William Leslie Knowles
Born 24 Dec 1919 - Died 6 Aug 1941
- Service number
- NZ402160 AWMM
- WWII 402160 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Air Force AWMM
- Last rank
- Sergeant (Pilot) AWMM Royal Air Force, No. 106 Squadron AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Leslie AWMM
- Surname
- Knowles AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- NZ402160 AWMM
- WWII 402160 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 24 Dec 1919 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- New PlymouthPublic - Teina Maree - Other relative - 17 September 2021 - New Plymouth
- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW2 Mother: Mrs. E. Knowles. 36 Buller St, New Plymouth AWMM
- WW2 Mrs. E. Knowles of New Plymouth AWMM
- Perce Edward Knowles ... brother
Joyce Knowles ... sister
Molly Knowles (deceased) ... sister
Rex Knowles (brother)Public - Teina Maree - Other relative - 17 September 2021 - Family notated history
- Relationship status
- Single/WWII 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
- NZ402160 AWMM
- WWII 402160 AWMM
- Military service
- Royal Air Force, No. 108 Squadron AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- Royal Air Force, No. 106 Squadron AWMM
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 1940 AWMM Printer/Civilian AWMM
- 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
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Killed on air operations AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Sergeant (Pilot) AWMM
Royal Air Force, No. 106 Squadron AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- William Knowles was the son of Ellen Knowles, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Biographical details are found in an article about an embroidered silk memorial, a fragment from the parachute from the fatal, in the Review in 1974. The article includes a photograph of the silk.
Attended New Plymouth Boys High School (Source: RNZAF Biographies (R17845612)) AWMM - William Leslie Knowles was born in New Plymouth on 24 December 1919 and on leaving school worked as a printer for the Taranaki Herald. In 1940 he enlisted with the Royal New Zealand Air Force and began his training. By February 1941 he had been promoted to Sergeant and was sent to the United Kingdom via Canada. His first operational posting was to No 106 Squadron based at Coningsby, Lincolnshire. On only his second operational flight the Hampden bomber he was pilot and captain of failed to return to base, with the loss of all crew on-board. The flight on 6 August 1941 took off to attack a target in Mannheim, Germany but crashed near Gendringen, Holland. William Knowles was buried in the Roman Catholic Cemetery, Gendringen, Holland. He was 21 years old.Public - Louise - Researcher - 22 July 2019 - West, J. (1995). Lest We Forget. New Plymouth: New Plymouth Boy’s High School Centennial Trust.
Puke Ariki, Swainson/Woods Collection ARC#WD.054676
Retrieved from https://collection.pukeariki.com/objects/157005
- William Knowles was the son of Ellen Knowles, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 6 Aug 1941 AWMM
Age 21 AWMM - Date of death
- Wednesday, 6th august 1941 at 01:00Public - G.J. - 24 February 2015 - My father and my uncle told me that, they lived in the house were he was crashed, i live in the house now, i have also some old pictures from after the crash, let me know if you want to see them.
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- BreedenbroekPublic - karl - Researcher - 5 December 2023 - Municipal Archive of Gendringen: Police report.
- Gelderland province - Gendringen, about 16 kilometer southeast of DoetinchemPublic - G.J. - 24 February 2015 - My father and my uncle told me that, they lived in the house were he was crashed, i live in the house now, i have also some old pictures from after the crash, let me know if you want to see them.
- Breedenbroek
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Aircraft was shot down by Flak: The aircraft was hit by 6 Flak batteries of the 4. Flak division.Public - karl - Researcher - 5 December 2023 - Nachjagd Combat Archive - Theo Boiten : The Early Years part 2, page 15. ( 1 and 3./Res.Flak Abt. 401, 1-3./Res.Flak Abt 447 and 3./Res.Flak Abt.646).
- His aircraft was shot down by a night-fighterPublic - G.J. - 24 February 2015 - My father and my uncle told me that, they lived in the house were he was crashed, i live in the house now, i have also some old pictures from after the crash, let me know if you want to see them.
- Death notes
- Hit by 1 & 3/Res Flak Abt 401, 1-3/Res Flak Abt 447 and 3/Res Flak Abt 646 at 01:00 (Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1941 Part 2 - Theo Boiten). The aircraft crashed onto the dwelling and carpenter's workshop of the Lammers family, at the corner of the Luimesweg and Den Dam in Breedenbroek, Gendringen, killing all four crew of the Hampden as well as two young children in the house, Gerda Johanna Lammers (aged 4 years) and her brother Hendrik (aged 12). The two remaining occupants were injured.Public - John - 16 July 2020 - Nachtjagd Combat Archives 1941 Part 2 - Theo Boiten.
Bomber Command Losses 1941 - W R Chorley
166 Squadron - Cemetery
- Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery, Netherlands AWMM Row A. Grave 4. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2648002
Sources Used - RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612)
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R17845612
Sources Used
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
- References
- RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
She didn't forget. (1974, June 19). Review. p. 10 - Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press.
- RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Biographies of Deceased Personnel 1939 - 1945 (Bound Volumes) - Ib - Ly. Archives New Zealand (R17845612) - 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.
- List of RNZAF [Royal New Zealand Air Force] Personnel - Embarkation Lists, November 1940 - July 1942. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R17845762).
- RSA review: the official journal of the N.Z. Returned Services' Association
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