Name |
Gordon Watt |
Birth |
8 Sep 1918 |
Wellington, New Zealand [1] |
Address: Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand |
Gender |
Male |
Occupation |
May 1934 [2] |
Royal Navy |
- Gordon was a ship's gunner on the cruiser HMS Leander when war broke out in 1939. (Armament of 8 x 6 inch and 4 x 4 inch guns).
Leander was transferred to the newly-formed RNZ Navy in 1940 and Gordon spent most of WWII aboard her.
In July 1943 Leander was part of Rear Admiral Walden Lee Ainsworth's Task Group 36.1. It comprised 3 cruisers, 2 destroyers and 2 US light cruisers. In an action off Kolombangara, Solomon Islands the Task Group attacked a Japanese cruiser Jintsu which was accompanied by five destroyers. Jintsu was sunk and all three allied cruisers were hit by torpedoes. Leander was so badly damaged that she took no further part in the war. 28 of her crew were killed.
Gordon was stationed on various ships in the North Sea undertaking troop and convoy protection. In Stranraer, Scotland he met Carherine Byrnes and married in that port in 1945.
|
Death |
2001 |
Auckland, New Zealand [2] |
Age: 83y |
Address: Ranfurly War Veteran's Home, Auckland, New Zealand |
Person ID |
I149 |
Hannaway |
Last Modified |
27 Apr 2018 |
Father |
William Watt, b. 22 Mar 1875, Insch, Aberdeenshire, Scotland d. 19 Feb 1933, New Plymouth, New Zealand (Age 57 years) |
Mother |
Jeannie Rookes, b. 8 Dec 1880, Dundee, Scotland d. 7 Mar 1963, Auckland, New Zealand (Age 82 years) |
Marriage |
6 Jan 1906 |
Dundee, Scotland [2, 3] |
Address: St Luke's Manse, Lochee, Dundee, Scotland |
- Witnesses: John Hackney and Isabella Watt (Church of Scotland).
Witness Role: Witness Name: John Hackney
Witness Role: Witness Name: Isabella Watt
Witness Role: Minister Name: Wm May
Witness Role: Church of Scotland Minister, St Luke's Parish, Lochee
|
Family ID |
F169 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |