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John Strathearn Lawrey with an RNZAF Tiger Moth
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TitleJohn Strathearn Lawrey with an RNZAF Tiger Moth
DescriptionAirman John Strathearn Lawrey standing next to an RNZAF Tiger Moth aircraft in 1943, likely at Harewood. (Caption on back of photo states at Wigram airfield).
Biography of John S Lawrey written by Paul Hickford (2025):
Flying Officer John S Lawrey joined 50 (RAF) Squadron within two months of the war ending in Europe on 8 May 1945. He flew his first sortie on 6 March 1945, an attack on the port of Sassnitz and the nearby military facilities. His aircrew included AG Smith (Flight Engineer and 2nd pilot), JG Morrison (Navigator), FA Wallis (Air Bomber), HW Kent of RNZAF (Wireless Operator), Henry J Flowers (Mid-upper Gunner) and Horace J Flowers (Rear Gunner).[i]
John was to undertake seven more sorties before his final mission on 25 April 1945, Anzac Day in New Zealand. Flying alongside 14 other aircraft from his squadron and 93 heavy bombers from other Bomber Command Group 5 squadrons, John helped destroy the Nazi controlled oil refinery and storage facilities at Vallo, a plant to the south of Tonsberg, Norway.[ii]
The Lawrey family were no strangers to war. In the First World War John’s father, Private, John Francis Lawrey, No. 64919, served with the 33rd Reinforcements of the Auckland Regiment[iii] and was involved in the liberation of Le Quesnoy, France on 4 November 1918.[iv] His uncle, Private Herbert Millett Lawrey, No. 3/3672, was a member of the 34th Reinforcements of the New Zealand Medical Corps[v] and uncle Albert Charles Lawrey was in the Reserves.
John’s grandfather and great grandparents had arrived at Lyttelton, Canterbury in 1858 from Cornwall, England. Over the following years they farmed properties at Kaiapoi, Springston and West Melton before becoming country storekeepers in Kirwee, Selwyn District of Canterbury about 1887.[vi] John (jnr) was to follow in his storekeeping family’s footsteps, before and after the war.
John was born and raised in the Selwyn District and received his first formal education at the KIrwee school. He attended high school at Christchurch West travelling to Christchurch each day by train. On leaving school he worked for the Midland Bus Company and then The Farmers Trading Company in Wellington where he worked in the mail order department and became very proficient at wrapping parcels.
John enlisted for military service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) about 1942. While on leave from his RNZAF training program John had married Annie Calder, a schoolteacher and daughter of Rev T G Calder, in his hometown of Kirwee on 26 December 1942.[vii] Annie taught at schools in the Selwyn District including Aylesbury.
Within seven months John was sailing on the SS Matsonia for San Francisco. His ultimate destination was Canada where he would graduate from RCAF, No. 5 Service Training School, Brantford, Ontario and Course 1, Class 85 on 29 October 1943.[viii]
Meanwhile back in New Zealand in 1943, John’s sister, Nancy Frances Lawrey, had married his brother-in-law George ‘Gordon’ Calder who was to serve with the 2nd NZEF in Italy.[ix]
From Canada John proceeded to England to undergo further flying training before joining 50 (RAF) Squadron. His entry into the squadron was understandably delayed as the Allies were gaining superiority in the air and there were fewer casualties. Regardless he needed to keep his flying hours up so was flying Oxfords, Stirlings and Lancasters at RAF training stations.
Prior to commencing operational flying in command of his own aircraft John undertook two familiarization flights (known as ‘digging’), one with another New Zealander, Hugh Skilling.
John flew his first operational mission on 5 March 1945. The primary target for the squadron was the synthetic fuel plant at Bohlen, Germany, as part of the Allied campaign to destroy German oil production. When the war in Europe ended on 8 May 1945 John had flown a total of 10 sorties including nine with Howard William Kent, his air bomber and also a member of the RNZAF.
