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NZ416518 Flying Officer John Millward MEE D.F.C.
FATHER Mr J. Mee of Lauder, OTAGO.

John Mee was born at Dunedin on the 29th June, 1918. He received his secondary education at the Waitaki Boys High School, where he passed the Matriculation examination afterwards proceeding to Otago University where he studied for his Batchelor of Science Degree and for the Associate of the School of Mines. He was a member of his School's First XV and First XI also being interested in track athletics, tennis and boxing and was an Otago University "Blue" for Rugby. In June, 1940 while still attending University he made applcation for enlistment in Aircrew in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Flying Officer Mee was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin on the 30th November, 1941 and on the completion of the course was postsed on the 12th January, 1942 to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri, for his Elementary Flying Training. On the 8th March he embarked for Canada to continue his training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada Flying Officer Mee was posted, on the 13th April, to No. 7 Service Flying Training School, McLeod, Alberta and while here on the 31st July he was awarded the flying badge and promoted to sergeant. He was further promoted while in the United Kingdom on the 15th May, 1943 to Flight Sergeant, commissioned in the rank of Pilot Officer on the 12th April, 1943 and to Flying Officer on the 12th January, 1944. Meantime on the 6th August, 1942 he had prcoeeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia to await embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Flying Officer Mee arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 2nd September and on the 22nd of the month proceeded to No. 11 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Shawberry, Shropshire thence on the 17th November to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire. At this latter Unit he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft prior to his posting on the 8th April, 1943 to No. 1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishall, Suffolk for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft, and while here took part in an operational flight to Bockum in Germany. On the 18th May he was posted to No. 75 (New Zealand) Squadron first at Newmarket, Suffolk and later at Mepal, Cambridgeshire and with this Squadron as pilot of a Stirling aircraft participated in a further 25 operational flights, the targets being Dortmund, Krefeld, Kassel, Mulheim, Dusseldorf (2), Wuppertal (2) Cologne, Reimscheid, Aachen, Nuremburg.