Watson served in the
Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, reaching the rank of
sub-lieutenant by 1943. Serving as part of the
Fleet Air Arm stationed at
HMS Saker in the United States, Watson was undertaking a training flight on 3 October 1943 with a
F4U Corsair when his plane was involved in a mid-air collision with fellow Fleet Air Arm pilot and
fighter ace Alfred Jack Sewell close to the
Maine town of
New Gloucester, killing both pilots. Watson was buried with full military honours at the
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard cemetery. ==References==