Badge
Production date
Circa 1940s
Description
A plastic badge in the shape of a pair of wings with a diamante mounted at the centre. The clear plastic wings are backed by light blue and are suspended from a small brass plate fitted with a simple pin.
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Object detail
Production date
Circa 1940s
Subject person
Classification
Credit line
This
badge
is
thought
to
have
belonged
to
Sergeant
Ronald
Reardon,
of
Tariki.
Reardon
was
a
Kittyhawk
pilot
in
the
18th
Squadron
of
the
RNZAF
who
served
in
the
Pacific
Theatre
during
World
War
II.
He fought as part of Operation Cartwheel (1943–1944) a major military strategy of the Allied forces (United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and some Pacific Islands), which targeted the Japanese base at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. As Kittyhawks could not operate at great heights, they acted as escorts providing close cover for the American bombers during the bombing strikes against Rabaul. The strength of the Kittyhawks came as a result of discipline and teamwork. Reardon left New Zealand for Papua New Guinea on the 9th January 1943. His Kittyhawk was shot down one month later off the coast of Kabanga, southwest of Rabaul.
He fought as part of Operation Cartwheel (1943–1944) a major military strategy of the Allied forces (United States, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, and some Pacific Islands), which targeted the Japanese base at Rabaul, Papua New Guinea. As Kittyhawks could not operate at great heights, they acted as escorts providing close cover for the American bombers during the bombing strikes against Rabaul. The strength of the Kittyhawks came as a result of discipline and teamwork. Reardon left New Zealand for Papua New Guinea on the 9th January 1943. His Kittyhawk was shot down one month later off the coast of Kabanga, southwest of Rabaul.
Accession number
PA2010.217
Collection type
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