Sgt Alvin Messines Dingle RNZAF

[Dyan]

Can anyone give me any more details about what sqdn etc this person was serving with and why he was taken a POW. He died we think as a result of being a POW on the Burma-Siam Railway he is buried in Thailand. His service number is 402125 date of death is 24 Jan 1942 according to CWGC database.

Greatful for any info distant relative of my "other half"

Dyan

[AlanW]

Dyan,
113sqdn Blenheim Z7582, lost on ops to Bangkok 24/01/42, crew were...
Sgt P. Keeley.
Sgt D. Biggs.
Sgt A.M. Dingle.

see 113squadron.com in the squadron personnel section, it gives details on loss, and explains why it's uncertain as to if he was killed in aircraft, or survived and died later on Burma railway.

[Oggie2620]

To quote from Errols Book:
NZ402125 (previous A405125) b Hamilton 7 Nov 1917; Southwell School, Hamilton (swimming champ); farmer -fathers farm at Waipuna Valley, Te Kauwhata. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Air Observer u/t (under training) 28 Jul 1940, 1 AOS (Air Observers School) 24 Aug 1940, Air Observer Badge & Sgt 10 Dec 1940, attached to RAF and embarked for Egypt 20 Dec 1940, ME (Middle East) Pool 31 Jan 1941, 70 OTU (Operational Training Unit) - Blenheim 4 Feb 1941, posted 14 Sqn (Blenheim) 2 Jun 1941, posted to 113 Sqn -Blenheim 29 Sep 41, with Sqn to Burma late Dec 1941/early Jan 1942, KOA (Killed on Air Operations) 24 Jan 1942. Kanchanburi War Cemetary - 10.M.coll grave 10-12, Thailand. (OH SE Asia-The RNZAF in South East Asia, New Zealanders in the Royal Air Force (Volume 3) & phot. The Weekly News 12.7.42)

I am sure Errol himself can give you some more informtion but there is a little more there for you to add to what you have.

Best wishes
Dee

[Oggie2620]

To quote from Errols Book:
NZ402125 (previous A405125) b Hamilton 7 Nov 1917; Southwell School, Hamilton (swimming champ); farmer -fathers farm at Waipuna Valley, Te Kauwhata. RNZAF Levin/ITW as Air Observer u/t (under training) 28 Jul 1940, 1 AOS (Air Observers School) 24 Aug 1940, Air Observer Badge & Sgt 10 Dec 1940, attached to RAF and embarked for Egypt 20 Dec 1940, ME (Middle East) Pool 31 Jan 1941, 70 OTU (Operational Training Unit) - Blenheim 4 Feb 1941, posted 14 Sqn (Blenheim) 2 Jun 1941, posted to 113 Sqn -Blenheim 29 Sep 41, with Sqn to Burma late Dec 1941/early Jan 1942, koa (Killed on Air Operations) 24 Jan 1942. Kanchanburi War Cemetary - 10.M.coll grave 10-12, Thailand. (OH SE Asia-The RNZAF in South East Asia, New Zealanders in the Royal Air Force (Volume 3) & phot. The Weekly News 12.7.42)

I am sure Errol himself can give you some more informtion but there is a little more there for you to add to what you have.

Best wishes
Dee

[Errol Martyn]

Dyan,

Here is the fate entry from my Vol Two:

Sat 24/Sun 25 Jan 1942
India Command
Raid on Bangkok docks
113 Squadron, RAF (Mingaladon, Burma - 221 Group)
Blenheim IV Z7582/L - took off at 1916 captained by Flt Sgt P N Keeley, RAF, with seven others and brought down by flak from a Japanese gunboat, crashing about 1km SW of Talat Plu Railway Station, Bangkok. All three crew were buried nearby in a collective grave by local villagers, but in 1948 the remains were reinterred at Kanchanaburi.
Observer: NZ402125 Sgt Alvin Messines DINGLE, RNZAF - Age 24.

Errol

[Dyan]

Now we have more of the story - assumed (definition makes an "ass of you and me") that becuayse of the write up about the cemetery that he was a POW. Now we can fill in a bit more of the history of this member of the extended family - as an aside all the members of his family with the name "alvin" came to a "sticky end" his uncle who he was named after died at Messines in WW1.

Many thanks.

Dyan

[Dyan]

Alvins Gt Nephew lives in Bangkok and every ANZAC DAY he goes to the memorial he did not know that his Gt Uncle was buried there, now he does - the family split some stayed in the South Island of NZ and others went North (Alvins family) and they lost touch it was a big family 10 children in all. So thank you to everyone who helped now Alvin and his mates will have a "visitor".

Regards
Dyan