Joel Treister was the son of Samuel and Mary Treister; husband of Pearl Treister of Remuera, Auckland, New Zealand.

Joel Treister attended Wellington College. After school he worked at Treister Hats in Wellington.

He was a member of the Wellington Old Boys Rugby Club and the Wellington Rowing Club.

Joel's first two accidents occurred when he was flying solo and was caused by failure of the undercarriage and malfunction of aerofoils. In the first, 5 June 1942 the plane burnt but he escaped unhurt. The second accident happened on 9 June 1942, the plane was a complete wreck.

In his third accident the aircraft again malfunctioned and the wing of the aircraft became detached. Joel was taking part in a dual check landings and aerobatics flying from the 55 Operational Training Unit RAF station at Annan, Dumfrieshire, Scotland.

His body was not recovered until years later.

He is remembered on a consecrated headstone in the Wellington Jewish Cemetery and also with a plaque in the village, Dockery Farm where the crash occurred.

New Zealand Jewish Soldiers Project, biographical histories, family visits by Evelyn Jaffe, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Attended Wellington College (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845616)) AWMM