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Martin John BYRNESerial Number: NZ404529
RNZAF Trade: Navigator
Date of Enlistment: November 1940
Rank Achieved: Flight Sergeant
Flying Hours: 351 hours
Operational Sorties: 10 opsDate of Birth: 22nd of July 1910, at Cambridge
Personal Details: Martin was the son of John and Florence Byrne of Princes Street, Cambridge. He was educated at Cambridge District High School where he passed his Public Service Entrance Examination, and achieved his Higher Leaving Certificate. He was a member of the Cambridge United Football Club, representing Cambridge for several seasons in the senior representatives.It was reported that before joining the RNZAF he was herd testing in the Mercury Bay district, but RNZAF sources say his last employment before enlistment was with Messrs Patton and Jarvis, Auckland, as a carpenter. He also had served for two years in the Territorials before joining the RNZAF.
Service Details: Martin applied to join the RNZAF as aircrew in January 1940. He entered camp in November 1940 at RNZAF Levin, to commence training with the Initial Training Wing.
He was farewelled on the 30th of January 1941, and you can read the report of this farewell on the Cambridge Patriotic Committee page. He was transported to Canada onboard R.M.S. Aorangi with fellow Cambridge airman Bill Suckling. He and Bill were the first Cambridge airmen to be trained in Canada, as Navigators at No. 4 Air Observer School at London, Ontario on Course 27.
Martin and Bill both trained on Course No 27, which moved onto No. 1 Bombing and Gunnery School, Jarvis, Ontario to complete the gunnery phase. The two friends gained their Air Observers Wings on the 21st of June 1941. Martin was promoted to Sergeant two days later.
Shortly after this, Martin proceeded to No. 1 Advanced Navigation School, Rivers, Manitoba, for a further course. Following this, he embarked for the United Kingdom.
On setting foot in Britain, Martin was sent to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 30th of August 1941. After a fortnight there, he was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit at Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire, for duty as a Navigator with the Anson Flight. He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the1st of January 1942.
On the 23rd of May 1942, Martin was posted to No. 23 OTU at Pershore, Worcestershire, where he underwent operational training on Wellington bombers. On the 1st of June 1942 he took part in his first bombing raid, on Essen in Germany. After a month of working up at the OTU, he was posted to join No. 75 (NZ) Squadron at Feltwell in Norfolk.
Over the next two months he was navigator with No. 75 (NZ) Squadron. During this time he flew nine operations with varying crews. Here is a list of his ops.
8/9 July 1942 Z1596 Wilhelmshaven, Germany P/O George Bradey - Captain
Sgt Ronald Callaghan - WOAG
Sgt Alan Rutherford - Air Bomber
Sgt William Titcomb - Air Gunner13/14 July 1942 X3538 Duisberg Sgt Arthur Osborne - Captain
F/Sgt Paul Bosson WOAG
F/Sgt Chambers
F/Sgt Kerrison Morris - Front Gunner20 July 1942 X3751 Bremen in daylight Sgt C McPherson - Captain
Sgt Ray Coppersmith - WOAG
F/Sgt Louvain Cairns - Air Bomber/Observer
F/Sgt Norman Bryson - Air Gunner21/22 July 1942 Q3540 Duisberg Sgt C McPherson - Captain
Sgt Ray Coppersmith - WOAG
F/Sgt Louvain Cairns - Air Bomber/Observer
F/Sgt Norman Bryson - Air Gunner23/24 July 1942 BJ661 Duisberg Sgt John Gilbertson - Captain
F/Sgt Eric Albert - WOAG
Sgt Alan Rutherford - Air Bomber
Sgt John Atkin - Air Gunner26/27 July 1942 BJ661 Hamburg Sgt John Gilbertson - Captain
Sgt Ronald Callaghan - WOAG
Sgt Alan Rutherford - Air Bomber
Sgt John Atkin - Air Gunner28/29 July 1942 BJ661 Hamburg Sgt John Gilbertson - Captain
Sgt Ronald Callaghan - WOAG
Sgt Alan Rutherford - Air Bomber
Sgt William Titcomb - Air Gunner
From the Waikato Independent dated the
14th of September 1942BELIEVED DEAD
SERGEANT-PILOT BYRNE
REPRESENTATIVE FOOTBALLER
Sergeant-Pilot Martin J. Byrne, R.N.Z.A.F., is believed to have been killed in action, according to official advice received by his parents, Mr and Mrs J. Byrne, of Princes St. He was previously reported missing on air operations.
Before his enlistment, Sergeant Pilot Byrne was very prominent in local Rugby football. He was a member of the Cambridge Senior representatives and United Club for many years. Just prior to entering the forces, he was occupied in herd testing in the Mercury Bay.
Details of Death: At approximately 22:35-23:00hrs on the 28th of July 1942, Martin and his crew took off from RAF Feltwell in Norfolk onboard Vickers Wellington III BJ661 (coded AA-X) of No 75 (NZ) Squadron for a raid on Hamburg, Germany. (The raid included 256 aircraft, 33 were lost)
The Wellington was shot down over the Netherlands by a night-fighter at 03:05 hrs on the 29th of July 1942. The aircraft crashed into the Ijsselmeer opposite Schellingwoude, Amsterdam. Three of the five crew died, including Martin.
He was buried at Amsterdam. He aged 32. A very detailed account of the incident in which the Wellington crashed and Martin was killed can be found on pages 730-733 of the December 1988 issue of Aeroplane Monthly magazine.If anyone needs further information from this article I have a copy.
Buried at: Plot 69. Row E. Grave 18 Amsterdam New Eastern CemeteryConnection with Cambridge: Martin was born in and was a longtime resident of Cambridge, New Zealand prewar
Below - The Commonwealth War Grave of Martin Byrne in Amsterdam Eastern Cemetery. The photograph was kindly supplied by Stevin Oudshoorn of Amsterdam. Click the photo to see Stevin's website which is dedicated to all Allied soldiers, airmen and sailors that were Killed In Action and/or are buried in The Netherlands during WW2.You can also see his page on Martin Byrne by clicking here
Note: Details of this airman's death were sourced from the excellent volumes of 'For Your Tomorrow' by Errol Martyn. See more details on these highly recommended books here
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