John Reginald Harvey

This story is shared with the Trust with kind permission from Mavis Williams, Researcher. Portrait photo source: Weekly News, AucklandMuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph 

John Reginald Harvey was born on the 14th of August 1921, at Waihi, Tokaanu, Waikato, New Zealand, the son of Arthur Reginald Newton & Violet Annie Harvey (née Cunliffe) who had married on the 29th of September 1920 in Waihi, Waikato. He attended Waihi District High School and then went to the Auckland Teachers Training College and Auckland University College. He enjoyed sport and played for the rugby first XV and football first XI for his school. He also took part in athletics, tennis and swimming.

After leaving school he was employed as a pupil teacher by the Education Department in Auckland until he applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force in June 1940 and enlisted on the 4th May 1941. He started at the Initial Training Wing at Levin before being posted to No 4 Elementary Flying Training School on the 15th June. His training was interrupted by a period of illness but once he recovered he completed his course and was then posted to No 3 Flying Training School, Oakes on the 6th September. He was awarded his Flying Badge on the 18th October and was promoted to Sergeant on the 20th November. On completion of his training he embarked for the UK on the 13th December 1941 where he would be promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st April 1943 and then Warrent Officer on the 1st April 1944.

On arrival in England he reported to No 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 9th February 1942 and was then posted to No 15 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit, Leconfield, Yorkshire. On the 12th April he was seriously injured in an aircraft accident and remained on the seriously ill list for about six weeks. Once he had recovered he was posted to No 51 Group, Flying Training Command in March 1943, No 3 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit at South Cerney, Gloucestershirea at the end of March 1944 and No 12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden on the 13th June where he was crewed up and began training on Wellington bombers prior to his posting to an operational squadron.

Whilst he was stationed in England, John met Hazel Byers and they married in the March quarter of 1944 in the Carlisle registration district. She had been born in the Carlisle registration district in the June quarter of 1924, the daughter of Frank Barnes & Alice Ann Byers (née Martindale). Frank Byers had served in the First World War. He was in the Royal Engineers from the 7th of November 1914 to the 1st of July 1919, spending some time in India. The 1921 census reveals that after demobilisation he found work as a Railway Fireman for the Midland Railway. The 1939 Register tells us that Hazel was living with her parents at 18 Gloucester Road, Carlisle and was working as a shop assistant.

John was still training when he was killed on the night of 25th/26th August. The crew had been tasked with a diversion operation over Normandy, acting as a decoy to draw attention away from the true target. Looking at the other losses that day the target was Kiel with some aircraft attacking Konigsberg and a mine laying operation. They took off from Chipping Warden but when returning from their sortie they strayed off track and dived into the ground at Uplands Lane, Keynshaw, 5 miles SE from the centre of Bristol. All the crew were killed. He was buried in the Dalston Road Cemtery, Carlisle on the 31st August 1944.

Photo source: Ian J Armstrong, FindaGrave.com

 

John's mother would suffer two tragedies in 1944. Not only did she lose her son but on the 29th of March 1944, her husband, Leading Aircraftsman Arthur Reginald Newton Harvey, who was in New Zealand with his military service, died from natural causes. He was 48 years old.

Both Violet and Hazel would remarry. Violet Harvey was to remarry on the 6th of December 1947, to Birt Rigsby, an ex-Royal Marine, who had also been in WW2. Hazel Harvey (née Byers) married again to a Mr Harper in the June quarter of 1957 in the Carlisle registration district.