Len Waters | |
|---|---|
 Len Waters, c. 1944–45 | |
| Born | 20 June 1924 Boomi, New South Wales |
| Died | 24 August 1993 (aged 69) Cunnamulla, Queensland |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
| Service years | 1942–1946 |
| Rank | Warrant Officer |
| Unit | No. 78 Squadron |
| Battles / wars |
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| Other work | Shearer |
Leonard Victor "Len" Waters (20 June 1924 – 24 August 1993) was the first Aboriginal Australian military aviator, and the only one to serve as a fighter pilot in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) during World War II.[1][2] Aboriginal people at the time suffered significant discrimination and disadvantages in Australian society, such as restrictions on movement, residence, employment, and access to services and citizenship. Born in northern New South Wales and raised in Queensland, Waters was working as a shearer when he joined the RAAF in 1942. Training initially as a mechanic, he volunteered for flying duties and graduated as a sergeant pilot in 1944. He flew P-40 Kittyhawks in the South West Pacific theatre, where he completed ninety-five missions, mainly close air support. By the end of the war he had risen to the rank of warrant officer. Following his discharge from the RAAF in 1946, he attempted to start a regional airline but was unable to secure financial backing and government approval. He went back to shearing, and died in 1993 aged sixty-nine.