Ultimately, his war ended quickly and anticlimactically. Being unable to immediately return to New Zealand John and his colleagues were engaged in ferrying prisoners of war back to England. Otherwise, they took ground crew, WAAFs and Air Force administration staff on sightseeing trips over France and Germany.[x]
After the war John and Annie settled in Kirwee where they owned and operated what became known as the IGA (Independent Grocers’ Alliance) store.[xi]
Over the years the family had proved strongly supportive of their local community, an example that was initially set by grandfather, John Nicholas Lawrey, who served on the school board for 15 years and helped with funding of the Kirwee school’s swimming pool.[xii]
John (jnr) died in the township on 29 November 2004 and is buried in the local cemetery. Annie survived her husband by two years. She passed away on 5 December 2006 and is also buried in the Kirwee cemetery.[xiii]
John’s brother-in-law, Gordon Calder, appears on the Kirwee Roll of Honour 1939-1945 but there is no mention of John. Both however appear on the Cenotaph site of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
________________________________________
[i] Operations Record Books of 50(RAF) Squadron.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] J F Lawrey, WW1, 64919, Army, Archives NZ, R10918234.
[iv] Kiwi Index, NZSG.
[v] HM Lawrey, WW1, 3/3672, NZMC, Archives NZ, R10918233.
[vi] Obituary, John N Lawrey, Star (Christchurch), 19 June 1931, p.2.
[vii] Marriages, Lawrey-Calder, Otago Daily Times, 18 January 1943, p.1.
[viii] John S Lawrey, Cenotaph site, AWMM.
[ix] Ashburton Guardian, 1 September 1944, p.2.
[x] www.selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz
[xi] Ibid.
[xii]Obituary, Star (Christchurch), 19 June 1931, p.2.
[xiii] Australia & NZ Find a Grave Index, 1800s – current.
Date1943LocationKirwee
DescriptionAirman John Strathearn Lawrey standing next to an RNZAF Tiger Moth aircraft in 1943, likely at Harewood. (Caption on back of photo states at Wigram airfield).Biography of John S Lawrey written by Paul Hickford (2025):
Flying Officer John S Lawrey joined 50 (RAF) Squadron within two months of the war ending in Europe on 8 May 1945. He flew his first sortie on 6 March 1945, an attack on the port of Sassnitz and the nearby military facilities. His aircrew included AG Smith (Flight Engineer and 2nd pilot), JG Morrison (Navigator), FA Wallis (Air Bomber), HW Kent of RNZAF (Wireless Operator), Henry J Flowers (Mid-upper Gunner) and Horace J Flowers (Rear Gunner).[i]
John was to undertake seven more sorties before his final mission on 25 April 1945, Anzac Day in New Zealand. Flying alongside 14 other aircraft from his squadron and 93 heavy bombers from other Bomber Command Group 5 squadrons, John helped destroy the Nazi controlled oil refinery and storage facilities at Vallo, a plant to the south of Tonsberg, Norway.[ii]
The Lawrey family were no strangers to war. In the First World War John’s father, Private, John Francis Lawrey, No. 64919, served with the 33rd Reinforcements of the Auckland Regiment[iii] and was involved in the liberation of Le Quesnoy, France on 4 November 1918.[iv] His uncle, Private Herbert Millett Lawrey, No. 3/3672, was a member of the 34th Reinforcements of the New Zealand Medical Corps[v] and uncle Albert Charles Lawrey was in the Reserves.
John’s grandfather and great grandparents had arrived at Lyttelton, Canterbury in 1858 from Cornwall, England. Over the following years they farmed properties at Kaiapoi, Springston and West Melton before becoming country storekeepers in Kirwee, Selwyn District of Canterbury about 1887.[vi] John (jnr) was to follow in his storekeeping family’s footsteps, before and after the war.
