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421787 Flying Officer George Robert STINSON (surname underlined)
Parents Mr. & Mrs. J. Stinson of Dunedin.

George Stinson was born at Dunedin on the 7th January 1920 and received his secondary education at Otago Boys High School and King Edward Technical College attaining matriculation standard. The sports in which he took part were cricket, rugby, swimming and shooting and in 1935 he was a member of his school shooting team. His civilian occupation was that of a boilermaker in the N.Z. Railways workshops at Hillside. In January 1939 he joined the Territorial Forces having regard to his skill with a rifle was assigned to the sniper platoon. He was still serving in the Territorials in July 1940, when he applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Flying Officer Stinson was enlisted for aircrew training on the 1st March 1942 at the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua and after a brief ground training course he was posted on the 2nd May to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri. His elementary flying training completed he embarked for Canada on the 14th August 1942 to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada, Flying Officer Stinson was posted on the 29th September 1942 to No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Brandon, Manitoba and while here on the 22nd January 1943 he was awarded his Flying Badge and received his promotion to Sergeant. His further promotion to Flight Sergeant was promulgated on the 27th July 1943 when he was later serving in England. On the 22nd July 1944 he was promoted to Warrant Officer but on the 7th September 1944 was commissioned as a Pilot Officer, six months later being promoted to Flying Officer. Meanwhile after passing out of the Service Flying Training School, he had proceeded on the 22nd January 1943 to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Arriving in England on the 18th March 1943, Flying Officer Stinson reported to No. 11 Personnel Reception Centre, Brighton remaining here on attachment until posted on the 20th April to No. 29 Elementary Flying Training School, Clyffe Pypard, Wiltshire for a refersher flying course.