Mervyn Evans
Born 26 Jan 1916 - Died 24 Jul 1941
- Service number
- NZ391832 AWMM
- WWII 391832 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Sergeant AWMM Royal New Zealand Air Force, No. 40 Transport Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Mervyn AWMM
- Surname
- Evans AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- NZ391832 AWMM
- WWII 391832 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 26 Jan 1916 RNZAF Biographies (R17845610)
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- —
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mr D.P. Evans (father), 26 Sanders Avenue, New Plymouth, New Zealand AWMM
- WW2 Parents: Mr & Mrs D. P. Evans of New Plymouth AWMM
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII AWMM
- Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Europe (Air) AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Service number
- NZ391832 AWMM
- WWII 391832 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, No. 40 Squadron AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- Jun 1940 AWMM
Royal New Zealand, Air Training School, Woodbourne AWMM - Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- —
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Royal New Zealand Air Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Sergeant AWMM
Royal New Zealand Air Force, No. 40 Transport Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Mervyn Evans was the son of Dafydd Pugh Evans and Josephine Strachan Evans, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Next of kin details compiled from information in the Casualty lists published in the newspapers.
Attended New Plymouth Boys high Scool (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845610)) AWMM - Mervyn Evans was born at Opunake on 26 January 1916. After being educated at Central School and NPBHS he trained as an optician before working, and then becoming a partner, at New Plymouth’s Woodleigh Nurseries. He enlisted in the NZRAF in December 1939 and after training in New Zealand and promotion to Sergeant he was sent to the United Kingdom in August 1940. He was transferred to 40 Squadron and became a Pilot and Captain of Wellington Bomber aircraft. In July 1941 he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal for “great leadership skill and determination” during an attack of a dock at Rotterdam. He was killed in action on 24 July 1941 during an attack of a German battleship in Brest Harbour. His body was recovered and was buried in Kerfautras Cemetery. Mervyn’s brother, Llewellyn Evans, was later killed in action in North Africa on 18 December 1942.Public - Louise - Researcher - 5 July 2019 - West, J. (1995). Lest We Forget. New Plymouth: New Plymouth Boy’s High School Centennial Trust.
Puke Ariki. Retrieved from https://collection.pukeariki.com/objects/40714
- Mervyn Evans was the son of Dafydd Pugh Evans and Josephine Strachan Evans, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 24 Jul 1941 AWMM
Age 25 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed on Active Service AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Brest (Kerfautras) Cemetery, Finistere, France AWMM Plot 40. Row 2. Grave 6. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Sources Used - Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Sources Used - Air casualties. Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 34, 10 February 1942, Page 7
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=EP19420210.2.96&srpos
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2813817
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ea - Gw. ARchives New Zealand (R17845610)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845610
Sources Used
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
- References
- The Evening Post
- Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- Information kindly provided by family
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ea - Gw. Archives New Zealand (R17845610) - Former archives reference: AIR118
- 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)
- Please note that the 11 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.
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.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.