Roll of Honour
Served Overseas
South African or Boer War 1899 - 1902
AYSON Alexander William Napier
First World War 1914 - 1918
| AYSON Anna Sister | NZANS | ||
| AYSON Francis Catlin | 71169 | PTE | |
| AYSON Gordon Hugh | 39004 | CPL | |
| AYSON Leslie Duncan | 3/2277 | STAFF/SGT | |
| AYSON Peter Henry | 26532 | 2nd LT | |
| AYSON Peter Hugh | 15124 | PTE | Died in Action |
| AYSON Sydney Wallace | 53749 | PTE | |
| AYSON Walter Robson | 15123 | PTE | |
| CORRIGAN Francis William | PTE | Died of wounds on return to NZ | |
| DAVIDSON James Douglas | 16078 | TPR | |
| DAVIDSON Robert Neilson | 44260 | PTE | Died in Action |
| LOW Peter Ayson | 29924 | PTE | |
| WATT Peter Ayson | LT |
Second World War 1939 - 1945 - Served Overseas
| AYSON Donald Fraser * | NZ402538 | FLT. LT DFC | Coronation Medal |
| AYSON Fergus Hall | NZ401522 | LAC | |
| AYSON Hugh Douglas | 74688 | L/CPL | |
| AYSON Hugh William | |||
| AYSON Ian Blackwell | |||
| AYSON Lawrence | RNZ Navy | ||
| AYSON Mervin Scott | PTE | ||
| AYSON Newton Stewart | 36790 | LT | |
| AYSON Peter Douglas Giffen | NZ 432172 | F/O | |
| AYSON Robert John | RNZ Navy | ||
| AYSON Thos Rattray | |||
| AYSON Robert Douglas | 19211 | L/CPL | |
| CORRIGAN Desmond Patrick | 14866 | 2nd LT | M.M. Coronation Medal |
| GOLD John Robert (Ian) | 619016 | TPR | POW |
| HAMILTON Reston John | NZ 411298 | CL | |
| HAMILTON Winifred Keith Ronald Eunice Nisbet | PTE WAAC | ||
| LOW Ernest Ayson | 455187 | PTE | |
| McCROSTIE Alan Morton | L/TEL RNZ Navy | ||
| McCUTCHAN Ailsa Douglas | 25-49 | CPL WW Q.S.O. | |
| McNAUGHT James Walter Robson | SGT AIF | ||
| McNAUGHT Keith Ronald | LAC RAAF | ||
| McNAUGHT Reginald Campbell | RAAF | ||
| PATERSON Kenneth Little | |||
| RENTON Alexander Fitzgerald | NZ 426110 | W/O | |
| RENTON Bruce Rutherford | NZ 411650 | SGT |
Second World War 1939 - 1945 - Served in New Zealand
| AYSON Leslie Duncan | 2/26/137 | PVT | |
| AYSON Leslie Hugh Francis | |||
| AYSON Peter Henry | 803015 | LT | (See 1st World War) |
| AYSON Ronald | 10384 | ||
| AYSON William Lake | NZ 4210397 | LAC |
*
Donald Fraser Ayson NZ402538, FLT. LT. DFC. Coronation Medal.
Don was the eldest of three children born in Mosgiel to Corrie Duncan Ayson & Edith Henrietta Ayson (née Land). After Corrie was killed in a car accident in 1921, Edith remarried and bore two more children. She was widowed for a second time in 1928.
Don was educated at New Plymouth’s Westown Primary school and New Plymouth Boys High School. He left school aged 14 years to help with the family finances and gained employment at the Taranaki Daily News where he became a qualified Lino Type Operator. Some of his wages were used on private maths tuition which enabled him to take flying lessons at Bell Block New Plymouth airport which became an RNZAF Base in 1933.
Don enlisted with the RNZAF 09 July 1940 and after some time in New Zealand was stationed in the Pacific, firstly Fiji and then the Solomon Islands as a Pilot Officer with No 1 Squadron Bomber reconnaissance flying a Ventura NZ4509. During this time he received a DFC
Official Citation for the Award of the Distinguished Flying Cross.
“On 24 December 1943, Pilot Officer Ayson was the Captain and pilot of a Ventura aircraft returning from a patrol in the vicinity of Bougainville Island and New Britain. The aircraft was suddenly attacked by nine Japanese Zero fighters. In spite of skilful evasive action taken by Pilot officer Ayson, the Fire Controller was wounded and the intercom system was wrecked. 
Pilot officer Ayson continued to take such evasive action as he could until another member of the crew took over fire control and was able to give his intermittent reports of the enemy attacks. During one attack the rudder controls were shot away and it was only his courage and determination in handling a crippled aircraft in the face of enemy opposition that he succeeded in bringing his crew safely back to base. By his skilful manoeuvring during the action, Pilot officer Ayson contributed materially to the certain destruction of two Zeros, and the probable destruction of three more, and damage to two others.”
The feat was recognised by immediate DFCs awarded to Ayson & Williams, a DFM to Hannah; and, a personal congratulatory signal from General R J Mitchell, the American Commander Air, Northern Solomon’s which read “For single handedly beggar up finish 3 nips & 2 damaged. A mighty well done and Merry Xmas” ( beggar up finish = Solomon’s pidgin for kill, wipe out). No 1 Squadron remained in Guadalcanal until 1944 sending out aircraft almost daily on survivor searches & helped rescue many allied airmen.
Don eventually returned to New Zealand, married Esma née Skeen and instructed at Hobsonville before leaving the RNZAF in June 1947 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. He joined NAC the same year and together they moved to Palmerston North from where he captained DC3 aircraft on domestic routes.
In 1952 the family, which now included 2 children, moved to Raumati Beach when the airport shifted to Paraparaumu. In 1951 Don captained, along with Captain H C Walker, the first flight into Hokitika using a Lockheed Lodestar aircraft.
In 1953 Don was selected to be part of the RNZAF contingent to march in the parade on the day of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Don left NAC and his flying career in 1955. He died in his own home in Devonport, Auckland, surrounded by family, after a short battle with cancer, aged 65.