condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Horace Callow

-
Lay a poppy
H. Callow, portrait from The Weekly News; 18 October 1944 - This image may be subject to copyright

H. Callow, portrait from The Weekly News; 18 October 1944 - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Horace AWMM
  • Surname
    Callow AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • NZ427185 AWMM
    • WWII 427185 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    16 January 1917 AWMM AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre Nov 1940 AWMM 15 Garfield Street, Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Matilda Callow (mother), 15 Garfield Street, Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
    • WW2 Mother: Mrs. M. Callow of Wellington AWMM
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
    • Initial Training Wing in Rotorua AWMM
    • Degree Of Proficiency AWMM
    • Empire Air Training Scheme, Canada AWMM
    • No 3 Air Observer School, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada AWMM
    • Navigator Course No 65, Canada AWMM
    • No 2 Air Observer School, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada AWMM
    • Advanced navigation course no 147 at No3 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit, Millom, Cumberland 5 October 1943 - 16 November 1943 AWMM
    • 28 April 1944 to No1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridge training on Lancaster bombers AWMM
    • 19 June 1944 posted to No 75 (NZ) Bomber squadron based at Mepal, Cambridge AWMM
    • Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 3 Air Observer School, Pearce / Regina, Saskatchewan Base Record
      Course 1: Class 65N. Graduation Date: 2/04/1943. AWMM
    • Royal Canadian Air Force, No. 2 Air Observer School, Edmonton, Alberta Base Record
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
    Navigator RNZAF Biographies (R17845608)
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Nov 1940 AWMM
    Age 25 AWMM
    Audit Clerk/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

Contribute ›

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 feet 7 inches AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      hazel AWMM
    • Distinguishing marks, Unknown Period AWMM
      scars right knee and left index finger AWMM
    • Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • Horace Callow was the son of William Brideson Callow and Matilda Callow, of Brooklyn, Wellington.

    Two sons, brothers Horace Callow (NZ427185) and Douglas William Callow (RNZNVR) were killed in the war.

    Initial Training Wing in Rotorua on the 11 July 1942, rank of AC2 ACH (AMD) but was reclassified to LAC on 6 August 1942

    2 April 1943 he was awarded the Air Observer badge and commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer.

    Posted 26 August to No1 “Y” depot Halifax, Nova Scotia for embarkation to the United Kingdom arriving on 1 September 1943.

    Promoted to Flying Officer on 2 October 1943

    Further training advanced navigation 1943

    Posted on 16 November 1943 to No11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire for crewing up and completion of his training on Wellington bomber aircraft

    Names of original crew members, New Zealanders Gerald Brian Roche (NZ413219); Horace Callow (NZ427185); W.E. McGee (NZ427902);Keith Emmett Smith (NZ425179) and the remainder H. Dowding ; J.P. Barson (1324529); Joseph Armstrong (1684332) all listed in Fisher manuscript

    Flying Wellington Bombers on operation began 1944. First flight leafletting Cherbourg, France

    28 April 1944 the crew were posted on 28 April 1944 to No1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridge

    19 June 1944 posted to No 75 (NZ) Bomber squadron based at Mepal, Cambridge

    Operations: 24/25 June 1944 Lancaster. Target -V1 Flying Bomb site – Rimeux France

    28 June 1944. Lancaster Target - V1 Flying Bomb site – Biennais, France

    9 July 1944 Lancaster Target - V1 Flying Bomb site – Linzieux, France – daylight Mission

    10 July 1944 Lancaster Target - V1 Flying Bomb Storage site – Nucourt, France – Daylight Mission

    12 July 1944 Lancaster Target - Vaires, France –Marshalling yards – Daylight Mission

    15/16 July 1944 Lancaster Target - V1 Flying Bomb site – Bois de Jardine, France

    18 July 1944 Lancaster I Target - Cagny, France – Army Support – Dawn mission

    18/19 July 1944 Lancaster I Target - Aulnoye, France – Aircraft Works

    Final Mission: 21/21 July 1944 raid on an oil plant at Homberg, Germany. Flying Officer Horace Callow was the Navigator on a Lancaster which was brought down over the Netherlands, crashing near Heythuysen.

    He posted as Missing on Air Operations 20/21 July 1944, reclassified as Missing believed Killed in October 1944.

    Originally buried in the Communal Cemetery at Heythuysen - Grave 4 near Weert Holland

    Memorial to the five crew who lost their lives on the night of 21 July 1944 dedicated on 13 November 2003

    Detailed account of military service and the fatal crash is found in the Manuscript prepared by N Fisher.

    Manuscript "In memory of Flying Officer Horace Callow and the crew of RAF 75 (NZ) Squadron Lancaster Bomber ME752 AA-Z lost in Action 21 July 1944." Unpublished by Noel Fisher 2007 on file. Lambert, M. (2003, 15 November). [Dedication .]. Dominion Post.

    Attended Wellington College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845608)) AWMM
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    21 July 1944 AWMM
    Age 27 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
    Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands AWMM 12. J. 2. AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Horace Callow by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Horace Callow

Leave a note

Contribute ›
  • Continued.... This year, Brooklyn Scouts will be attending the Dawn Parade in Wellington, and also the Brooklyn Community Anzac Service, as we have done each year for many years. At the Brooklyn Service, we will be offering a floral tribute, made up by the Scouts themselves, in memory of Horace Callow, as Scout and Scout Master of Brooklyn 1909 Group. I hope that you can pass on to other members of your family that Horace is actively remembered by the Brooklyn Scout Group community. If any of you would like to see the hall, and the photo of Horace, please let us know. Our website is www.brooklynscouts.org.nz Kind regards, Denise
    Public - Denise - 24 April 2015
    Report 
  • Hello Carolyn and other members of the Callow family. I am a scout leader at the Brooklyn 1909 Scout Group in Harrison St, Brooklyn. Our hall dates from 1931 and we understand that Horace was among the scouts who first used the hall when it opened. Horace went on to be a Scout Master, and we believe he held that role until he departed for military service. Our Scout Hall features a beautifully framed photograph of Horace in Air Force uniform, and on the reverse of the photo we have a brief story about Horace, and his military service; kindly put together by one of the Scout Leaders from the 1990s. Each year when we tell the Anzac story to our Scouts, we acknowledge Horace Callow, and recognise his service as an example of living out the Scout Promise "on my honour, I promise to do my best, to do my duty to my God, the [King] and my country....... This year, Brooklyn Scouts will b
    Public - Denise - 24 April 2015
    Report 
  • I leave a tribute to my Uncle Horace who I never met, but who I feel I know as I have many letters written to my family during the war. It must have been so sad for my Grandmother Matilda to lose two sons (Horace and Douglas) in WW11 with just my father Norman coming home.
    Public - Carolyn - Other Relative - 30 January 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
  • References
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
    • The Weekly News AWMM
      The Weekly News 1944 AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
      Cenotaph data entry form AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family 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) - Bo - Cl. Archives New Zealand (R17845608) - 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

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
24 April 2015DeniseWellington, New ZealandOther
30 January 2015CarolynMartinborough New ZealandOther Relative

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.