Allan Adolphus VEALE

Serial Number: 1/795 and 6/2475
RAF Trade: Pilot
Date of Enlistment: 1914
Rank Achieved: Second Lieutenant
Date of Enlistment: 5th of August 1914
Flying Hours:
Operational Sorties:

Date of Birth: Australia
Personal Details: Allan was the son of Mr William Veale, of Cambridge, New Zealand. Allan never married.

Service Details: Allan enlisted at the YMCA centre in Auckland, New Zealand. He embarked from New Zealand on the 15th of August 1914, and served as a Private as a member of the 3rd Auckland Infantry Regiment, Samoan Advance Party. He took part in New Zealand's first action in the First World War as part of the Samoan Expeditionary Force in 1914. This force invaded the German territorial islands of Samoa, and Allan's advance part arrived at Apia, Samoa on the 29th of August 1914. Howevert they found the Geman garrison had fled when they arrived and it was a bloodless victory.

Allan then left for Suez, in Egypt, as part of the 5th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Battalion, on 13 June 1915. Later he appears to have served with the Wellington Infantry Regiment, and then at some point he transferred to the Royal Flying Corp and became a pilot.

He trained in Squad II of Turnberry No. 2 (Auxilliary) School of Aerial Gunnery, and No 1 School of Aerial Fighting in November 1917.

The New Zealand Herald newspaper reported the following news on Allan in its edition of the 28th of August 1917:

Airman Fit Again
Lieut. Allan A. Veale, R.F.C, son of Mr. W. Veale, Cambridge, has been declared fit for duty again after recovering from very serious injuries sustained in action in May.

Lieut. Veale enlisted on August 5, 1914, to the front with the Ist, Auckland, Battalion. He was wounded in September, 1915, in Gallipoli, and after recovering in England rejoined his battalion in France, where he was again wounded in June last year.

On recovering he was attached to corps headquarters in France, and was then nominated for a commission in the R.F.C.

The injuries from which he has just recovered were very severe, his machine being crippled by anti-aircraft fire, and falling more than 600 ft out of control.

He was serving on the Western Front in France with No. 19 Squadron RFC at the time of his death.

Date of Death: Allan was killed in action on the 22nd of January 1918. Allan was flying Sopwith Dolphin C3826 of No. 19 Squadron. At 10:35hrs the aircraft dived into the ground after the wings folded up following completion of a loop. The near the Abeele-Watou road by the Belgian border, about 11km NE of the base. The Dolphin had accumulated just six hourrs and 15 minutes of flying time." He was aged 24
Buried at: Bailleul Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France - Grave III. F. 48.

Obituaries:

The New Zealand Herald - 2nd of February 1918, p. 1
"VEALE. On January 22, killed in action. Lieutenant Allan A. Veale, of R.F.C., Imperial Forces, only son of William and M. Veale, Hamilton Road, Cambridge; aged 24 years and 6 months."

The Auckland Weekly News published the following on the 30th of January 1919

"VEALE Lieut Allan Veale, RFC, on 22 January 1918 , killed in France . [Sister – W Bell ]

No more amid the strain and shock of war, no more his eyes shall rest on scenes of strife
Nor shall he listen to the battle's roar, with death and sorrow, pain and suffering rife.
His work is done, his path of duty o'er, beneath a foreign soil his body lies .
Until the day that Christ with wondrous power shall raise his own and take them to the skies.
Dear boy we know for you that all is well, yet in our hearts a sorry deep remains
But to our Saviour, God, our grief we tell and prove the grace that evermore sustains."

Connection with Cambridge: Allan's parents lived in Cambridge, and he was mentioned several times in the Cambridge newspapers during World War One. As of yet it has ot been fully established if Allan himself lived here in Cambridge but it is a possibility. I have more research to conduct and will update this page when I find more.

Sources: Allan Veale's page at the Auckland War Memorial Museum site with due credit to Errol Maryn whose research is included on that page. The Auckland Weekly News quote comes from this site and further info came from this thread at The Aerodrome

________________________________________________________________