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403995 Flying Officer Robert James SIM (surname underlined)
Parents Mr. & Mrs. P.S. Sim of Gisborne.
Widow Mrs. P. Sim of Frankton.

Robert Sim was born at Gisborne on the 28th June, 1919 and received his secondary education at Gisborne High School attaining matriculation standard. Outstanding in sport he played both rugby and cricket for his school first fifteen and first eleven respectively. After leaving school he accepted an appointment as a clerk with the Cook Hospital Board, Gisborne. His application for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force was mde on the 29th September 1939.

It was on the 26th October 1940 when he was enlisted at the Ground Training School, Levin and after completing a short ground training course was posted on the 23rd November to No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School, Harewood, to commence his flying training. From here he proceeded on the 17th Janaury 1941 to No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Woodbourne, where on the 3rd March he was awarded his Flying Badge and on the 12th April received his promotion to Sergeant. Later, when serving in England on the 1st November, 1941 he was further promoted to Flight Sergeant and on the 1st June 1942 to Warrant Officer. On the 29th October 1942 he was commissioned as a Pilot Officer and on the 29th April 1943 promoted to Flying Officer. Meanwhile, after completing his course at the Service Flying Training School on the 29th April 1941 he had embarked for the United Kingdom.

The journey was made by way of Canada and it was on the 29th June 1941 when Flying Officer Sim arrived in England and reported to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth remaining here on attachment until posted on the 15th July to No. 58 Operational Training Unit, Grangemouth, Stirlingshire, Scotland for operational training on Spitfire fighter aircraft. At the end of this part of his training he was retained at the Operational Training Unit for duty as a staff pilot. He remained here until the 17th September 1941 when he was posted to No. 130 Squadron, then at Portreath, Cornwall, and later at Harrowbeer, Devon, and Warmwell, Dorset. Commencing operational fliyng with this squadron he took part in twenty-nine operations comprising eighteen convoy patrols, four fighter sweeps and seven enemy aircraft interception flights. This tour of operations complete, he embarked on the carrier