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416967 Flight Sergeant Stewart Donald MUIR (surname underlined)
Parents: Mr. and Mrs. W.T. Muir of Rangiora.

Stewart Muir was born at Lyttleton on the 25th April 1922. He received his secondary education at the Rangiora High School. At school he played football, and afterwards for the Rangiora Football Club. After leaving school he was employed in various capacities and at the time of applying for enlistment in aircrew on the 22nd January 1941 was employed by Mr. D. Gasson of Rangiora.

Flight Sergeant Muir was enlisted at Taieri on the 20th December 1941 and employed there on ground duties until remustered to aircrew and posted to the Initial Training Wing, Rotorua on the 18th May, 1942. On completion of his initial training there, he embarked on the 22nd June for Canada to train under the Empire Air Training Scheme.

Flight Sergeant Muir arrived in Canada on the 15th July and proceeded to No. 2 Wireless School, Calgary, Alberta, on the 21st of the month; thence on the 22nd November to No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School, MacDonald, Manitoba. Here on the 5th March 1943 he was awarded the Wireless Operator Air Gunners Badge and promoted to the rank of Sergeant. While in the United Kingdom on the 5th September 1943 he was further promoted to Flight Sergeant. Meanwhile, on the 9th April 1943 he had proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia for embarkation to the United Kingdom.

Flight Sergeant Muir embarked at New York on the 4th May and arrived at No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 12th of the same month. He was at once posted to No. 11 Operational Training Unit, Westcott, Buckinghamshire, where he crewed up and completed his training on Wellington bomber aircraft before proceeding on the 29th July to No. 1657 Conversion Unit, Stradishall, Suffolk for conversion to Stirling bomber aircraft. On the 26th August he joined No. 75 Squadron at Mepal, Cambridge, and as Air Gunner of Stirling aircraft took part in six operational flights the targets being Mannheim in Germany and sea mining sorties to the Frisian Islands (2) and Bordeaux (3) in France. Flight Sergeant Muir was involved in an aircraft accident on the 8th September 1943. The aircraft swung whilst taking off, but fortunately he was only slightly injured.