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Cenotaph record

William Vernon Crawford-Compton

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Image title from Auckland Library Heritage Collection reads:TWO LEADING NEW ZEALAND FIGHTER-PILOTS: FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT W. CRAWFORD-COMPTON, D.F.C. (LEFT) AND WING-COMMANDER E. P. WELLS, D.F.C. AND BAR

Flight-Liuetenant W. Crawford-Compton DFC - sitting left.

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    William Vernon AWMM
  • Surname
    Crawford-Compton AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Bill C-Compton AWMM
  • Service number
    WWII 65500 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    2 March 1915 Public source Invercargill, Southland Public source
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    • Attended Course No 15, RAF Staff College (Overseas), Haifa, 1945 AWMM
    • Attended Imperial Defence College, 1961 AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Oct 1939 AWMM
    Age 23 AWMM
    Sailor/Civilian AWMM
    United Kingdom, Europe AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

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

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of William Gilbert Crawford Compton and Ethel Marion Horne (married 1910). William Gilbert died in 1943.

    William 'Bill' attended Palmerston North Boys’ High School 1929-1930, and then Hutt Valley High School in Lower Hutt from 03.02.1931 to 15.04.1932. He was registered as William Vernon Compton. Public source.

    Stepfather of Duncan Goodhew, the Olympic swimmer.

    20 confirmed victories.

    Flight Commander with 611 (West Lancashire) Squadron, Royal Air Force (RAF), August - December 1942.

    Officer Commanding (OC), 64 Squadron, RAF, December 1942 - March 1943.

    On 30 July 1943, appointed Wing Commander of Hornchurch Wing, RAF.

    Embarked on a lecture tour of the USA, October 1943.

    Wing Commander of 145 (French) Wing, 2 Tactical Air Force (TAF), 30 April 1944.

    Wing Commander of Plans, HQ 11 Group, RAF, 2 January 1945.

    To Mediterranean and Middle East HQ, RAF, 9 February 1946.

    Air Attache, Oslo, Norway, March 1950 - May 1953.

    OC of RAF Bruggen, May 1953 - November 1956.

    OC of 215 Wing, RAF, November 1956 - July 1959.

    HQ Near East Air Force, 1962 - 1966.

    Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of 22 (Training) Group, RAF, 15 January 1966.

    Crawford-Compton's birth year is given as 1916 by Haigh & Polaschek, but appears as 1915 in the RAF Web biography. We have deferred to H&P in this instance. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    2 January 1988 AWMM
    Age 71 AWMM
    England, United Kingdom AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember William Vernon Crawford-Compton by laying a poppy.

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Leave a tribute or memory of William Vernon Crawford-Compton

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  • I live in Crawford Compton Close in Hornchurch in the London Borough of Havering in the UK. This close is named in honour of William Vernon (Bill) Crawford Compton who was stationed at RAF Hornchurch and flew many missions from here during the Second World War. It's an honour to live in a place named after this well decorated WW2 hero.
    Public - Iowa - 6 October 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
25 March 2024KelvinNorfolk, EnglandResearcher
07 June 2020Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
19 July 2017JeniferWairarapaResearcher
06 October 2015IowaHornchurch, EssexOther

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