Tracing the family of a New Zealand WW2 Pilot

[jorose]

A case like this is a good time to contact the local newspaper (perhaps drop an email with a scan of one of the pictures). Probably there are still people in the Tauranga area who would still remember the family.

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2169079/PRICE,%20PETER
 - is this the friend Peter Price?

If so, wife Imelda Catherine Price d. 1983.   I believe she was b. "Katherine Imelda Price" in 1906.  Later in the 1940s she had a breach of promise case against an American ( some references on http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk )

I do not see a birth registration for a child born to her and Peter - they were married in 1938 so not much time for married life before he went off to war

www.rquirk.com/160files/adlib/pdfs/AD%20LIB%2029.pdf‎
 - has a letter from Peter which mentions Imelda,  "brother Geoff" an ordinary seaman, and Weenie, a nurse (sister?)

[DeeBoneham]

You can request his service record for free from the New Zealand Defence Force (more than one is charged for) which may list wife etc.. Heres the link http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/nzdf-archives/accessing-military-service-records.htm
The other person to contact is the excellent Errol Martyn.  I am quite happy to email him for you with a link to this to see if he has anything he can help with. Errol wrote a 3 part book series called For Your Tomorrow.  Books 1&2 cover the planes and what happened to them.  Book 3 has a potted biography of each airman.  It only covers the deceased but once you find out what Sqn he was on then you can find out more if there is an Assn
Dee

[jac]

WOW, what a kind helpful lot you are!

Thank you all so much.

I have found out such a lot of interesting stuff & now feel that I am very close to finding some living  descendants of Owen Ernest Dudley Louden when it seemed like a hopeless task.

Should I be successful then I will give them all the info & links that you all have provided so that they can find out more about Owen.

All the best,

Jacqui

[jorose]

Parents of Peter Price m. India:
https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FGVX-ZVJ

http://www.findmypast.co.uk/passengerListPersonSearchStart.action
 shows in 1921 Jessie Price travelling with three kids to India - Peter, Geoffrey, and a younger sister who might be "Wennie".  In 1923 the same group are heading to Sydney.

There are also some records for Jessie Cardiff Price travelling to Kenya in the late 1950s.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/34274438?versionId=42227596
 - I think this is brother Geoffrey.

www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz shows that Geoffrey Rowland Price died in 2011.
http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries_search?recordid=175367&type=Cremation

http://www.familyarchives.co.nz/ViewNotice.aspx?nid=5009
http://thecommunityarchive.org.nz/node/210525/description
 - I believe these are references to Geoffrey's wife, Joan.  (because of the Solomon Islands link)

From Joan's obituary, it does not appear that she had children living.

I'm not sure if there was a NZ link for the rest of the Price family or it's just that Geoffrey retired there, but Jessie must have been taking the kids to Australia in 1923 for a reason.

[DeeBoneham]

Would love to be kept up to date
Dee

[jac]

Dee,

I will certainly keep you up to date. I was so tempted to take you up on your offer of finding out more about Owen & Peter, I felt a real connection but my task is to find a living decendent, so that's where I have to put my energy. Thanks to this site I am hoping to have traced a relative, just waiting for a positive response to an email.....fingers crossed!!,

Thanks a lot,

Jacqui

[jac]

Jorose,

Thanks for all your research but I'm afraid that I have found out that this is not the correct Peter Price. I have found the correct one, he was Peter March Price. Thanks again for all your efforts.

All the best,

Jacqui

[DeeBoneham]

Hi Jacqui
Happy to help with live rellies if I can. Have you thought of trying to get an article in a paper. They love these sort of stories

[Fresh Fields]

Hello there.

Using borrowed computer so don't have my contacts at my finger tips, however when it comes to letters written by WWI pilots etc both the Museums closest to their downing in Europe would like copies of such material, [in preparation for 100 years] and ERROL MARTYN who's three books cover all deceased [in service] NZ Air Force personel record of service, are very keen to share and preserve info, but at the same time respect family wishes.

PM me if you would like contact addresses. When I have time available i will reply.

Also you can to a forum search for contact info in the above search box.

- ALAN.

OOPs age catching up - read post as WWI not WWII however there is still strong interest in war time letters.