Ronald Charles NOICE

Serial Number: NZ429800
RNZAF Trade: Ground Wireless Operator, then Bomb Aimer - aka Air Bomber (Armament)
Date of Enlistment:21st of August 1942
Date of Demob: 25th of December 1945
Rank Achieved:Flying Officer
Flying Hours: 484.15hrs
Operational Sorties: 30 Ops

Date of Birth: 24th of February 1924, at Matiere, Taranaki
Personal Details: Married to Pearl

Today: Currently lives in Leamington, Cambridge. Ron was the Secretary of the Waikato Branch of the Prisoners of War Association till its recent disbandment.

Connection with Cambridge: Ron moved to Cambridge in the 1970's

Service Details: As below, but an interview is planned soon too:

Ron Noice's Units:

	Unit Served On	Dates
	No. 8 B&G Lethbridge No. 2 Air Observer School, Edmonton, Canada No. 9 (O) AFU, Penrhos No. 9 (O) AFU Llandwrog No. 83 OTU, Peplow No. 1655 MTU, Warboys No. 1655 MTU, Wyton PFF NTU, Warboys No. 405 Squadron, Gransdon Lodge POW Camp, Moosburg, Germany No. 227 Squadron RAF, Graveley	6th of Sept1943 - 26th of Nov 1943 29th Nov 1943 - 14th of January 1944 10th of June 1944 - 30th of June 1944 30th of June 1944 - 1st of August 1944 16th of August 1944 - 4th of Sept 1944 6th of September 1944 - 17th of Sept 1944 17th of September 1944 - 25th of Sept 1944 25th of September 1944 - 4th of Oct 1944 6th of October 1944 - 20th of Feb 1945 24th of February 1945 - 8th of May 1945 25th of June 1945 - 7th of Sept 1945
Ron Noice's Aircraft Flying Hours
	Unit Served On	Type	Day	Night	Ops
	No. 8 B&G Lethbridge No. 2 Air Observer School, Edmonton, Canada No. 9 (O) AFU, Penrhos No. 9 (O) AFU Llandwrog No. 83 OTU, Peplow No. 1655 MTU, Warboys No. 1655 MTU, Wyton PFF NTU, Warboys No. 405 Squadron, Gransdon Lodge Liberation - as passenger No. 227 Squadron RAF, Graveley	Avro Anson Bristol Blenheim Avro Anson Avro Anson Vickers Wellington Airspeed Oxford DH Mosquito HP Halifax Avro Lancaster Avro Lancaster Douglas Dakota Lancaster Total Day + Night Total Altogether	33.35 15.10 26.15 30.45 12/30 12.35 7.25 2.15 6.10 53.35 3.20 78.05 281.40 + 484.15hrs	12.20 nil 18.40 12.10 nil nil 18.05 nil 4.25 116.20 nil 20.35 202.35	7/23

 

First training flight was in an Avro Anson (serial 11291) on the 21st of September 1943, as a Bomb Aimer

On the night of the 20th/21st of February 1945, during a raid on Dortmund with 405 Sqn RCAF, Ron's Lancaster PB530 (LQ-W) was shot down by an aircraft with an upward firing weapon. At the time and for many years the crew assumed they'd been hit by flack, but in the 1990's Ron was speaking at a Probus meeting in Te Awamutu and a member of the audience came forward to state that he'd witnessed the loss of Ron's aircraft, as he'd been in a nearby bomber, and had seen the Luftwaffe Ju.88 with upward firing gun hit LQ-W that night.

The crew on that night were Squadron Leader Howie F.Marcou DFC, AFC (RCAF, Flight Commander); Flight Sergenat George E.Bolland DFM (who was killed on the ground by locals after he'd landed safely). Flying Officer T.W.Downey; Flying Officer Ron Noice RNZAF, Flying Officer Bill G."Smokey" Smoker; Flying Officer J.A.Lewis; Flying Officer J.T.Ross (RCAF) T/S J.W.Verner (USAAF).

He was captured and made a Prisoner of War. He was safe in the UK by the 15th of May 1945 .

I have interviewed Ron about his war service and more details are planned for this page in the future