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Cenotaph record

William Alexander Cairncross

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Portrait - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    William Alexander AWMM
  • Surname
    Cairncross AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Bill AWMM
  • Service number
    NZ391395 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Presbyterian, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    19 August 1917 AWMM Wanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre Sep 1939 AWMM Anzac Parade, Wanganui, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
    Builder in Wanganui/Civilian AWMM
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • 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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  • Embarkation details
    WW2 Vessel was Awatea AWMM

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
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 feet 9 inches AWMM
    • Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
      Hazel AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of Thomas and Flora Ann Cairncross

    In Burma Cairncross was involved in air drops over the jungle to Brigadier Bernard Fergusson's column.

    He was also part of a New Zealand group that "provided provisions of facilities on the Burma-Indian border, in support of General Slim's 14th Army, which defeated the Japanese attempt to invade India at Imphal and Kohima and eventually drove them out of Burma." (McGibbon, Ian (ed.), The Oxford Companion to New Zealand Military History, p.74) AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    25 July 1989 AWMM
    Age 72 AWMM
    Wanganui, Manawatu-Wanganui AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Aramoho Cemetery, Wanganui, New Zealand AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Wanganui Chronicle, 26 July 1989 AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • 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
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM

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