388

4211865 : F/Sgt. Allan McDougall MORTIMER.
PARENTS : Mr. & Mrs. W. Mortimer, Brydone, Southland.

Allan McDougall Mortimer was born at Edendale, Southland on April 8th 1923 and was educated at (rest of paragraph redacted)

After leaving school he was employed as a tile maker by the firm of Briscoes, Invercargill. In 1941, he applied for enlistment in the RNZAF as a pilot and was provisionally accepted. He was enlisted at Ashburton on September 1942 and thereafter spent several months in Aerodrome Defence Squadrons before being posted to Rotorua in May 1943 to undergo initial aircrew training. From Rotorua he was posted in July 1943 to No. 1 Elementary Flying Training School, Taieri, at the conclusion of which he proceeded to Canada and commenced his training in Harvard aircraft at No. 37 Service Flying Training School at Calgary.

He completed his flying training at No. 34 Service Flying Training School, Medicine Hat, where he was awarded his "Wings" on April 21st, 1944. He returned to New Zealand in July of the same year with the rank of Sergeant. Soon after his return, F/Sgt. Mortimer was posted for a course to No. 4 (Fighter) Operational Training Unit at Ohakea, where he trained on Kittyhawk aircraft, at the end of which he was promoted to Flight Sergeant.

He then did a conversion course to F4U Corsair aircraft at Ardmore and a posting to No. 22 (F) Squadron followed soon afterwards. On December 12th, 1944 he left New Zealand for the Pacific, arriving at Espiritu Santo in the New Hebrides with his Squadron the same day.