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Cenotaph record

Noel Hensley Blair

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Biography for Noel Hensley Blair. RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ab - B. Archives New Zealand (R17845607-0545). CC-BY 2.0.

Biography for Noel Hensley Blair. RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Person …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Noel Hensley AWMM
  • Surname
    Blair AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • NZ404994 AWMM
    • WWII 404994 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    21 April 1917 RNZAF Biographies (R17845607) Kaponga, Taranaki RNZAF Biographies (R17845607)
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW2 Parents: Rev & Mrs C. Blair, Parsonage, 320 Hardy St. , Nelson AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Single/WWII AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
    Pilot/Military RNZAF Biographies (R17845607)
  • 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

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Son of Charles and Clara Blair, of Stoke, Nelson, New Zealand.

      Plane shot down by night fighter

      Attended Lyttelton District High School, Wellington Boys' College and Wellington Technical college (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845607)) AWMM
    • "Sgt Noel Hensley Blair, RNZAF, was the second pilot in the crew of Sgt Albert Ernest Holder, 115 Squadron. They had left RAF Marham at 22.57 hrs on the 12th April, 1942, for a bombing mission to Essen. Their aircraft, Wellington B.III, X3596/'KO-B', was attacked by a night fighter and crashed at 01.00 hrs in the morning of the 13th April into the Ijselmeer, some 3.5 kilometers West of Urk. The entire crew was killed and were buried here in Amsterdam".


      Sgt Albert Ernest Holder, RAF
      Sgt Noel Hensley Blair, RNZAF
      P/O Ronald William Barlow, RAF
      Sgt Kenneth John Raiswell, RAF
      Sgt Thomas James Phillips, RAF
      Sgt Thomas Ryan, RAF Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 30 March 2018 - Reference : "New Zealand War Grave In the Netherlands" : website.
    • Further information for loss of aircraft/air crew of RAF 115 Squadron Wellington III X3596 KO-B.
      Date : 12/13 April 1942.
      RAF 115 Squadron.
      Aircraft type & Call Sign : Wellington III X3596 KO-B.
      RAF Base : Marham, Norfolk, United Kingdom.
      Aircraft Crash Location : Ljsselmeer, Netherlands.

      Mission and aircraft loss details -
      Taking off at 22: 57 hours - from RAF Base at Marham, Norfolk, United Kingdom - one of 251 Allied aircraft detailed for a bombing mission to Essen. The bombing raid taking place between 00:55 & 02.45 hours. Five allied aircraft were shot down by intense anti-aircraft fire - and 5 more were shot down by German night fighters.
      Wellington III X3596 KO-B - with New Zealander (Nelson) 2nd Pilot Noel H. Blair RNZAF was shot down by *Oblt Helmut Woltersdorf - who was himself (6 weeks later on 2 June 1942) shot down and killed by New Zealander (Carterton, Wairarapa) Hurricane Pilot Sergeant Peter M. Gawith DFM. Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 13 June 2019 - Reference : www.aircrewremembered.com (England) : Profile of 115 Sqn Wellington III X3596 KO-B/Pilot Officer Noel H. Blair RNZAF.
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    13 April 1942 AWMM
    Age 25 AWMM
    The Netherlands (Holland), Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery, Noord-Holland, Netherlands AWMM Plot 85. Row D. Grave 13. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. 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
    • RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ab - B. Archives New Zealand (R17845607) - Former archives reference: AIR118 AWMM
    • List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - List of Personnel Killed or Missing in Various Theatres, 1940 - 1945. [Missing - But Presumed Dead on Lapse of Time - Officers, Airmen]. Archives New Zealand (R17845743) AWMM
    • Please note that the 12 volumes of the "RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939-1945" held at Archives NZ (formerly known as AIR118) should be used in conjunction with Errol Martyn's "For Your Tomorrow". FYT reflects detailed examination of all of the AIR118 bios which contain many inaccuracies and omissions. AWMM

Contributors

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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
13 June 2019JeniferWairarapaResearcher

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