Gordon Henderson

Flight Sergeant [Air Gunner]

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of Charles and Agnes Henderson, of Rotorua, Auckland, New Zealand; husband of B. Henderson.

References:

CWGC

Martyn (2008)

NZ WAR GRAVES

CONTRIBUTED

Refer Next Photo below for Flight Crew Names.

Flt, Sgt. Gordon Henderson bottom row on right. He signed as "Yours Truly'"

Bio- Flt. Sgt. Gordon Henderson written by his wife Mrs G.B. Henderson Page 2.

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Bruce Gordon Orbell

Relationship to casualty: Nephew

Submitted by: Bruce Gordon Orbell

Relationship to casualty: Nephew

The biography below for Flight Sergeant Gordon Henderson was written by his wife Mrs G. B. Henderson, Rotorua. Gordon Henderson was born at Cessnock, New South Wales, on the 7th March 1913. He accomp...anied his parents to New Zealand at an early age and received his secondary education at the Rotorua High School, afterwards continuing an engineering course at the Newcastle Technical College, NSW. He played football, golf and tennis, also taking part in swimming. For a number of years he was in business at Rotorua as a haulage contractor, afterwards being employed as a salesman by D. A. Morrison and Co. Ltd. of Wanganui. He was interested in flying, and at the time of applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 22nd of September, 1939, had completed 39 hours flying as a pupil of the Rotorua Aero Club. Flight Sergeant Henderson was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, on the 25th of January, 1942 and embarked for Canada on the 2nd of March under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Flight Sergeant Henderson arrived in Canada early in April and on the 12th of the same month was posted to No.3 Wireless School, Winnipeg, Manitoba. Here, early in August 1942 his wireless training was terminated and he was posted to the Composite Training School, Trenton, and remustered to Air Gunner. On the 16th of August, he proceeded to No.3 Bombing and Gunnery School, MacDonald, Manitoba, where on the 25th of September he was awarded the Air Gunners Badge and promoted to Sergeant. He was further promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st of June, 1943. Meanwhile, on the 3rd of October, 1942 he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia for embarkation to The United Kingdom. Flight Sergeant Gordon Henderson arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, late in October, and on the 16th of November was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit at Westcott, where he crewed up and completed his training as Air Gunner of Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 4th of March 1943, he proceeded to No.1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishell, Suffolk for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft and on the 15th of April was posted to No. 90 Squadron, West Wickham, Cambridge. With this Squadron as Air Gunner of a Stirling bomber he took part in eleven operational flights the targets being Dortmund (2) Duisberg, Dusseldorf (2), Wuppertal, Krefeld and Mulheim in Germany, and Le Creusot in France and one mine-laying operation in enemy waters. Flight Sergeant Gordon Henderson was the member of a crew of a Stirling bomber engaged during the night of 24th/25th of June, 1943 in a raid on Wuppertal, in Germany. The Aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including Flight Sergeant Gordon Henderson, were classified as missing. Later information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that Flight Sergeant Henderson had lost his life and was buried in the municipal cemetery of Haasrode, near Leuven, Belgium. In due course, his death was presumed to have occurred on the 25th June, 1943. Mrs G. B. Henderson, (W) 4 Fraser Street, Rotorua. Read More

Submitted by: Bruce Orbell

Relationship to casualty: Nephew

Add a Story or Photo

Casualty

Service Number:

42327

Name:

Gordon Henderson

Rank:

Flight Sergeant

Additional Rank:

Air Gunner

Date of Birth:

07 March 1913

Place of Birth:

Cessnock, New South Wales, Australia

Education:

Rotorua High School

Next of Kin:

Mr Charles Henderson (father), Rotorua, New Zealand

Date of Enlistment:

25 January 1942

Marital Status:

Married

Occupation on Enlistment:

Contractor

Employer:

Millers Sports, Te Awamutu

Unit:

Royal New Zealand Air Force, 90 (RAF) Squadron

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed on air operations

Date of Death:

25 June 1943

Day of Death:

Friday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Royal New Zealand Air Force

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Haasrode Churchyard

Cemetery Reference:

Grave 7.

Cemetery Location:

Belgium