RNZAF Biographies of Deceased Personnel: 1939 - 1945, Qu - Sl

posted to No. 149 Squadron, Mildenhall, Suffolk. With this Squadron he carried out a conversion course and converted to Stirling bomber aircraft. During September, 1942 to No. 149 Squadron moved to Lakenheath, Suffolk. From here, as a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber, Flights Sergeant Skinner took part in thirty operational flights his targets including Dusseldorf, Bremen, Essen (2), Munich (2), Vegesack, Lubeck, Krefeld, Aachen, Cologne (2), Stuttgart (2), Hamburg and Nuremburg all in Germany; Genoa (2), Milan and Turin (3), in Italy; and Lorient and St. Nazaire in Occupied France. In addition he carried out mine-laying operations in the Gironde River near Bordeaux, off the Frisian Islands and off Biaritz (3). During the sortie against Hamburg his aircraft was badly damaged but managed to return to its base.

Flight Sergeant Skinner was a member of the crew of a Stirling bomber which took off on air operations on the night of the 12th/13th March, 1943 to attack the target of Essen, and failed to return to its base, and all the crew including Flight Sergeant Skinner were classified as missing. Later information was received from a German source through the International Red Cross Committee that F/Sgt. Skinner had lost his life and he was in consequence reclassified as missing believed killed in action. Later still, his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 12th March, 1943. Information was subsequently received that Flight Sergeant Skinner and the other members of the crew were buried with Service Honours in the cemetery at Beek, Holland.

Find a Grave link with a photo of F/Sgt. Skinner: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13857496/phillip-holmes-skinner Auckland Museum link with more info on F/Sgt. Skinner: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C27216?srt=relevance&n=phillip+holmes+skinner&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/2/3837 AS2 500 hours as aircrew.

Mrs. A. Skinner (M) (right aligned) 407 Tweed Street, (right aligned) INVERCARGILL. (right aligned)

415639 : F/O Arthur Bruce SLADEN. PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. J.A. Sladen of Upper Montere, Nelson.

Arthur Bruce Sladen was born at Motueka, Nelson on 12th October 1920. He was educated at Christchurch Boys' High School where his sporting activities were football and tennis. He later played for the Christchurch Badminton Club and tennis for the Shirley Tennis Club. He was fond of all outdoor activities, especially skiing, athletics and hiking. He was employed on clock assembly work by Fred Sladen & Sons of Christchurch for three years, except for a few months with his father on seasonal work as an orchardist. He enlisted in RNZAF in June 1940 but was not mobilised until 16th October, 1941 when, after two months at Rongotai, he was posted to Levin, Rotorua and Taieri. He did his first solo after 7 hrs. 30 mins., dual instruction in a Tiger Moth and was later posted on to Service Flying Training School, Woodbourne where he was awarded his Flying Badge on 27th July, 1942 and was granted a commission in the rank of Pilot Officer in October. (redacted He was described as "keen and reliable", extremely good at practical work".) He proceeded to join his new Squadron No. 17 at Whenuapai, where he did training in Kittyhawk Fighters and stayed with No. 17 Squadron when it went to Seagrove and then to Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides.

There he spent two months on escort duty and training in night and formation flying and also low-level bombing. In September 1943 he was Squadron moved up to Guadalcanal where he was engaged on escorting bombers and torpedo bombers over various targets. In October, No. 17 Squadron returned to New Zealand and after a period of leave and a refresher course at Fairhall, Blenheim went overseas again first to Espiritu Santo and then to Ondonga, New Georgia where they took part in several strikes on Rabaul, task group cover, patrols and general escort duty.

(redacted The following information was received from the Officer Commanding his Unit:) F/O Sladen was pilot of a Warhawk fighter aircraft which failed to return to its base after operations on 9th January 1944. The aircraft was presumed to have been shot down by enemy aircraft and is believed to have crashed in the sea near Cape Gazelle.

Nelson Provincial Museum link with a photo of F/O Sladen: https://collection.nelsonmuseum.co.nz/objects/112051/sladen-man

5/2/5395 A.S.2. 728 hrs. as pilot.

Mrs. J.A. Sladen (F) (right aligned) R.M.D. Upper Moutere, (right aligned) NELSON. (right aligned & underlined)

NZ41716 : Flight Sergeant Leo Raymund SLATTER Parents: Mr. and Mrs. J. Slatter of Grey Lynn, AUCKLAND.

Leo Slatter was born at Wanganui on the 8th December 1916, and received his secondary education at the Sacred Heart College, Auckland where he gained the Intermediate Certificate. He was the College middleweight boxing champion, in 1931, and also played football and basketball. After leaving college he was employed in various capacities and at the time of his making application for aircrew training on the 16th March 1940, he was employed as a storeman by the Crown Crystal Glass Company of Auckland.

Flight Sergant Slatter was enlisted at Royal New Zealand Air Force Station, Hobsonville on the 27th January, 1941 and was employed on ground duties until 12th April, 1941 when he was posted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin to commence his training as airman pilot. On the 25th May, 1941 he proceeded to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, where late in June his flying training was terminated and he was remusteredf to Air Gunner and reposted to the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 6th July. On the satisfactory completion of the course he embarked on the 22nd September, 1941 for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada Flight Sergeant Slatter proceeded on the 11th October, 1941, to No. 2 Wireless School, Calgary, Alberta and thence on the 25th April to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School, MacDonald, Manitoba, where on the 25th May 1942 he was awarded the Air Gunner's Badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Meanwhile on the 11th June, 1942 he proceeded to No. 10 Air Observer School, Chatham, New Brunswick where he trained as wireless operator on Anson aircraft until posting on the 18th December, 1942 to No. 36 Operational Training Unit, Greenwood King's County, Nova Scotia where on the 5th March, 1943 he was awarded the Wireless Operator Air Gunner Badge. On the 20th March he proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Flight Sergeant Slatter arrived to No. 11

-2- (centre aligned) Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton on the 5th April, 1943 and was posted on the 4th May to No. 11 Radio School, Hooton Park, Cheshire and thence on the 30th June to No. 1 (C) (was (L)) Operational Training Unit, Thornaby, Durham where he crewed up and completed his training on Hudson aircraft. On the 23rd September, 1943 he proceeded to No. 5 Personnel Despatch Centre, Blackpool and four day later to Wick, Caithness, Scotland and thence by air to No. 269 Squadron, Reykjavik, Iceland with this Squadron as the Wireless Operator Air Gunner of Hudson aircraft he participated in five operational flights being anti-submarine sweeps over the North Atlantic.

Flight Sergeant Slatter was the Wireless Operator Air Gunner of a Hudson aircraft which took off on the 22nd November 1943 on a training flight and crashed into the sea off Keilisnes Point, Iceland, all the crew losing their lives. Flight Sergeant Slatter was in consequence classified as missing and in due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 22nd November, 1943.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Flight Sergeant Slatter: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15263376/leo_raymund-slatter/photo Auckland Museum link with more info on Flight Sergeant Slatter: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C27229?n=41716&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=5

5/2/4319 AS2 445 hours as Wireless Operator Air Gunner.

Mrs. M.A. Slatter (M) (right aligned) 13 Turakina Street, (right aligned) Grey Lynn, (right aligned) AUCKLAND. (right aligned & underlined)