William Lester CONWAY
Known as Bill

Service Number: NZ436502
RNZAF Trade: Supplies (?)
Date of Enlistment: 1943
Rank Achieved: Leading Aircraftsman
Flying Hours: nil known
Operational Sorties: nil known:

Date of Birth: 10th of February 1900, at Waihi
Personal Details: Bill was born in Waihi, Bay of Plenty. When young he was knwon as Willie or Will but later in life as Bill. He moved around a fair bit before World War Two, living at Wanganui, then Shannon, then Fordell, and back to Wanganui. He worked for the New Zealand Railways as a truck driver, working all round the Wanganui and Taranaki region. During the aftermath of the 1931 Napier earthquake Bill was sent to help the city recover. At the age of 43, in 1943, Bill joined the RNZAF. After the war he returned to the railways for a short time but then set up his own business in Wanganui with his rehab money. many years later he retured and shifted to Rotorua, before moving again to continue retirement in Cambridge where he lived the rest of his life.

Service Details: Bill served as groundcrew on No. 30 Servicing Unit, which was attached to No. 30 (Bomber) Squadron which flew Grumman Avengers, and he served at Darton Field, Gisborne, and then with the squadron up to Boagainville. He later served at Emirau.

Date of Death : 1st of February 1984, aged 83 years
Buried: RSA Lawn Cemetery, Hautapu, Cambridge

Connection with Cambridge: Bill lived lived his retired years in Rotorua and then in Cambridge, and he died here

Thanks to Bill's son Garry Conway for most of the above information

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