User:Tomch85p

Frank Charles Tomlinson, born August 30th 1923, son to John and Isabel Tomlinson, brother to Norma. He grew up in the suburb of Newton, an older part of Auckland city, when times in New Zealand were relatively difficult. He attended Newton Primary and went on to Mt Albert Grammar where he excelled in his subjects. As a young boy Frank had a paper run, read books and collected cigarette cards. His parents were hard-working and encouraged Frank to be independent and show initiative. In 1942, aged 19 years Frank was eligible to join the services and was accepted into pilot training with the Royal NZ Air Force. Training took place at both Wigram and Ardmore airfields in the only planes available, Harvard's. In 1943 when training was finished the squadron Frank belonged to transferred to Solomon Islands, where the Royal NZ Air Force took control of security and protection of the Islands. They were loaned P40 Kittyhawks from the US Air force to fly patrols around the protected area. Frank stated later after the war, that the only time he was shot down was by his own men! They spent several weeks in the Solomon's then flew back to NZ for RNR. This continued until the end of the war in 1945, when Frank did a short stint flying patrol around Great Britain. His ease back into Auckland after the war years was tempered with restlessness but in 1948 Frank met and married 'Minkie' Hill. Minkie (as a child she was called a little minx) was a determined woman who at the age of 17 had worked like many others in a factory that produced items for the war effort. At aged 23 Minkie and Frank now 25, moved to the leafy suburb of Titrangi where over the next 15 years they produced a family of six children. She was determined to raise her children with not only love and firmness but sent all six to private schools, St Kentigern's for the two boys and St.Cuthberts for the four girls. Frank early in his career had decided to help his mother with her retail drapery store, Tomlinson's Drapery in Rosebank Road and this served the family's need's for 32 years.