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NZ401287 Flight Sergeant Joseph Stewart PARRY.
MOTHER: Mrs. M.O. Parry of Paeroa.

Joseph Parry was born at Paeroa on the 13th January 1915 and received his secondary education at the District High School there, reaching Matriculation standard. He played in the 1st XV at school and was later a Paeroa representative footballer. From the time of leaving school in 1930 until applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 22nd September 1939, he was employed in the Bank of New Zealand at Auckland.

Flight Sergeant Parry was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 7th May, 1940 and proceeded to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth on the 3rd June to commence his flying training; then on the 25th August to No. 2 Service Flying Training School, Woodbourne, Blenheim. Here on the 28th October he was awarded the flying badge and promoted to Sergeant on the 21st December. While in the United Kingdom on the 1st September, 1941 he was further promoted to Flight Sergeant. Meantime on the 6th January, 1941 he had embarked on the "Empress of Russia" for the United Kingdom.

Flight Sergeant Parry proceeded by way of Canada and arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth late in February, remaining there until proceeding on the 29th March to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourn, Hertfordshire. Here he crewed up and completed his training as pilot of Wellington bomber aircraft, being then posted on the 26th June to No. 99 Squadron at Waterbeach, Cambridge. From this base he took part in seventeen operational flights, the targets including Cologne (3), Bremen, Emden, Mannheim (2), Hanover, Kiel (3), Kassel and Stettin in Germany, the German Battleship "Gneisau" at Brest (2) and Boulogne in France.

Flight Sergeant Parry was the pilot of a Wellington bomber aircraft engaged during the night of the 28/29th September, 1941 in an operational flight (redacted over enemy territory) to Genoa in Italy. The aircraft failed to return to its base and all the crew including F/Sgt. Parry were classified as missing. (redacted Nothing further was heard of the aircraft or any member of the crew, and in due course Flight Sergeant Parry's death was presumed to have lost his life at sea withou trace on the 28th September 1941). Later information showed that the aircraft crashed in the North Sea, three bodies, including that of Flight Sergeant Parry being washed ashore, and buried in Holland.

Find a Grave link with a photo of Flight Sergeant Parry & 1 supposedly of his crew: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15260739/joseph_stewart-parry/photo

5.2.2265 AS2
368 hours as Pilot.

Mrs. M.O. Parry (M) (right aligned)
4 Kennedy Street, (right aligned)
PAEROA. (right aligned & underlined)