Ron Watts' Photos Page Two

488 (NZ) Sqn aircrews at dispersal, in France
488 (NZ) Sqn aircrews at dispersal, in France
488 (NZ) Sqn aircrews at dispersal, in France
W/C Ron Watts (left) and a fellow airman relax between ops
Left to Right: Squadron Leader John Gard'ner of Nelson, Wing Commander Ron Watts of Cambridge, and Squadron Leader Francis Davison, of Timaru. Davison and Gard'ner were 488 (NZ) Sqn's Flight Commanders while Ron was Commanding Officer. S/Ldr John Gard'ner had flown Defiants in the Battle of Britain and later as night fighters, then he flew Bristol Beaufighters with No. 141 Squadron, then No. 409 Squadron RCAF and finally No. 488 (NZ) Squadron, with which he then went onto fly Mosquitoes. He stayed in the RAF after the war and ended up flying in the Korean War with the USMC on exchange, and many other postings around the Middle East and Europe, achieving the rank of Group Captain. S/Ldr Francis Davison had also previously flown Beaufighter night fighters, with No. 255 Squadron, and he'd been Chief Gunnery Instructor with No. 51 Operational Training Unit before becoming one of the early members of No. 488 (NZ) Squadron and working his way up to Flight Commander. Following the war he transferred from the RNZAF to the RAF, serving with that air force form 1948 till 1968, gaining the rank of Wing Commander.
No. 488 (NZ) Squadron aircrew play cards in the dispersal hut
488 (NZ) Squadron pilots and navigator radars sitting at dispersal

 

More 488 Squadron Photos