Winston Stanley CANNELL [443]

  General Notes:

1917/701 NZ Birth Cannell Winstone Stanley, Winifred Vera, Percy
1941 NZ Death
1943 Burial /20219 Cannell Winston Stanley 25y

NZ School Record Admission:
W Cannell; Hinuera; Admission Date: 1922; Register No: 545.
W Cannell; Springhills; Admission Date 1924; Register No: 368.
W Cannell; Springhills; Admission Date 1926; Register No: 32.
W Cannell; Springhills; Admission Date 1926; Register No: 40.
W Cannell; Matamata Junior DHS; Admission Date 1929; Register No: 634.

Winston was a student pilot of the Advanced Training School (ATS), of 3 Service Flying Training School RNZAF at Ohakea, member of Course 19c, B Squad; he was Leading Aircraftman (LAC) WS Cannell. He was accidentally killed in a plane crash during Air Force training in NZ 20 Nov 1941, having just attained his Wings in the RNZAF. Crash site not found for 18 months.
TWO MISSING AIRMEN

Evening Post 21 November 1941
CRASH IN BUSH
R.N.Z.A.F. PLANE
ANOTHER MISSING
An aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force crashed into the bush behind Waikanae during cross-country training yesterday, but the sole occupant escaped without injury.
Two airmen of the Royal New Zealand Air Force were reported overdue on a cross-country flight from the R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Ohakea, last evening. They were occupants of an aircraft engaged in a flight from Ohakea to Opunake and return. The airmen are Leading Aircraftman Charles William Baker (next-of-kin, father, Mr. W. P. Baker, Box 1, Russell); Leading Aircraftman Winston Stanley Cannell (next-of-kin, father, Mr. Percy Cannell, Peria, R.D., Matamata).

New Zealand Herald, 24 November 1941
SEARCH UNSUCCESSFUL CROSS-COUNTRY FLIGHT [BY TELEGRAPH -PRESS ASSOCIATION] WELLINGTON, Sunday Although an aerial search for two airmen who became overdue on a cross-country flight in a Royal New Zealand Air Force aeroplane on Thursday evening is being continued every day, no trace of them has been found yet. The missing men, who were engaged on a flight from Ohakea to Opunake and return, are Leading-Aircraftman Charles William Baker, son of Mr. W. P. Baker, Russell, and Leading-Air-craftman Winston Stanley Cannell, son of Mr. Percy Cannell, Peria, Matamata.

Auckland Star 24 November 1941
NO SIGN OF AIRMEN
MISSING SINCE THURSDAY (P.A.)
Wellington, Sunday.
Although an aerial search for two airmen who became overdue on a cross-country flight in a Royal New Zealand Air Force aeroplane on Thursday evening is being continued every day, no trace of them has been found yet. The missing men, who were engaged on a flight from Ohakea to Opunake and return, are Leading-Aircraftman Charles William Baker, son of Mr. W. P. Baker, Russell, and Leading- Aircraftman Winston Stanley Cannell, son of Mr. Percy Cannell, Peria Matamata.
REWARD OF £2OO OFFERED

Press, 26 November 1941
INFORMATION ABOUT MISSING AIRCRAFT ACTION BY FATHER OF OCCUPANT (P.A.) AUCKLAND. November 25.
A reward of £2OO fer information leading to the recovery of the aircraft in which his son, Leading Aircraftsman Charles William Baker, aged 21, and Leading Aircraftsman Winston Stanley Cannell, of Matamata, are missing from the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Ohakea, is offered by Mr W. B. Baker, of Russell.

Evening Post 26 November 1941
MISSING AIRMEN £200 REWARD OFFERED (0.C.)
Auckland, This Day,
A reward of £200 for information leading to the recovery of a missing aeroplane or its occupants is offered by a resident of Russell, Mr. W. P. Baker. The occupants of the machine were his son, Leading Aircraftman Charles William Baker, aged 21. and Leading Aircraftman Winston Stanley Cannell, of Matamata. The aircraft is missing from the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Ohakea.
Mr. Baker said last night that he was anxious for news of his son and the other young flyer, and had hopes that they were alive. He considered that the offer of the reward might stimulate searching by residents of the locality in which the machine was flying. Two days later on the 28th of November, the reward offer was increased to £500. But still the aircraft wasn't found. Leading Aircraftman Baker was born at Russell and educated at Paerata College. He later joined the staff of John Burns and Company, Limited, in Auckland, and began training with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in June this year. He underwent courses at Levin and Whenuapai, and was at Ohakea when he was reported overdue on a cross-country flight from Ohakea to Opunake and back last Thursday.

Auckland Star 26 November 1941
£200 REWARD
MISSING AEROPLANE
OFFER BY AIRMAN'S FATHER
For information leading to the recovery of a missing aeroplane or its occupants, Mr. W. P. Baker, of Russell, is offering a reward of £200. The aircraft is missing from the Royal New Zealand Air Force station at Ohakea since last Thursday, when it set out on a crosscountry flight to Opunake and back, and its occupants were Leading- Aircraftman Charles William Baker, aged 21, and Leading-Aircraftman Winston Stanley Cannell, of Matamata. In offering the reward, Mr. Baker said he was anxious for news of his son and the other young airman, and he had hopes that they were alive. The offer of the reward might induce residents to make a search of the locality where the machine was flying. Leading-Aircraftman Baker was born at Russell and educated at Wesley College, Paerata. Later he joined the Auckland staff of John Burns, Limited, and began air force training last June.

