Kenneth Stewart | |
|---|---|
| Nickname | Chunky |
| Born | (1915-10-07)7 October 1915 Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Died | 3 August 1960(1960-08-03) (aged 44) Dunedin, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Branch | Royal New Zealand Air Force |
| Years of service | 1941–1945 |
| Rank | Flight Lieutenant |
| Service number | 413145 |
| Unit | No. 488 Squadron |
| Battles / wars | Second World War |
| Awards | Distinguished Flying Cross |
Kenneth William Stewart,DFC (7 October 1915 – 3 August 1960) was aflying ace of theRoyal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) during theSecond World War. He was officially credited with the destruction of five German aircraft.
Born and educated inDunedin, 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 theRoyal Air Force. He performed instructing duties for several months before training as anight fighter pilot and being posted toNo. 488 Squadron in October 1944. He and hisradar 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.
Born inRoslyn, a suburb ofDunedin, in New Zealand, on 7 October 1915, Kenneth Stewart was the son of Mr W. Stewart and his wife.[1] Stewart studied law after completing his schooling, qualified as asolicitor and duly entered the legal profession. Being of a short, stout stature, he was nicknamed 'Chunky'.[2]
In May 1941, Stewart joined theRoyal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) with the service number 413145.[3][4] He received his initial flight training at No. 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) at the RNZAF station atWigram Aerodrome inChristchurch. Here he flewNorth American Harvards andAirspeed Oxfords, crashing an example of the latter aircraft on 21 September. He proceeded to the United Kingdom for further flight training with theRoyal Air Force, arriving atNo. 6 SFTS atLittle Rissington inGloucestershire in January 1942. After completing this phase of training, he was selected for an instructor's course following which he was posted toNo. 29 Elementary Flying Training School atClyffe Pypard inWiltshire. Here he taught pupils to operate thede Havilland Tiger Mothtrainer aircraft. After 12 months of instructing duties, he was transferred toNo. 3 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit (AFU), based atSouth Cerney, this time operating Oxfords. A few months later he was shifted again, to a similar post at another AFU, atShawbury.[2]
In May 1944, Stewart was selected fornight fighter training and posted toNo. 54 Operational Training Unit to become familiar with the twin-enginedBristol Beaufighter andde Havilland Mosquito, both used as night fighters. From there, he and theradar operator he had been paired up with, Harold Brumby who, like Stewart, was aflying officer and a New Zealander, were posted toNo. 488 Squadron.[2][5]
At the time Stewart and Brumby joined No. 488 Squadron, it was part of theSecond Tactical Air Force. Based atColerne in south England, the squadron was in the process of converting to the Mosquito Mk XXX, having previously operated the older Mk XIII version of the aircraft. Later in the month, the squadron shifted toHunsdon. It was tasked with patrolling duties and also sought out launching sites forV-1 flying bombs but for several weeks it was relatively quiet. In mid-November the squadron shifted to France, operating fromAmiens-Glisy. Bad weather and limited German activity meant that the aircrew continued to see little action.[6][7]
TheLuftwaffe increased its aerial operations once theArdennes Offensive commenced in December.[2] On 23 December, Stewart and Brumby were on their fifth operational sortie, patrolling aroundRoermond when aJunkers Ju 88 night fighter was detected on radar some 4 miles (6.4 km) distant. After closing in and verifying that the detected aircraft was German, Stewart opened fire and set one of the engines alight. The Ju 88 spun into the ground nearMaeseyck and exploded. On gaining height after the successful interception, a second Ju 88 was detected. Stewart engaged this aircraft, setting it on fire and observing it subsequently crashing into the ground. It was not the only success for the squadron that night; two other German aircraft were destroyed by other aircrews.[5][6][7]
Patrolling again four days later, Stewart and Brumby sighted twoJunkers Ju 87dive bombers. Attempting to intercept them, their Mosquito was damaged byanti-aircraft fire. This led them to having to make a forced landing atMelsbroek, during which their aircraft overturned. Fortunately, neither man was hurt.[2][8] Stewart had to make another emergency landing on 1 January 1945; that day the Luftwaffe mountedOperation Bodenplatte, an attack on a number of Allied airfields. Stewart and Brumby were flying when they spotted and pursued afighter-bomber toRheine but their Mosquito was damaged by anti-aircraft fire. They had to land atBrussels, just as German fighter-bombers attacked the airfield there. Their Mosquito avoided any further damage.[9]
Aerial activity by the Luftwaffe then quietened down for the first several weeks of 1945 and poor weather also affected operations. On 21 February Stewart and Brumby were patrolling overGroenlo, in Holland, when ground radar detected an unidentified aircraft that was following them. Alerted to its presence, Stewart was able to manoeuvre behind the aircraft and identified it as a Ju 88. He engaged and destroyed the German aircraft, killing its pilot and wounding two aircrew.[2][10]
On 26 March, while patrolling over theRuhr, Stewart and Brumby destroyed aMesserschmitt Bf 110 heavy fighter, having tracked it on radar for some time before closing in to a sufficient distance to allow positive identification. The Bf 110 crashed nearBocholt.[2] The duo resumed their patrol and soon picked up another aircraft on Brumby's radar, which was subsequently identified as aHeinkel He 111medium bomber. Despite deteriorating weather, this too was engaged by Stewart and damaged. They had to abandon pursuit of the He 111 and, unable to return to their base in Amiens-Glisy because of poor visibility, flew across to England to land atBradwell Bay.[11]
In early April, No. 488 Squadron moved toGilze-Rijen airfield in Holland; this allowed them to fly greater distances into Germany on their patrols. They were also tasked with providing aerial cover forAntwerp, a logistically important port for supplying the advancing Allied ground forces.[12] On 7 April, Stewart and Brumby were alerted by ground radar to the presence of a German aircraft in their sector over the Ruhr. This transpired to be a Bf 110 which Stewart engaged and destroyed, his and Brumby's final aerial victory. They were the last pilots of No. 488 Squadron to achieveflying ace status during the war.[2][13]
No. 488 Squadron was disbanded on 26 April.[7] In June, both Stewart, by this time holding the rank offlight lieutenant, and Brumby were awarded theDistinguished Flying Cross for "gallantry and devotion to duty in the execution of air operations.[14] They were officially credited with having destroyed five German aircraft and damaging another.[15]
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.[2][16] He was also involved in veterans' affairs, serving on the executive committee of the Dunedin branch of theReturned Services Association.[17] He died suddenly at his home in Dunedin on 3 August 1960.[18]