Ron Watts' Flying Career Details

Unit Place Aircraft Flown From To
Initial Training Wing

RNZAF Station Levin , NZ

nil

1 Dec 1940

early 1941

No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School

RNZAF Bell Block, New Plymouth, New Zealand

de Havilland DH60 Gipsy Moth
de havilland DH82 Tiger Moth

25 Jan 1941

6 Mar 1941

No. 6 Service Flying Training School

Dunnville, Ontario, Canada

North American Harvard
North American Yale

21 April 1941

4 July 1941

Central Flying School

Upavon, Wiltshire, England

Miles Master III,
Avro Tutor

22 Aug 1941
15 Oct 1942
No. 5 Service Flying Training School
Ternhill, Salop, England
(as an instructor)
Miles Master I
Miles Master III
Hawker Hurricane
Supermarine Spitfire
Avro Anson
16 Oct 1942
15 Mar 1943

During this period at RAF Ternhill, Ron also operated from Childs Ercall, Atcham, Chetwyn and Calveley (a night-flying airfield) and he was also Detached to No 1 Beam Approach School at Watchfield from the 10th to the 16th of February 1943 where he flew Airspeed Oxfords

Bristol Blenheim Conversion Course

Spitalgate, Grantham, UK

Bristol Blenheim I
Bristol Blenheim IV
Bristol Blenheim V

16 Mar 1943

18 May 1943

No. 54 Operational Training Unit

Charter Hall, Winfield, UK

Beaufort &
Beaufighter Mk II

18 May 1943

7 Aug 1943

No 488 (NZ) Squadron

RAF Drem, East Lothian, Scotland

Miles Magister
Miles Master I
Airspeed Oxford II
Bristol Beaufighter VI
DH98 Mosquito III
DH98 Mosquito XII
DH98 Mosquito XIII
DH98 Mosquito XIX
DH98 Mosquito XXX

7 Aug 1943

3 Sep 1943
No 488 (NZ) Squadron

Bradwell Bay, Essex, UK

as above

3 Sep1943

3 May 1944
No 488 (NZ) Squadron

RAF Colerne, Wiltshire, UK

as above

3 May 1944

12 May 1944
No 488 (NZ) Squadron

RAF Zeals, Wiltshire, UK

as above

12 May 1944

29 July 1944

No 488 (NZ) Squadron

RAF Colerne, Wiltshire, UK

as above

29 July 1944

9 Oct 1944

No 488 (NZ) Squadron

RAF Hunsdon, Hertfordshire
as above

9 Oct 1944

15 Nov 1944

No 488 (NZ) Squadron

Amiens/Glisy, (B.48), France

as above

15 Nov 1944

April 1945
No 488 (NZ) Squadron

Gilze Rijen, (B.77), Holland

as above

April 1945

26 April 1945

Commanding Officer

Gilze Rijen Airfield , Holland
Made CO of station after 488 (NZ) Sqn disbanded
Flying a desk !!

26 April 1945
end of war

For the full history of 488 (NZ) Squadron, try to find the old book Defence Until Dawn by Les Hunt (1949). It is difficult to track down and very rare, but your local library might be able to track a copy down from the National Library of New Zealand

 

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