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417067 Flying Officer Arthur Alexander Kennedy.
Mother - Mrs. M. Kennedy of Havelock North.

Arthur Kennedy was born at Hastings on the 27th June, 1922. He received his secondary education at the Hastings High School and gained the School Certificate. He played football for his School 1st XV and tennis for the school team, afterward playing football for the Hastings High School Old Boys and tennis for the Hastings Lawn Tennis Club. After leaving school until applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 4th July 1941, he was employed by Williams and Kettle Ltd., Hastings as a stock clerk.

F/O Kennedy, was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 20th November 1941 and proceeded to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth, on the 7th February 1942 for his elementary flying training, after which he embarked on the 11th April for training in Canada under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

F/O Kennedy arrived in Canada on the 28th April and was posted to No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Brandon, Manitoba on the 10th May. Here on the 28th August 1942 he was awarded the flying badge and promoted to Sergeant. He was further promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 28th February 1943, commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 14th September 1943 and promoted to Flying Officer on the 14th March 1944. Meanwhile, on the 27th September 1942 he commenced a flying instructor's course at No. 2 Flying (redacted Training) Instructors School, Vulcan, Alberta, and qualified as a flying instructor on the 20th November 1942. He then served as an instructor at No. 11 Service Flying Training School, Yorkton, Saskatchewan, No. 19 Elementary Flying Training School, Virden, Manitoba and No. 17 Service Flying Training School, Souris, Manitoba until posted on the 21st October 1943 to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia for embarkation to the United Kingdom.

F/O Kennedy arrived at No. 12 Royal New Zealand Air Force Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre, Brighton, on the 31st October 1943 and was posted to No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Church Lawford, Warwickshire, on the 28th March 1944, thence on the 13th June to No. 12 Operational Training Unit, Chipping Warden, Oxfordshire, where he crewed up and completed his operational training on Wellington bomber aircraft. On the 15th September he proceeded to No. 1668 Heavy Conversion Unit, Bottesford, Nottingham for conversion to Lancaster bomber aircraft, and on the 20th November 1944 he was posted to No. 195 Squadron located at Wratting Common, Cambridge. With this Squadron as pilot of a Lancaster aircraft he took part