Kenneth Stewart

Kenneth William Stewart, (7 October 1915 – 3 August 1960) was a flying ace of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during the Second World War. He was officially credited with the destruction of five German aircraft.

Born and educated in Dunedin, Stewart was a lawyer when he joined the RNZAF in 1941. After receiving some flight training at Wigram, the following year he was sent to the United Kingdom to complete his training and serve with the Royal Air Force. He performed instructing duties for several months before training as a night fighter pilot and being posted to No. 488 Squadron in October 1944. He and his radar operator Harold Brumby achieved a number of aerial victories during the final six months of the war in Europe. In the postwar period, he resumed his legal career. He died suddenly in 1960, aged 44.

Early life Born in Roslyn, a suburb of Dunedin, in New Zealand, on 7 October 1915, Kenneth Stewart was the son of Mr W. Stewart and his wife. Stewart studied law after completing his schooling, qualified as a solicitor and duly entered the legal profession. Being of a short, stout stature, he was nicknamed 'Chunky'.

Second World War

In May 1941, Stewart joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) with the service number 413145. He received his initial flight training at No. 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at the RNZAF station at Wigram Aerodrome in Christchurch. Here he flew North American Harvards and Airspeed Oxfords, crashing an example of the latter aircraft on 21 September. He proceeded to the United Kingdom for further flight training with the Royal Air Force, arriving at No. 6 SFTS at Little Rissington in Gloucestershire in January 1942. After completing this phase of training, he was selected for an instructor's course following which he was posted to No. 29 Elementary Flying Training School at Clyffe Pypard in Wiltshire. Here he taught pupils to operate the de Havilland Tiger Moth trainer aircraft. After 12 months of instructing duties, he was transferred to No. 3 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit (AFU), based at South Cerney, this time operating Oxfords. A few months later he was shifted again, to a similar post at another AFU, at Shawbury. They were officially credited with having destroyed five German aircraft and damaging another.

Later life On returning to New Zealand in September and being discharged from the RNZAF, Stewart immediately resumed his prewar profession as a lawyer, becoming a partner in a Dunedin law firm. He was also involved in veterans' affairs, serving on the executive committee of the Dunedin branch of the Returned Services Association. He died suddenly at his home in Dunedin on 3 August 1960.