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421077 Pilot Officer William Stuart MASTERS. (surname underlined)
Parents Mr. & Mrs. C.A. Masters of Waiuku.

Stuart Masters was born at Waiuku on the 27th March 1922, and received his secondary education at Waiuku District High School. He was captain of his school first rugby fifteen and played tennis with the Waiuku Tennis Club. After leaving school he accepted an appointment as a clerk with Messrs. Buttmore & Mullington of Waiuku, Timber Merchants, and was so employed when in February, 1941, he applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Pilot Officer Masters was enlisted for aircrew training on the 8th February, 1942, at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, and proceeded on the 12th April to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri, to commence his flying training. This elementary flying training completed, on the 22nd June, 1942, he embarked for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada, Pilot Officer Masters were posted on the 2nd August, 1942, to No. 12 Service Flying Training School, Brandon, Manitoba, and while here on the 20th November, 1942, he was awarded his Flying Badge and received his promotion to sergeant. The following year while in England on the 1st June, he was further promoted to flight sergeant, and on the 23rd August, 1943, he was commissioned as a pilot officer. Meanwhile, on the 2nd December, 1942, he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, to await embarkation for the United Kingdom.

On arriving in England on the 18th December, 1942, Pilot Officer Masters was attached to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth. Until posted on the 22nd January, 1943, to No. 26 Elementary Flying Training School, Theale, Berkshire, for a refresher course. This was followed by his posting on the 2nd March to No. 15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Ramsbury, Wiltshire, and after this his training was continued by his being posted on the 4th May, 1943, to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, first at Westcott and later at Oakley, both in Buckinghamshire. With this unit he crewed-up and received his training on Wellington bomber aircraft. He next proceeded on the 31st July, 1943, to No. 1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, where he completed his training on Stirling bombers prior to being posted on the 25th August, to No. 75 (N.Z.) Squadron, Mepal,