242

-2- (centre aligned)
Morley, Norfolk and converted to twin engined Blenheim bombers. In August the squadron moved again, to Attlebridge also in Norfolk and Squadron Leader Stewart took part in a further six operational flights, consisting of three North Sea shipping sweeps, bombing raids on St. Omer in France, and Rotterdam in Holland and an attack on shipping off Ostend.

On the 5th December 1941 he was transferred to No. 21 Squadron, then stationed at Watton, Norfolk but in January 1942 this squadron was posted to Malta. Flying a Blenheim bomber, Squadron Leader Stewart made the journey by way of Portreath, in Cornwall, and Gibraltar the last leg of the flight to Malta taking eight hours. Operating from Luqa airfield, Malta, he then made two more operational sorties, one being a bombing and strafing attack on Tripoli and Benghazi.

The second took place on the 6th February 1942 when Squadron Leader Stewart led a formation of four Blenheims on a shipping beat off Beurat. While returning to Malta his aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters and shot down into the sea near Filfola Island. A search of the area was made but no survivors could be found and so Squadron Leader Stewart and his crew were classified as missing, believed killed. No trace of him has ever been found since and in due course his death was officially presumed to have occurred on the 6th February 1942.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Squadron Leader Stewart: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15271519/russell-redway-stewart
Auckland Museum link with more info on Squadron Leader Stewart: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C26915?n=russell+redway+stewart&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch&ordinal=0

5/1/538 AS2.
397 hours as pilot.

Mrs. H. Stewart (W) (right aligned)
264 Fitzgerald Avenue (right aligned)
CHRISTCHURCH (right aligned & underlined)