Flying Officer Maxwell Harwood
World War One baby
Maxwell Harwood was born in Hobart on 17 January 1916. Like many children during the Great War, he had an absent father who was serving overseas.
Maxwell’s father Thomas, aged 21, enlisted with the 40th Battalion on 3 September 1916. He departed Australia aboard the “Ulysses” on 25 October 1916, leaving his wife Myrtle at home in Hobart with baby Maxwell.
After the war, Thomas and Myrtle Harwood had a daughter, Doreen, born in 1918. In 1920, the couple had another son who they decided to name Alfred after his uncle, Private Alfred Gordon Harwood, who was killed in France in World War One on 10 July 1918. Sadly, baby Alfred’s life was cut short by illness. He died in hospital in Hobart at the age of one on 9 January 1922. In 1922, the couple had another son, Donald, also born in Hobart.
Myrtle and her children moved to New Zealand. Maxwell was educated in Dunedin and worked in various jobs before enlisting with the New Zealand Air Force.
Air force service
In October 1940, Maxwell was accepted into the New Zealand Air Force. He left for Canada in December 1940, where he attended No. 2 Wireless School in Calgary, and then the No. 5 Bombing and Gunnery School in Dafoe, for gunnery training. He was granted his Wireless Operator Air Gunner’s Badge in June 1941. Maxwell received further training in the United Kingdom.
Flight Sergeant Harwood was engaged in General Flying work until April 1942 when he was posted to No. 203 Squadron of Middle East Command. For the next two months, he was part of the crew of a submarine patrol and shipping search. During this time, the aircraft bombed a few submarines with no definite results, and was chased once by a German J.V. 88 anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun.
Serving in the Pacific
In July 1942, Flight Sergeant Harwood joined the crew of a Maryland aircraft and was engaged in coastal patrols and shipping searches until he returned to New Zealand in September 1942.
In October 1942, on return from leave, Flight Sergeant Harwood went to No. 2 General Reconnaissance Squadron, in Nelson, New Zealand, and became one of the crew of a Hudson engaged in formation Night Cross Country training and general duties until he left New Zealand. He then went with the No. 4 Squadron to Nausori, in Fiji, and was engaged in general reconnaissance work.
In 1943, Flight Sergeant Harwood served for four months as a wireless operator in the Solomon Islands at Guadalcanal, Russell Islands, Shortland Islands and Rendova Island. In August 1943, he returned to New Zealand and was stationed at Whennapai, engaged in anti-submarine patrol and shipping searches. While there, Flight Sergeant Harwood did one return trip to Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu. The island was used by Allied forces as a military supply and support base, naval harbour, and airfield. During the course of World War Two, more than 100 000 allied troops and support staff were stationed at Espiritu Santo.
Maxwell Harwood was promoted to Flying Officer in November 1943, and became a crew member on training flights and aircraft that escorted fighter planes flying between Whenuapei Airfield, near Auckland, and Espiritu Santo.
In February 1944, Flying Officer Harwood went overseas with No 9 Squadron aboard an aircraft acting as an escort to fighters between Espiritu Santo and Guadalcanal.
Missing, believed killed
On 6 April 1944, Flying Officer Harwood was a member of the crew of a bomber type aircraft engaged in practice bombing of a submarine. The aircraft crashed into the sea from between 2 000 and 3 000 feet shortly before 12:30pm.
Only two bodies of were recovered (Pilot Officer Thurstan and an American). Flying Officer Harwood and the remainder of the crew went down with the aircraft and were classified by the Air Department in New Zealand as “missing, believed killed”.
Flying Officer Maxwell Harwood was only 28 when he went missing with the other crew, who included:
- Flight Lieutenant Gordon McLachlan, aged 25
- Flying Officer Lionel John Wood, aged 31
- Flight Lieutenant Bernard O’Fagan, aged 26
- Lieutenant (jg) R L Fresb, United States Navy Reserve
- Fireman 2nd Class, A K N Stinson, United States Navy
Commemoration
Maxwell Henry Harwood was commemorated in the New Zealand Military Cemetery, Bourail, New Caledonia. As it was not possible for many next of kin to attend the ceremony, the New Zealand Government printed a special brochure containing a description and photographs of the cemetery and ceremony.
Maxwell was survived by his new wife, Margaret Gilbert (pictured above), and his parents, Thomas Harwood, Myrtle Harwood and stepfather Arthur Proctor.
Research courtesy of Geoff Proctor, nephew of Maxwell Harwood.