Operation: Ferry Flight

Date: 05th June 1943 (Saturday)

Unit: No. 6 Squadron RNZAF (motto: 'Vigilance with patience')

Type: PB-5 Catalina

Serial: NZ4006

Code: -

Base: RNZAF Luthale Bay, Fiji

Location: South Pacific Ocean

Pilot: Sq/Ldr. Ronald Bruce Leslie MacGregor AFC. 1167 RNZAF Age 34. Missing - believed killed

Pilot: P/O. Douglass Edmund Wood NZ/415811 RNZAF Age 30. Missing - believed killed Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: LAC. Hector Alexander Gordon McGregor NZ/391612 RNZAF Age 29. Missing - believed killed

Fl/Eng: LAC. Ivan James Waldie NZ/39480 RNZAF Age 29. Missing - believed killed

Nav: F/O. Jack Eric Morison NZ/413107 RNZAF Age 21. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Gordon Marsh Adie NZ/539037 RNZAF Age 23. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Bruce Alexander Godley Bond NZ/402977 RNZAF Age 28. Missing - believed killed

Passengers:

Nav: F/O. Alan Edmund Wilkie Bradmore NZ/413721 RNZAF Age 33. Missing - believed killed

Works Foreman: Sgt. Henry Martin Kennedy NZ/428587 RNZAF Age 46. Missing - believed killed

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Maxwell William McCormick MiD. NZ/402198 RNZAF Age 28. Missing - believed killed

Medical Officer: Fl/Lt. John Robert Mills Nicholson MB. CHB. NZ/4214843 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

Motor Boat Crew: LAC: Eric Samuel Puddle NZ/4214843 RNZAF Age 36. Missing - believed killed

Mechanic i/c: LAC. John Wilfred Russell NZ/4210478 RNZAF Age 35. Missing - believed killed

Welfare Services: Cpt. Norman John Paltridge Army 619617 Age 40. Missing - believed killed

Agriculture Department: Mr. Marcellius James Scott NZ Government Age 48. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

On a transit flight from Luthale Bay, Fiji at 04:30 hrs to Auckland, New Zealand. No communication suggesting they had difficulties or an emergency was received.

Extensive searches were made in an attempt to discover the missing aircraft but meeting with no success.

Some wreckage was found by a boat three days later on the Kadavu islands. The amount of wreckage recovered proved insufficient to establish the cause of the loss.

Burial and other personal details:

Sq/Ldr. Ronald Bruce Leslie MacGregor AFC. Bourail Memorial. Panel 3. Born on the 13th July 1908 in Auckland. Son of James Leslie and Jessie MacGregor (née Pattison) of Hastings and husband of Joan Isobel MacGregor(née Dalrymple), of Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand.

P/O. Douglass Edmund Wood. Bourail Memorial. Panel 5. Born 13th November 1912 in Timaru. A total of 559 flying hours logged. Son of Leonard Thomas (died 1958) and Isabella Douglass Wood (née Bryant - died 1962) of Timaru. Husband of Rona Wood (née Winkelman, later Carrol and father of 1 son of Mt. Eden, Auckland, New Zealand.

LAC. Hector Alexander Gordon McGregor. Bourail Memorial. Panel 9. Born on the 15th August 1913 in Mangaweka. Son of Alexander Gordon and Elspeth McGregor of Palmerston North, New Zealand,

LAC. Ivan James Waldie. Bourail Memorial. Panel 9. Born on the 19th May 1914 in Dunedin. Son of Robert George and Catherine Christina Waldie (née Ryan), Timaru, New Zealand

F/O. Jack Eric Morison. Bourail Memorial. Panel 4. Born on the 10th August 1921 in Wellington. Son of Gordon Leslie and Winifred Enily Morison (née Chubb) of Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand.

Fl/Sgt. Gordon Marsh Adie. Bourail Memorial. Panel 6. Born on the 28th October 1919 in Christchurch. Son of Walter and Edith Mary Adie (née Marsh) of Linwood, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand and husband of Mary Fleming Brown Adie (née Paton, later Woodhead) and father of 1 daughter, of Avonside, Christchurch, New Zealand.

P/O. Bruce Alexander Godley Bond. Bourail Memorial. Panel 5. Born on the 31st May 1915 in Dannevirke. Son of Eli (died 18th July 1962) and Sara Olive Bond (née Olsen - died 18th April 1939, age 55), of Napier, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand and husband of Marjorie Bond (née Hughes), of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

F/O. Alan Edmund Wilkie Bradmore. Bourail Memorial. Panel 4. Born on the 19th September 1909 in Temuka. Son of Henry James Wilkie Bradmore and of Lena Evelyn Bradmore (née Honeyfield - died 28th May 1967, age 86) of Tauranga and husband of Iris Adeline Bradmore (née McKenzie), of Hastings, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand.

Sgt. Henry Martin Kennedy. Bourail Memorial. Panel 7. Born on the 16th June 1896 in Nadi, Fiji. Served 4 years in the army during WW1. Son of Charles Kennedy and Ada Annie Mckay Kennedy (née McKay - died 05th September 1936, age 69) and husband of Jean Allison Kennedy (née Anderson - married 29th June 1933 in Fiji, died 15th March 1995, age 86) of Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand.

Fl/Lt. Maxwell William McCormick MiD. Bourail Memorial. Panel 3. Born on the 03rd May 1915 in Hastings. Son of William Patrick (died 05th November 1953, age 67) and Alice Amy McCormick (née Martin-Smith - died 28th July 1966, age 73), married on the 16th September 1914, of Haumoana, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Credited with 1 enemy aircraft destroyed.

Fl/Lt. John Robert Mills Nicholson MB. CHB. Bourail Memorial. Panel 3. Born on the 19th August 1916 in Christchurch. Son of Thomas Andrew (died June 1935) and Eva Irene Nicholson (née Mills - died April 1957), of Merivale, Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand.

LAC: Eric Samuel Puddle. Bourail Memorial. Panel 9. Born on the 03rd July 1906 in Christchurch. Son of John and Alice Puddle (née Dempsey) and husband of Amy Louisa Puddle (née Hadley) Later husband of Marie Ann Puddle (née Douglas, later Heath) and father to 1 son of One Tree Hill, Auckland, New Zealand.

LAC. John Wilfred Russell. Bourail Memorial. Panel 9. Born on the 30th September 1907 in Paterangi. Son of John and Beatrice Hawes Russell (née Tapper) and husband of Alice Edith Russell (née Lysnar) and father to 2 sons and 1 daughter, of Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand. His brother W/O. David Malyon also lost his life - further details here.

Cpt. Norman John Paltridge. Bourail Memorial. Panel 2. Born on the 04th September 1902 in Peroa, New Zealand. Son of Arthur John (died on the 12th June 1959, age 82) and Lena Maud Paltridge (née Marshall - died 15th September 1932 age 55) and husband of Dulcie May Paltridge (née Exton - died 1999, age 98), of Wellington City, New Zealand

Mr. Marcellius James Scott. Born on 16 January 1895 in Orari, Canterbury. Served in the army during WW1 when he was wounded resulting in the left leg was amputated. Son of John (died 13th December 1921, age 81) and Bridget Scott (née O/Connell - died 23rd July 1956, age 98) and husband of Ada Jessie Scott (née Whitta - died 06th May 1977, age 90) of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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