Thomas Herbert BILTCLIFFE

Service Number: NZ4215725
RNZAF Trade: Aircrafthand (ATC), then Pilot
Date of Enlistment: 4th of December 1942
Rank Achieved:Flying Officer
Flying Hours: Unknown hours
Operational Sorties: Unknown Ops

Date of Birth: 8th of September 1924, at Barnsley, England
Personal Details: Tom was the son of John Thomas Biltcliffe and Hilda Mary Biltcliffe (nee Elliston). He had a half brother, John Parry.

Tom's family moved to New Zealand in 1936, and it was probably at this point Tom settled in Cambridge.

Whilst in Canada, Tom met Janice Elaine Marshall of Minneappolis, Minnesota, USA. Janice was a USA Red Cross Hostess in her city and she met Tom when he visited on leave. She sailed to New Zealand aboard the Monterey, departing from San Francisco on the 28th oif September 1946. Tom and Janice married in October 1946. The couple ran a business in Epsom, Auckland after their marriage, but they then moved to the USA in 1949. He worked for Al Parker Buick, eventually retiring as General Sales Manager with that company following 36 years with that company.

Service Details: Thomas Biltcliffe began his service life at RNZAF Station Levin as an Aircrafthand (ATC). He trained as a pilot thereafter and became a flying instructor in New Zealand.

It's reported on his "Findagrave" page that Tom was attached to the Royal Canadian Air Force, training pilots in Canada, before being posted to England and attached to the Royal Air Force.

He was one of the 1476 RNZAF personnel who returned to New Zealand from Britain aboard the troopship Andes, docking at the Port of Lyttleton, Christchurch, on Wednesday the 24th of October 1945.

Died: 28th of January 2011, at Houston, Harris County, Texas, USA.
Buried: Barksdale Cemetery, Barksdale, Edwards County, Texas, USA

Connection with Cambridge: Flying Officer Biltcliffe was listed as coming from Cambridge in the report about the return of airmen aboard the Andes in the Auckland Star dated the 22nd of October 1945.

Thanks To: Errol Martyn for additional information, and the Findagrave website page created by Rick Kauffman.

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