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39067: (underlined) SERGEANT WILLIAM NISBET HENDRY.
Brothers: (underlined) Messrs. A.E.J. & A.J. HENDRY.

William Hendry was born at Auckland on the 20th July, 1917 and received his secondary education at the Sacred Heart and Druleigh Colleges in Auckland, where he reached the Matriculation standard. The sports in which he took an active interest included football, swimming, golf, tennis, cricket and yachting. In August 1937 he unsuccessfully applied for service in the ground staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. He again applied in June 1939 for enlistment in the ground staff and on this occasion was successful. The last position he held prior to joining the Air Force with James Hardie Pty. Ltd., Fibrolite manufacturer of Auckland.

Sergeant Hendry was enlisted on the 20th September, 1939 at R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Ohakea, where he was mustered as a "Clerk Stores Accounting". On month later he was posted to R.N.Z.A.F. Station, Wigram. On the 30th November, the same year he lodged an application for aircrew training. In early 1940 he attended a clerk's course and on the 1st May, 1940 as the result of a trade test was reclassified to an A.C.1. On the 3rd of the following month he was remustered to an Airman Pilot under training, and posted to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth where he completed his flying training on Tiger Moth aircraft. Later, in July he was posted to No. 2 Flying Training School, Woodbourne and at this station on the 30th September, was awarded the Flying Badge on the 22nd November promoted to the rank of Sergeant. He sailed for the United Kingdom from Auckland aboard the "Aorangi" on the 5th December 1940.

Sergeant Hendry arrived at the R.A.F. Depot, Uxbridge, Middlesex on the 16th January, 1941 and on the 3rd of the following month was posted to No. 58 Operational Training Unit, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire where he completed his training on Spitfire aircraft prior to joining No. 485 (N.Z.) Squadron at Leconfield, Yorkshire.

On the 8th July 1941, Sergeant Hendry as the pilot of a Spitfire fighter took off from Leconfield on air operations (redacted the enemy) Lille in France and failed to return to his base.