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Cenotaph record

Arthur William Smith Evans

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Portrait of Sergeant Arthur William Smith Evans, Auckland Weekly News, 18 November 1942. Auckland Libraries Heritage Collections AWNS-19421118-18-45. Image has no known copyright restrictions.

Portrait of Sergeant Arthur William Smith Evans, Auckland Weekly News, 18 November 1942. Auckland Li …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Arthur William Smith AWMM
  • Surname
    Evans AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • WWII NZ402989 AWMM
    • WWII 402989 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    11 January 1919 AWMM Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
    Hawera Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 1 July 2023 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/arthur-william-smith-evans
  • Birth notes
    Son of Edward & Caroline Ann EVANS Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 1 July 2023 - https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/casualties/arthur-william-smith-evans
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW2 Parents: Mr & Mrs E. Evans of Hawera AWMM
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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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
    Killed on air operations AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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    • Son of Edward Evans and Caroline Evans (nee Smith) of Hawera, Taranaki.

      Attended Hawera High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845610)) AWMM
    • Arthur was radio operator/air gunner on Halifax bomber W7656 when it crashed into Trondheimdfjord, Norway, on April 28th, 1942. They were attacking the battleship Tirpitz and damaged by flack from that. He and navigator A.B. Columbine perished. Four other crew survived and became prisoners of war. They were pilot D. Petley, wireless operator G.E. Cranstone, flight engineer G.P.Price and tail gunner G Pomrey. In 2014 the remains of the Halifax were discovered in the fjord. In 2017, Arthur's nephew Evan Lloyd and his wife Sally visited the crash site. In all, sixty four airmen perished during attacks on the Tirpitz. A Memorial to them has been erected at Faettenfjord, Norway. Public - Ian Banks - Researcher - 27 September 2020 - research
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    29 April 1942 AWMM
    Age 23 AWMM
    Norway, 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
    Sergeant A. W. S. Evans, who was reported missing in yesterday’s air casualty list and whose address was given as Hawera, lived in Gisborne for four years before enlisting with the R.N.Z.A.F., being a member of the staff of John Bull Limited. He was one of the first New Zealanders to go to Canada under the Empire air training scheme, and since then had been in the Middle East. On a brief visit to Egypt, Sergeant Evans was fortunate in meeting his two brothers, who are with the New Zealand forces in the Middle East, and also met a brother of Mr. S. Horsborough, Gisborne. Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 1 July 2023 - Missing Airman
    GISBORNE HERALD, VOLUME LXIX, ISSUE 20760, 9 MAY 1942, PAGE 3
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    • Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, United Kingdom AWMM
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Gisborne First World War Memorial, The Esplanade, Kaiti, Gisborne AWMM

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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
      Vol. 1, p.201 and Vol. 3, p.183 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) - Ea - Gw. Archives New Zealand (R17845610) - 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
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
01 July 2023Lorraine MonaGisborne Researcher
27 September 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
03 May 2015EvanFeildingOther Relative

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