Identity
Title
Forenames
Colin AWMM
Surname
Chrystal AWMM
Ingoa
Also known as
Service number
46538 AWMM
Gender
Iwi
Hapū
Waka
Rohe
Religion
Service
Capture details
WW2 POW - Stalag XIII-D AWMM
Feb 1944-Sep 1944 AWMM
Had been forced to land behind enemy lines and had evaded capture but after standing on a landmine badly wounded AWMM
Days interned
Liberation date
Liberation Repatriation
WW2 1 September 1944 AWMM Red Cross exchange, repatriated to England AWMM
POW liberation details
POW serial number
Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
He lost the lower half of his right leg after stepping on a mine, hospitalised by the Germans AWMM - Accidental Death, Cause of Death AWMM
Accidental death AWMM
Biographical information
Embarked as a Trainee wireless operator, rank unknown
Chrystall joined the Royal Air Force in July 1939 with which he served until he transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force in July 1945. He was serving with 235 Squadron in the Battle of Britain.
He took up farming after the war
Portrait in Wynn, K. (1981). RMS Rangitata was a New Zealand Shipping Company vessel. It was build in 1929, was 16,737 tons, 552 feet long, 70 feet beam and could travel at 15 knots. It had a refrigerating capacity of 446,000 cubic feet. It was normally employed in the United Kingdom-New Zealand trade but when war broke out it was repainted and began a new career. One of its first tasks was to take Anzacs to Suez and from there carried on to England with her holds full of frozen produce. During the war years she covered over a quarter of a million miles. Countries visited included Panama, Jamaica, Australia, Ceylon, Arabia, Egypt, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Natal, Spain, Madacasgar, Mauritius, Pitcairn, Argentine, Uruguay, Brazil, Bermuda, Canada, Ireland, Trinidad, Malta, South Africa, Gambia, Algeria and the United States. Amongst those who travelled on board were the Royal Marines, Polish volunteers (from the Argentine, British evacuee children to New Zealand, United States wounded, German and Italian prisoners of war, Wrens in transit to Rhodesia, 'Desert Rats', West Africans, Canadian war brides, G.I. Joes for D Day, and the First Echelon of New Zealanders from Trentham. The ship had a crew of just over 200 and could accommodate 2600 troops. The Battle of Britain: 10 July- 31 October 1940 AWMM
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Death
Death
Date of death
Age at death
Place of death
Cause of death
Death notes
Cemetery
Cemetery name
Grave reference
Obituary
Memorial name
Memorial reference
Roll of Honour
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Colin Chrystal

Processing
Sources
External links
Documents
- Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author. AWMM
- Wynn, K. (1981). A clasp for "The Few". Auckland. N.Z.: Author. AWMM
Wynn, K. (1981). p. 66-70 AWMM - Martyn, E. (1998-2008). For Your Tomorrow (Vols. 1-3). Christchurch, N.Z.: Volplane Press. AWMM
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