Born in Winnipeg, Canada. Immigrated to Wellington, New Zealand with family around age 3. Served in the Pacific during World War Two as an aircraft engineer with the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Later worked as an engineer and instructor for the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (later Air New Zealand), retiring in 1976. Died age 109, at the time, New Zealand's oldest person.
Hermanns, Ronald, 1911-2021
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Hermanns, Ronald, 1911- : Papers relating to service in World War Two
Date: 1938-1976
By: Hermanns, Ronald, 1911-2021
Reference: MS-Group-1695
Description: Papers contain a diary describing his experience during the Pacific Campaign and related ephemera, including National Airways Corporation items Relationship complexity - Films which constitute part of these papers have been deposited with the Film Archive Hermanns served two tours of duty with the Royal New Zealand Air Force during World War Two . He was stationed as a mechanical engineer at Espirtu Santo (New Hebredies), Guadalcanal (Solomon Islands) and Jacquinot Bay (New Britain). After the war he worked for NAC (later Air New Zealand) as an engineer and engineer instructor. Quantity: 1 volume(s). 2 folder(s). 0.04 Linear Metres. Physical Description: Mss, typescripts, printed matter and photographs Provenance: Donor/Lender/Vendor - Donated by Mr R Hermanns, Christchurch, 2008 Transfers: Collection as a whole taken into Manuscripts. Transfers have been made from here. - To Photographic Archive - Photograph album and loose photographs mainly of Pacific Campaign (PA-Group-00263) - To Book Collections - Books relating to New Zealand.
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Hermanns, Ronald, 1911- :Photographs
Date: 1938-1945
By: Hermanns, Ronald, 1911-2021
Reference: PA-Group-00265
Description: Photographs relating to Ron Hermann's service in the Pacific Campaign during World War II Source of title - Title supplied by Library Quantity: 1 album(s). 14 b&w original photographic print(s). 36 b&w original negative(s). Physical Description: Photograph album, photographs and negatives Provenance: Donated by Ron Hermanns, Christchurch, 2008 Transfers: From Manuscripts & Archives - MS-Group-1695. See also Published Collections.
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Interview with Ronald Hermanns
Date: 2017
By: Beard, Mike, active 2017; Foley, Jacqueline, active 1997-2024; Hermanns, Ronald, 1911-2021
Reference: OHColl-1607-01
Description: Interview with Ronald (Ron) Hermanns by Jacqui Foley recorded on 27 and 28 April 2017. Digital material comprises sound recordings, interview summary, abstract, biographical information form, scanned recording agreement form, and six photographs. Analogue material comprises recording agreement form, and printouts of the interview summary, abstract, biographical information form, and three of the digital photographs. Photographs show: - Hermanns on his 108th birthday, 25 September 2017, taken by Mike Beard - Hermanns' World War Two diary 'Santos diary' - Hermanns' handmade "trench art" and jewellery on display at the Air Force Museum of New Zealand, and an information card from the museum about Ron - a Certificate of Membership awarded to Hermanns in 1972 for 25 years service with the New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC) Summary provided by interviewer: "Ron Hermanns was born in Canada in 1911. His parents had emigrated from London to Canada and then made the decision to emigrate again to New Zealand. Ron was around 3 years of age. His mother’s sister and her husband, Charles and Beatrice Pettit, were living in Wellington and the family settled there. In the first sections of the interview Ron talks about his family and early years growing up in Wellington. He describes his memories of the Influenza Epidemic of 1918. Ron recalls his school days, family life, his father’s employment and Ron’s relationship with his mother. He goes on to talk about his education, interest in mechanics and apprenticeship. Ron talks about joining the Territorial Air Force in 1937 and goes on to describe his war service with Royal New Zealand Air Force as an aircraft mechanic. Ron describes his tours of duty in the Pacific and also talks about his time at bases in New Zealand. Ron was discharged in 1947 and joined New Zealand National Airways Corporation (NAC), based in Christchurch, where he still lives. Ron talks about his work and also his interest in photography which helped secure his job with NAC. Ron reflects also on his involvement in war and discusses the reasons he did not accept his war medals until many years after the war ended. Ron describes his interests in mechanics, jewellery making and music and reflects on the effects of his losing his eyesight. The interview concludes with Ron’s observations of the changes he has seen over his long life.". Title supplied by Library. Material relating to Hermanns' service in World War Two, including his war diary 'Santos diary', is held at Library reference MS-Group-1695 (papers) and PA-Group-00265 (photographs). Quantity: 1 Interview(s). 6 digital photograph(s). 5 digital sound recording(s). 5 Electronic document(s) digital abstract, interview summary, and recording agreement form. 1 printed abstract(s) includes recording agreement form, interview summary, and printouts of digital photographs. 1 Electronic document(s) digital biographical information form. 1 folder(s) biographical information form. Search dates: 2017