital Roll of Honour for the Ōrākei Local Board area. The Ōrākei Local Board commissioned a World War I roll of honour for its area to commemorate the war’s centenary. The board welcomes additional information from the public on this project. AWMM
    • King's College, Auckland. (1918). King's College, Auckland : the Great War, 1914-18. Auckland, N.Z.: The College. AWMM
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
      Martyn, E. (1998-2008)., Vol 1, p. 43. AWMM
    • Allison, D. (2009). Flying Navy: The story of New Zealanders who flew in the Fleet Air Arm in World War I and World War II and the Roll of Honour of those who died in action and on active service. Auckland, N.Z.: Fleet Air Arm Museum of New Zealand. AWMM
      Allison, D. (2009). p. 62, includes portrait AWMM
    • London Gazette AWMM
      London Gazette, issue no. 30147 published on 22 June 1917, p. 6256 AWMM
    • Ancestry.com. (2008). Great Britain, Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificates, 1910-1950 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc. Original data: Royal Aero Club. Royal Aero Club index cards and photographs are in the care of the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon, London, England. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2. AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
28 November 2021Ian Banks Taumarunui New ZealandResearcher
10 April 2017SueRemuera, AucklandResearcher
03 March 2017Heather MayMount MaunganuiBroadwayMARINDirect descendant

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