Remembering Today 14/6/44 Flying Officer REGINALD HAROLD MATHER 412251, Royal New Zealand Air Force

Discussion in 'New Zealand' started by CL1, Jun 14, 2011.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Flying Officer REGINALD HAROLD MATHER

    412251, Royal New Zealand Air Force
    who died age 26
    on 14 June 1944
    Son of Harold James Mather and Grace Mather; husband of Margarette Josephine Mather, of Levin, Wellington, New Zealand.
    Remembered with honour
    BOURAIL MEMORIAL
    CWGC :: Cemetery Details
     
  2. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    Auckland War Memorial Museum - Mather-Reginald-Harold-World-War-II,-1939-1945



    Member of No. 9 Squadron RNZAF

    (info from wiki)

    History

    The squadron formed as No. 9 General Reconnaissance Squadron on Lockheed Hudson aircraft in New Caledonia, during July 1942, remaining on the island until March 1943, when it moved forward to Santo.

    The squadron came 'home' to New Zealand to re-equip with Lockheed Venturas in October 1943, returning to Santo in February 1944, moving to Bougainville from May to August of that year.

    The squadron rotated through Fiji January 1945, and advanced to Emirau in March. With the winding down of aerial operations against the Japanese in the South West Pacific, it was disbanded in June 1945.

    Commanding officers

    • Squadron Leader D. B. Grigg July 1942–June 1943
    • Squadron Leader J. J. Busch June–July 1943
    • Squadron Leader A. C. Willis July–August 1943
    • Wing Commander A. C. Allen October 1943–May 1945
     
  3. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    New Zealand bomber-reconnaissance squadrons were based at Bougainville until the middle of October 1944. No. 9 Squadron was there from May until August, when it was relieved by No. 3. Both squadrons were employed on daily weather flights and shipping counts over Rabaul, on survivor patrols, and on occasional bombing raids over the area. They were also used in numerous sweeps over New Ireland, where they combined bombing and strafing attacks with thorough reconnaissance of the island, bringing back reports of targets which warranted full-scale strikes. Flying over Bougainville itself, the aircraft generally carried a native to spot targets, and then the same crew led a striking force there the next day.


    At the middle of June 1944 the disposition of RNZAF squadrons and servicing units in the Pacific was as follows:

    Bougainville

    No. 15 Squadron (Fighter)

    No. 18 Squadron (Fighter)

    No. 20 Squadron (Fighter)

    No. 9 Squadron (Bomber Reconnaissance)

    No. 31 Squadron (TBF)


    No. 2 Servicing Unit

    No. 4 Servicing Unit

    No. 10 Servicing Unit

    No. 25 Servicing Unit

    No. 30 Servicing Unit
     
  4. DaveB

    DaveB Very Senior Member

    (info from adfserials)

    Lockheed PV-1, B-34 Ventura

    NZ4530

    Bu34751. Assembled at Oahu and BOC with Unit 12, Ohakea on 04 September 1943. To No.9 Squadron, Bougainville. Crashed about 150 miles NE of Bougainville at 1010 hours on 14 June 1944. The aircraft suffered engine failure when returning from a patrol and ditched into the sea. Flying Officer Reginald Mather, Pilot Officer Jack Battye, Warrant Officer Ivan Lorenzen, Sergeant Henry Mosen and Flight Sergeant William Neave killed.
     

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