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NZ414887 Flight Sergeant Leslie Francis Morris (surname underlined)
Widow Mrs. M. Morris of Wellington.
Mother Mrs. L. Morris of Rongotai, Wellington.

Leslie Morris was born at Hornchurch, England on the 17th April 1908, and accompanied his parent to New Zealand at an early age. He received his secondary education at the Wellington Technical College. After leaving school in 1923, he was employed in various capacities until accepting employment in 1933 with Claude Neon Lights Ltd., and he was still employed there when applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 16th November 1940.

Flight Sergeant Morris was enlisted at the Initial Training Wing, Levin, on the 30th November 1941 and embarked for Canada on the 5th April 1942 for training under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Shortly after arrival in Canada, he was posted on the 10th May to No. 1 Air Observers School, Malton, Ontario, where on the 11th September 1942 he was awarded the Air Navigator badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. While in the United Kingdom on the 1st June, 1943, he was further promoted to Flight Sergeant. Meantime on the 22nd September 1942 he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y' Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, for embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Flight Sergeant Morris arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 9th October and was posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire, on the 27th of the same month. Here he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft before proceeding on the 29th January 1943 to No. 1651 Conversion Unit, Waterbeach, Cambridge for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft. On the 10th March he was posted to No. 214 Squadron at Stradishall, Suffolk and from this base as navigator of Stirling bomber aircraft he took part in twenty operational flights. The targets including Kiel, Rostock, Dusberg, Dortmund (2), Dusseldorf (2), Bremen, Krefled,