588

412872 : Flight Sergeant James Sydney DURWARD.

MOTHER : Mrs. L.M. Durward of Reefton.

James Durward was born on the 11th January, 1917,
at Reefton, Greymouth, and received his education at Blacks
Point School and St. Joseph's Convent, Reefton. He was keenly
interested in deerstalking. He was employed as a mill hand
by the Sawmilling Company, Inangahua, Nelson

F/Sgt. Durward applied for enlistment as an air
gunner on the 11th May, 1941. On the completion of his initial
training he embarked for Canada on the 18th June, 1941.

Shortly after his arrival in Canada F/Sgt. Durward
was posted, on the 5th July, 1941, to No. 3 Wireless School,
Winnipeg, Manitoba, and on the 24th November to No. 7
Bombing and Gunnery School, Paulson, Manitoba. At the latter
school he was, on 22nd December, 1941, awarded his Wireless
Operator Air Gunner's badge and promoted to Sergeant. He was
promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 1st January, 1943. Meanwhile
he proceeded to No. 1 "Y" Depot, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and
embarkedfor the United Kingdom on the 7th January, 1942.

Flight Sergeant Durward arrived at No. 3 Personnel
Reception Centre, Bournemouth on the 20th January, 1942, and
on 10th May was posted to No. 10 Air Observers School, Dumfries,
Dumfrieshire. On the 23rd June, 1942, he proceeded to No. 11
Operational Training Unit, Bassingbourne, Hertfordshire, where
he crewed up and completedhis training as Wireless Operator on
Wellington Aircraft. Early in September, 1942, he was posted
to No. 101 Squadron, Oakington, Cambridgeshire, and carried out
his first operational flight to Saarbrucken, Germany. In October,
1942 he proceeded to No. 1654 Conversion Unit, Wrigsley, Nottingham-
shire, where he converted to Lancaster bomber aircraft. Late
in the same month he returned to No. 101 Squadron, now at Holme,
Yorkshire, and with this squadron carried out a number of
operational flights, the targets including Frankfurt, Mannheim,
Munich, Essen (4), Berlin (2) Struttgart and Duisburg in Germany,