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417299 Flight Sergeant Terrence WATTERS (surname underlined)
Parents Mr. and Mrs. F. Watters of Whangarei.

Born at Dargaville on the 14th February 1922, Terrence Watters received his secondary education at the District High School there and at Whangarei. The sports in which he took part were football, swimming and yachting. After leaving school he entered the North Auckland Farmer Co-op Ltd., Whangarei as a clerk and he was so employed when applying in March, 1941, for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Flight Sergeant Watters was enlisted for aircrew training on the 28th December 1941 at the Initial Training Wing, Levin and on the 5th April 1942, embarked for Canada for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada, Flight Sergeant Watters was posted on the 10th May 1942, to No. 4 Air Observer School, London, Ontario, while here on the 11th September 1942, he was awarded his air observers' badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. Later when in England on the 12th June 1943 he was further promoted to Flight Sergeant. Meanwhile on the 22nd September 1942 he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

Having arrived in England on the 9th October 1942, Flight Sergeant Watters was held at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth, until posted on the 18th December 1942 to No. 9 (Observers) Advanced Flying Unit, Penhros, North Wales. From here he proceeded early in May 1943 to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, first at Oakley and later at Wescott, both in Buckinghamshire. At these stations he crewed-up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. This was succeeded on the 20th July (redacted 1943) by his posting to No. 1561 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, to convert to Stirling bombers prior to his posting on the 5th August (redacted 1943), to No. 75 (New Zealand), Squadron