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Cenotaph record

Cecil Deryck Charters

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Cecil Deryck AWMM
  • Surname
    Charters AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ41876 AWMM
    • WWII 41876 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    17 January 1914 Noel Smith Research Project
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    1941-1945 Burma AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Air Force AWMM
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ41876 AWMM
    • WWII 41876 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards

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
    WW2 POW - Unknown Prisoner of War Camp POW Deaths (R25405152)
    Malay Camp AWMM
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    • Killed or died while a Prisoner of War, Cause of Death AWMM
      Died of disease AWMM
    • 25 November 1943 AWMMOther, WWII AWMM
      Missing air operations 15/01/1942. Buried Thanbyzayat War Cemetery. AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Cecil Charters was the son of William Wombwell Charters and Lily Gertrude Charters of Cashmere Hills, Canterbury, New Zealand

    Died of dysentery

    Barrass, M.B. (2001- 2008). Web site: Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation. "Squadrons numbered in the 400 series were technically units of the RCAF, RAAF and RNZAF, but their members were placed under the operational control of the RAF and are usually considered to be part of the RAF's organisational structure". URL: http://www.rafweb.org/Sqn485-490.htm AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    25 December 1943 AWMM
    Age 29 AWMM
    Thailand, Southeast Asia AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed or died while a Prisoner of War AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Thanbyuzayat War Cemetery, Myanmar AWMM B2 C 4 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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  • Cecil was shot down over the Malacca Strait on 19th January 1942. He managed to bale out and parachuted to the ground, only to be caught by the Japanese. He survived long enough to work on the notorious Burma Railway. He died of dysentery. In his last days he was attended by an amazing man, Padre John Noel Duckworth. I want to thank Cecil for his unwavering commitment to defending NZ against the threat of a Japanese invasion and also the Padre for his kindness and dedication to humanity when all else around him was sheer hell.
    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/2089186
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
    • Deaths While Prisoner of War - Navy, Army, Air Force and Civilians [WW2 NZ POW Deaths], Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAAA 7393 Box 1 (R25405152). AWMM
    • This record was partially completed by information provided by Noel George Smith (2020-2021). AWMM

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