Forenames

Robert Irwin AWMM

Surname

Hitchon AWMM

Service number

WWII 64882 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Address before enlistment

WW2 No 7 Road, Waitoa, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

WW2 Mrs S. Hitchon (mother), No 7 Road, Waitoa, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

Single AWMM

War

World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWII 64882 AWMM

Military service

Coastwatcher AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
• War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
• New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Enlistment

WW2 Farm hand/Civilian AWMM

Embarkation details

WW2 Private AWMM 30 Infantry Battalion AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM

Capture details

WW2

Medical notes

Killed or died while a Prisoner of War, Cause of Death AWMM
Executed by Japanese whilst a prisoner of war AWMM

Last rank

Private AWMM
New Zealand Infantry, 8 Brigade Group, Signals Corps, New Zealand Coastwatchers AWMM

Robert Hitchon was the son of Robert and Sarah Ann Hitchon of Kohimarama, Auckland.

Served as a Coastwatcher on Abemamaas part of the Gilbert Group. AWMM

Death

15 Oct 1942 AWMM
Age  28 AWMM

Cause of death

Killed or died while a Prisoner of War AWMM

Memorial name

• Bourail Memorial, Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery, New Caledonia AWMM
• Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
• Betio Memorial, Tarawa, Kiribati AWMM
• Borough of Te Aroha, 1939-1945. Kenrick Street, Te Aroha. AWMM
• Tarawa Coastwatchers Memorial AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Hall, D.O.W. (1950). Coastwatchers. In New Zealand in the Second World War, 1939-1945 : episodes & studies Vol. 2. Wellington: Historical Publications Branch. Digital copy
  http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-2Epi-t1-g1-t7.html
  Sources Used
• Gillespie, O. (1952). The Pacific. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
  http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Paci.html
  Sources Used
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2187243
  Sources Used
• Warren, Geraldine and Pine, Madison. Our Coastwatchers. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 21 April 2020
  https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/coastwatchers
  Further Reference

References

• Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139.
• Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  WW2 4: WW2 163
• The New Zealand Herald
  "Tarawa Outrage, Massacre by Japanese", 23 Oct 1944 (copy of article in ACF27569)
• Information kindly provided by family
• Personnel - Medals and decorations - Awards to Pacific Coast watchers (1942-1946), Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R21465310)
• Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.