Alfred Edward Respinger
Bombardier · NZ #594 · R Patrol
| Rank | Bombardier |
|---|---|
| Service number | NZ #594 |
| Patrol | R Patrol |
| Regiment | N.Z. A/T Bty |
| Record | https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/121342 |
What this roll records
HOW HE CAME TO THE GROUP, AND HOW HE LEFT IT. He was educated at Sacred Heart College and was working in Switzerland when war was declared; he went immediately to London and joined the New Zealand unit formed there, which was transferred to the Middle East. He served about eighteen months with the Long Range Desert Group, was then transferred to British Intelligence, and by July 1942 had moved again to “another section, doing work of a secret nature”. He was commissioned in the field and promoted lieutenant a few days later, and was wounded and in hospital when this was reported to his parents, Mr and Mrs A. Respinger of Park Road, Grafton. THE LIEUTENANCY IS AN IMPERIAL ARMY COMMISSION, which is what the original Long Range Patrol roll of 5 December 1940 meant by “returned unit; commissioned Imperial Army”; the rank held on this card is his LRDG rank and stands. Source: “Lieutenant Wounded”, Auckland Star, 9 July 1942, page 6, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).
On original LRP Roll (5 Dec 1940): R — A/T Gnr R Patrol; returned unit; commissioned Imperial Army. Source: LRP Roll (Original LRP Nominal Roll as at 5 Dec 1940, Capt L H Browne).
Cenotaph record linked. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.
Rank corrected to Gunner. Source: Brendan O’Carroll.
On the R Patrol Nominal Roll, 31 March 1941: Bombardier Respinger A.E., 594. Source: Brendan O'Carroll, 'R Patrol, Long Range Desert Group' (R Patrol Nominal Roll, 31 March 1941).
Full name Alfred Edward. French-German correspondent in civilian life. Embarked/served with 34th Battery, N.Z. Artillery. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.
See him in the full roll →Where this comes from
- Missing info added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll.
- LRDG Nominal Roll, 28 Dec 1940 – Jan 1941 (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy) — roll rank: Bombardier
- Additional sources (AWMM Online Cenotaph). Nominal Roll 2NZEF No. 3, p.398.
This page is part of the Long Range Desert Group roll of members at lrdgarchive.org. If you hold rights to anything on it and would like it credited differently, or taken down, please see Sources and Copyright. It will be dealt with promptly.
Not By Strength But By Guile