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

Cenotaph record

James Athol Gunn

Lay a poppy
Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War II Hall of Memories Panel G_016. Image taken June 2020.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War II Hall of Memories Panel G_016. Image taken June 2020.

© Auckland Museum CC BY AWMM

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    James Athol AWMM
  • Surname
    Gunn AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • NZ402866 AWMM
    • WWII 402866 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
  • 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

Contribute ›
  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
    Europe (Air) AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Air Force AWMM
  • Service number
    • NZ402866 AWMM
    • WWII 402866 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

Contribute ›

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • 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
    Killed on Active Service, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • James Gunn was the son of James and Ivy Gunn of Gisborne. He was the husband of Daphne Gunn.

    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
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    15 September 1943 AWMM
    Age 23 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed on Active Service AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Margate Cemetery, Kent, England AWMM Sec. 50. Grave 16244 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    • Gunn. —Killed in action, over English Channel, September 15, 1941, Ft/Lieut. James Athol, 23 years, beloved elder son of J. and I. Gunn, 115 Ormond Rd„ They die fighting for us. Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 4 July 2023 - ROLL OF HONOUR
      GISBORNE HERALD, VOLUME LXX, ISSUE 21228, 18 OCTOBER 1943, PAGE 1
    • Flight-Lieutenant J. .Gunn, included in Saturday's casualty list as killed, after. .having. been reported missing, was the son of. Mr and Mrs. J, Gunn, Ormond road- and was a member of a New Zealand, Beaufighter Squadron for a time, although at the time of his death he was flying in Mosquito bombers. .He volunteered on the day of the declaration of war but was not called up until September the .following year, by which, time he had completed all preliminary assignments. He left New Zealand as a fully-trained pilot in March, 1941, and on arrival in England was posted to a night-fighter station for a few weeks. In September last year he joined the newly formed New .Zealand Beaufighter squadron, and was promoted to flying officer in December while in recognition of special work, undertaken during the early part of the present year he was promoted to acting flight lieutenant and was made deputy commander of his flight. He met his death while engaging an enemy aircraft. He was 23 years of age, and .was married on . June 23 in England to Cypher Officer Daphne Bell, of the R.A.F. He was an old boy of the Gisborne High School Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 4 July 2023 - DEATHS CONFIRMED
      GISBORNE HERALD, VOLUME LXX, ISSUE 21228, 18 OCTOBER 1943, PAGE 4
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Gisborne First World War Memorial, The Esplanade, Kaiti, Gisborne AWMM

Roll of Honour

Remember James Athol Gunn by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of James Athol Gunn

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
04 July 2023Lorraine Mona Gisborne Researcher
01 September 2022KelvinNorfolk, EnglandResearcher

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.