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412252 : Flying Officer James Lloyd MEREDITH. (surname underlined)
Parents : Mr. and Mrs. C. Meredith of CAMBRIDGE (town underlined)
Wife : Mrs. A.W. Meredith of (redacted & underlined WELLINGTON). WELLSFORD.

James Meredith was born at Cambridge on the 3rd July, 1918. His secondary education was received at Te Awamutu District High School where he passed the matriculation examination. He later studied commercial subjects with a correspondence school passing in three subjects for the Banking Diploma examination. He was a member of his school first rugby fifteen and later played senior rugby. Other sports of his were cricket, golf and hunting. His civilian occupation was that of a bank clerk in the Bank of New Zealand, Wellsford. In May 1940 he applied for war service in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Flying Officer Meredith was enlisted for aircrew training on the 13th April, 1941 at the Ground Training School, Levin, and posted on the 24th May (redacted 1941) to No. 2 Elementary Flying Training School, New Plymouth, to commence his flying training. Following this, he proceeded on the 6th July (redacted 1941) he was awarded his flying badge and later on the 27th September (redacted 1941) commissioned as a pilot officer. Later still, when overseas on the 27th March 1942 he was promoted to flying officer. Meanwhile on the 20th October 1941 he had embarked for the United Kingdom. Flying Officer Meredith arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 22nd November 1941 and was posted on the 8th December (redacted 1941) to No. 1 (pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Cranwell, Lincolnshire. At the conclusion of his training here he was posted on the 5th January 1942 to No. 1514 Beam Approach Training Flight, Coningsby, Lincolnshire, for an instrument flying course, following which he was posted on the 20th January to No. 10 Operational Training Unit, Abingdon, Berkshire, to crew-up and complete his training was his posting on the 9th May to No. 1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridgeshire, to convert to Stirling bombers prior to being posted on the 22nd June to No. 15 Squadron, Wyton, Huntingdon, and commencing operational flying. With this squadron as pilot of a