Noel Henry Crozier (1920 - 1942)

Born 25 Dec 1920 in Woodville, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 24 Sep 1942 at age 21 in North Sea

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Norma Crozier [send private message]

Biography

Noel Henry Crozier was born at Woodville in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand on 25th December 1920, the second child and youngest son of Alexander Crozier and his wife Annie Cox.^[1]

During World War II Noel joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force and eventually became Sergeant [New Zealand] #411742 attached to the British Royal Air Force Bomber Command. Noel died at the age of 21 while on air operations over the North Sea on 24th September 1942. His body was never recovered, and he has no known grave.

An entry in the book, Roll of New Zealand’s WWII Dead … seen in the Palmerston North Library in January 2021, classification 940 5467 COO … records his involvement and his demise …

Crozier, Noel Henry, Sgt [NZ] #411742, 21 years; Fielding, Royal New Zealand Air Force, 9 [RAF] Squadron, Bomber Command; KAO … ie, Killed on Active Operations … during a raid on Wismar, Germany at sea off Denmark’s Lolland Island, 24 September 1942; no known grave … Runnymeade Memorial.

The Commonwelth War Graves Commission website has the following entry …

In memory of Sergeant #41172 Noel Henry Crozier, 9 Squadron, RNZAF, who died on Thursday 24 September 1942 aged 21 years; son of Alexander and Annie Crozier of Woodville, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand. Runnymede Memorial Panel 117 overlooking the River Thames on Cooper’s Hill at Englefield Green between Windsor and Egham on the A308, 4km from Windsor.

It would seem that Noel and his brother were ex-pupils of Fielding Agricultural High School, as both young men are commemorated on their Roll of Honour … World War II Deaths, published in 1948 …

Alexander Walter Crozier
Noel Henry Crozier

PS: Noel's parents surely paid the 'ultimate sacrifice' when they lost both their sons … their only children … while the boys were serving overseas with the RNZAF during World War II. Noel, the younger son, killed aged 21 in September 1943 followed only months later by older brother Walter, killed aged 25 in June 1943.

Sources

1. ↑ New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Births, Deaths & Marriages Online digital index; Registration of Births (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz): Noel Henry Crozier, son of Annie and Alexander Crozier, registration number 1921/ 15026; confirmed date 25 December 1920.

• N.Z.Govt. Births, Deaths, Marriages Online