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24436, 20 November 1942
In Memoriam Notices:
CANNELL. -In loving memory of Winston, reported missing on air training operations, November 20, 1941. Happy memories, fond and true, Will always remain, dear Win, of you. lnserted by his brother and sisters. Doug, Mona (overseas) and Norma.
CANNELL. -In loving memory of Sergeant-Pilot Winston Stanley Cannell, missing on cross-country flight November 20, 1941. The call was sudden, the shock severe. We little thought the end was near; And only those who knew can tell, The sorrow of parting without farewell. -Ever remembered by Gordon.
CANNELL. -In loving memory of Sergeant-Pilot Winston Cannell, missing on cross-country flight November 20, 1941. Memories drift to scenes long past, Time rolls on but memories last. -Always remembered by Meryl and Neil.
CANNELL. -In loving memory of Ser-geant-Pilot Winston Cannell, missing on cross-country flight November 20. 1941, If we could speak with you to-day, Laugh with you in the same old way, Hear your voice and see you smile, Then life for us would be worth while. -Ever remembered. Mr. and Mrs. Phil Hawke.

Evening Post 14 April 1943
Wreckage of Plane Missing since 1941:
The wreckage of an aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, reported missing with two occupants in November 1941, was recovered in the Tararua Ranges today, together with the bodies of the two crew members, Leading Aircraftman Charles William Baker (father, Mr. W. P. Baker, Box 1, Russell), and Leading Aircraftman Winston Stanley Cannell (father, Mr. P. Cannell, Peria, R.D., Matamata).

New Zealand Herald Friday 17 April 1943
Funeral Notice:
CANNELL, L.A.C., R.N.Z.A.F. -On November 20, 1941, as result of a flying accident, Winston Stanley, beloved younger son of Mr. and Mrs. P. Cannell, of Hinuera, aged 25 years. Funeral leaves the Methodist Church, Matamata, after 2 p.m. service on Tuesday, for Matamata Cemetery.

Waterson Funeral Record
Cannell Winston Stanley, 1943, Reference: 1/1943

For Your Tomorrow by Errol Martyn, Vol I, pg 155.
Navigation exercise - from base to Opunake and return
3 Service Flying Training School (ATS), RNZAF (Ohakea)
Oxford II NZ1245 - took off at 1030 but failed to return as scheduled at 1430. Despite an extensive aerial search and the offer of a £200 reward by Mr W P Baker, father of one of the pilots, the Oxford's fate remained a mystery until April 1943, when its remains were found in hill country near Maunganui Peak in the Akatarawas, 10 miles north of Upper Hutt. It appeared that NZ1245 became lost in bad weather and struck some trees. Rendered uncontrollable, it continued its course until, striking more treese, it overturned and crashed upside down on a hill, killing both pilots. Their bodies were recovered on 14 April and are buried at Matamata and Russell, respectively.
Pilot: NZ413814 LAC Winston Stanley Cannell, RNZAF - Age 24. 13 hrs (57 solo - 35 on Oxford)
(Pilot): NZ413804 LAC Charles William Baker, RNZAF - Age 21. 100hrs.
Baker was probably acting as navigator for the exercise.

New Zealand Military Aircraft Serial Numbers
RNZAF Airspeed AS.10 Oxford Mk 1,2
NZ1245 Mk.2 2670 P6876 Mark II. Built by de Havilland Ltd, Hatfield, England. Arrived in New Zealand on board "OPAWA" in September 1940. BOC Hobsonville on 11 September 1940. To No.3 SFTS, Ohakea. Failed to return from a navigation training exercise on 20 November 1941. Despite an intensive search the aircraft was not discovered until April 1943. It had crashed in hill country near Upper Hutt after becoming lost in bad weather. LAC Winston Cannell and LAC Charles Baker killed. Written off books at Ohakea.

Click on 'Memoirs Diaries Journals' at Home Page: Winston S Cannell Air Accident 1941 (for an excerpt from Missing - Aircraft Missing in NZ 1928-2000; author Chris Rudge)

Auckland Museum Cenotaph
Full Name: Winston Stanley Cannell
Rank Last Held: Leading Aircraftman
Forename(s): Winston Stanley
Surname: Cannell
War: World War II, 1939-1945
Serial No.: NZ413814
Gender: Male
Last Unit Served: Royal New Zealand Air Force, 3 Service Flying Training School, Ohakea
Place of Death: Ohakea Air Base, New Zealand
Date of Death: 20 November 1941
Age at Death: 24
Year of Death: 1941
Cemetery Name: Matamata Public Cemetery, Peria Road, Matamata, New Zealand
Grave Reference: 33. 9.
Biographical Notes: Winston Cannell was the son of Percy Cannell and of Winifred Cannell (nee Hooker), of Peria, Matamata, Waikato, New Zealand.
Sources Used: Commonwealth War Graves Commission. URL: http://www.cwgc.org

  Research Notes:

Report of the aircraft accident courtesy of Chris Rudge 2001
http://www.parawaitc.org.nz/Other/Oxford1245.pdf

NZ Military Aircraft Serial Numbers
http://www.adf-serials.com/nz-serials/nz250.shtml

Archives NZ Wellington
Record Information; Title; Years
Coroners Inquests - Case Files - Wellington - Baker, Charles William; Cannell, Winston Stanley (R23782168) 1943-1943
Item ID; Agency; Series; Accession; Record group; Box / Item; Sep; Record no.; Part; Alternative no.; Record type ;
R23782168; ACGS; 16231; J46; 1167 / COR1943/457; Text; Former archives ref J46

  Other Records

• WW2: Training School - LAC, 1941, Ohakea, NZ.

• WW2: CWG, 1943, Matamata Cemetery, New Zealand.

• Winston Stanley Cannell: Coroner's Report, 1943, Otaki, New Zealand.
(courtesy Wellington Archives)

• WW2: Cemetery Record, 1945, Matamata Cemetery, New Zealand.