John was born and raised in the Selwyn District and received his first formal education at the KIrwee school. He attended high school at Christchurch West travelling to Christchurch each day by train. On leaving school he worked for the Midland Bus Company and then The Farmers Trading Company in Wellington where he worked in the mail order department and became very proficient at wrapping parcels.
John enlisted for military service with the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) about 1942. While on leave from his RNZAF training program John had married Annie Calder, a schoolteacher and daughter of Rev T G Calder, in his hometown of Kirwee on 26 December 1942.[vii] Annie taught at schools in the Selwyn District including Aylesbury.
Within seven months John was sailing on the SS Matsonia for San Francisco. His ultimate destination was Canada where he would graduate from RCAF, No. 5 Service Training School, Brantford, Ontario and Course 1, Class 85 on 29 October 1943.[viii]
Meanwhile back in New Zealand in 1943, John’s sister, Nancy Frances Lawrey, had married his brother-in-law George ‘Gordon’ Calder who was to serve with the 2nd NZEF in Italy.[ix]
From Canada John proceeded to England to undergo further flying training before joining 50 (RAF) Squadron. His entry into the squadron was understandably delayed as the Allies were gaining superiority in the air and there were fewer casualties. Regardless he needed to keep his flying hours up so was flying Oxfords, Stirlings and Lancasters at RAF training stations.
Prior to commencing operational flying in command of his own aircraft John undertook two familiarization flights (known as ‘digging’), one with another New Zealander, Hugh Skilling.
John flew his first operational mission on 5 March 1945. The primary target for the squadron was the synthetic fuel plant at Bohlen, Germany, as part of the Allied campaign to destroy German oil production. When the war in Europe ended on 8 May 1945 John had flown a total of 10 sorties including nine with Howard William Kent, his air bomber and also a member of the RNZAF.
Ultimately, his war ended quickly and anticlimactically. Being unable to immediately return to New Zealand John and his colleagues were engaged in ferrying prisoners of war back to England. Otherwise, they took ground crew, WAAFs and Air Force administration staff on sightseeing trips over France and Germany.[x]
After the war John and Annie settled in Kirwee where they owned and operated what became known as the IGA (Independent Grocers’ Alliance) store.[xi]
Over the years the family had proved strongly supportive of their local community, an example that was initially set by grandfather, John Nicholas Lawrey, who served on the school board for 15 years and helped with funding of the Kirwee school’s swimming pool.[xii]
John (jnr) died in the township on 29 November 2004 and is buried in the local cemetery. Annie survived her husband by two years. She passed away on 5 December 2006 and is also buried in the Kirwee cemetery.[xiii]
John’s brother-in-law, Gordon Calder, appears on the Kirwee Roll of Honour 1939-1945 but there is no mention of John. Both however appear on the Cenotaph site of the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
________________________________________
[i] Operations Record Books of 50(RAF) Squadron.
[ii] Ibid.
[iii] J F Lawrey, WW1, 64919, Army, Archives NZ, R10918234.
[iv] Kiwi Index, NZSG.
[v] HM Lawrey, WW1, 3/3672, NZMC, Archives NZ, R10918233.
[vi] Obituary, John N Lawrey, Star (Christchurch), 19 June 1931, p.2.
[vii] Marriages, Lawrey-Calder, Otago Daily Times, 18 January 1943, p.1.
[viii] John S Lawrey, Cenotaph site, AWMM.
[ix] Ashburton Guardian, 1 September 1944, p.2.
[x] www.selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz
[xi] Ibid.
[xii]Obituary, Star (Christchurch), 19 June 1931, p.2.
[xiii] Australia & NZ Find a Grave Index, 1800s – current.
Date1943LocationKirweeConnections
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Researched ByPaul HickfordWritten ByPaul HickfordDonated ByStrathearn LawreyDate Donated04 September 2025
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John Strathearn Lawrey with an RNZAF Tiger Moth (1943). Selwyn Stories, accessed 18/03/2026, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/6916
