Vale - James Herbert WATTS 'Jimmy', 405561, Pilot ....

Jim Watts was born in the front room of his family home in the Brisbane suburb of Sherwood. His sudden entry into the world was the third addition to Herbert and Violet Watts' clan, which eventually stretched to five children (titlehough James was the only son among them).

Mrs Watts was an invalid so the children were encouraged to occupy themselves when they weren't at school or helping around the house. They led an idyllic life, with frequent expeditions on horseback to Brookfield and even further afield, as well as many hours spent fishing the Brisbane River or sailing up and down its serpentine length.

'Jimmy', as the lad was known, attended Sherwood State School and then moved on to Brisbane Boys Grammar. titlehough his first job after finishing school was with the Brisbane City Council his dream had always been to fly. Both his parents had served in World War I and his elder sister was already in the air force, so it came as no surprise when he enlisted in the RAAF in late 1940. Mr Watts was sent to Melbourne for basic ground training before sailing to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) for flight training on Tiger Moths and American-built Harvards. One of his more vivid memories of that time was when an instructor inverted the plane and proceeded to fly 16m above the ground. Mr Watts, whose harness was only loosely fitted, had a hair-raising but exhilarating ride.

He was transferred to Egypt and then to England and 616 Squadron for advanced training flying Spitfires. The most harrowing part of that phase of his RAAF career was the journey there, via Freetown in West Africa, on one of a fleet of 13 ships. The ship carrying Mr Watts was hit by two torpedoes but sustained only minor damage. The rest of the vessels in the convoy were hit and sunk. It took several days for the survivors to be picked-up, where they endured appalling conditions on his vessel.

The pilots each had their own parachute and - possibly due to the overcrowding on board - they were stored in the bilges where they inevitably got wet and stiff from the sea water. It was a problem that came to light after one pilot was killed when he bailed-out and his parachute failed to open. While with 616 Squadron, Mr Watts flew many sweeps over the Channel to northern France, frequently returning very low over the water dodging barrage balloons and electrical pylons. The return was made even more hazardous by poor light.

While he was stationed in England he found himself part of the group honoured with the task of escorting King George VI home from Canada. He also served in Cairo, North Africa and Italy where he provided protection for the Allied fleet as it landed at Anzio. Despite two emergency landings and an engine failure, he remained relatively unharmed after his Italian tour of duty.

After returning to Australia in 1944 he was discharged three years later with the rank of Warrant Officer. He returned to the Brisbane City Council before training as an engineering draftsman, which is where he met his future wife Billie Allom who was to become well known for her roles with the Fraser Island Defence Organisation and the Labor Party. The couple married in December 1946 and Billie went on to work in the council while Mr Watts joined

Evans Deakin Industries (ship builders). He stayed with the company until 1977, when he became a foundation member of the council's southeast and central works civil engineering section. He retired in 1982.

Retirement allowed him to pursue his passion for fishing and sailing. He particularly enjoyed spending time at Cabarita in northern New South Wales when it was little more than a caravan park, pub and fishing hotspot. Mr Watts is survived by his daughter Jennifer, his grandchildren Anne and John and two sisters. His wife died in 2003.

James Herbert Watts Spitfire pilot. civil engineer Born: June 19, 1922, Brisbane Died: September 21, 2009, Dayboro. Courier Mail.