George King Samson (1916 - 1943)

Born 6 Jan 1916 in Gisborne, New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 23 Jun 1943 at age 27 in Germany

Biography

Aged 27 - World War Two - KIA

Navigator- NZ402563 F/Sgt George King SAMSON (RNZAF)

Buried Reichswold Forest War cemetery, Germany

Flt Sgt Samson had served in the NZ Artillery as a Territorial soldier for 2 ½ years prior to the war. He joined the RNZAF on 10 July 1940 and began as an aircraft hand at Blenheim with No 2 Flying Training School.

He remustered for pilot training in September of that year in the Initial Training Wing [ground training in aircraft subjects] then No3 Elementary Flying Training School for the flying phase but that was terminated in January 1941.He then began training as an Air Observer [now known as a Navigator] and embarked for Canada on 27 February 1941 where he was attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force [under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan]. After attending No6 Air Observer School, he was awarded the Air Observers badge [aircrew brevet] and promoted to Sergeant then embarked for the UK in September for service with the Royal Air Force [as were all RNZAF personnel]. He attended No11 Operational Training Unit on Stirling aircraft but did not complete the training at that time, probably due to illness, but later completed this at No1657 Heavy Conversion Unit and was posted to No75[NZ] Squadron.

Beginning operations in September 1942, only a few months later his aircraft was damaged by flak on a mission over Frankfurt and subsequently ditched [crash landed in the sea]. Fortunately they were rescued uninjured, by an Air Sea Rescue Walrus flying boat. On 23 June 1943 he was killed on air operations during a raid on Mulheim, shot down by flak and crashing in Gelsenkirchen. Source: Errol Martyn, 'For Your Tomorrow', Vol. 2, p.111, and Vol.3, p.425.

Sources

• NZ BDM Indexes

War record