LIFE OF A GUNNER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 176, 5 November 1941, Page 2

LIFE OF A GUNNER

NIGHT FIGHTER WORK IN

ENGLAND

LETTERS FROM LOCAL FLYER

The life of a R.N.Z.A.F. air gunner in a Night Fighter Squadron is given in a series of bright and "breezy" letters received by Mir and Mrs W. S. Henderson from their son Gunner Bill Henderson, who is serving with the Air Force in England. The first of these read as follows: Early February I am just back from leave in Edinburgh. While staying at the Victoria League I met a Rotorua soldier named Lee, an engineer. While in Edinburgh they had an air raid alarm there, the 6th of the Avar. A convoy was coming up the Forth and a. Junkers tried to bomb it. Three Spits went up and slapped his behind and shot him down into the sea. When I. got back from leave I found new Air Ministry orders which say night fighters are to have 61 days leave per year and four ' free rail warrants, instead of 48 days and two rail warrants as previously. Our squadron has had its first success, bringing down two machines. Both gunners and one pilot were New Zealanders. The first catch was bagged at 2 a.m. sneaking over our coast. Our pilot crept in under to within 30 yards md the gunner raked him at point blank range. The pilot must have been killed as it crashed out of control into the sea. The second of our pilots got to within 50 yards of his. and gave it three bursts before ii crashed, out of control. Late February My hand is taped up at present due to strain while playing indoor basketball, so I won't be flying now till after leave. O'ur squadron got its first decoration yesterday, an Aucklander whose father is a, captain in the 2nd Echelon. We have a clay bird trap now, and have shots every day. It is great sport <ind wonderful at keeping one's eye in. The snow is 9 inches deep and 1 am fed up to the eyes now with winter. Two winters on end is an experience I have no wish to repeat. I have put on a stone since my arrival. Well this is being hastily ful by torch as ail the station lights are out. Huns around methinks. March My last leave I spent in Nottingham. W r e were late starting, as that clay we were 100 miles away from Dur station target shooting, at which t did quite passably. Nottingham is supposed to be famed for the beauty of its' fair sex, but I dunno, the Scotch looked alright to me. 1 had a look round the alleged haunts of Robin Hood, where he "shot the sheriff of Nottingham round corners" according to "1066 and all that" There sure are some pretty places, but all the parts of England I've se«n yet are singularly lacking in lulls. I saw lovely old buildings, churches etc., and did the "trip to Jerusalem," which you) must do if fou wish anyone to believe you iave been to Nottingham. It is. a aeries of bars built in the rock unler the castle. On Sunday I came Dack as far as Retford, where I had V good time and was invited lo re:urn. The drome had been bombed vhile I was away, but Adolf sure ie«ds some new bomb aimers, being and yards oult. I think I' will *o back to Retford for my birthday. \ year ago I didnft dream, of my [9th would be in England. Mine is he doubtful distinction of youngest )f the flying personnel on the station :he next being nine months older. Mid' March We have been flat out the last three nights, and thisi is one time f rshall be glad to see the moon go down, as I am very tired. Night fighters in England arc getting results now, and the bag of 17 the other night is a record. Our squadron goone two nights ago and damaged another. The first was a Heinkle which they shot down in flames, and the damaged one was a Dornier, so I guess there are some mourning frauleins in Hunlancl. I was up for two and a half hours that night. Before our second trip I Ava;; stand. Ing outside the hangar and ooie of our planes was landing, next minute there Avas a stream of cannon fire from 100 feet above him. A Jerry had come clown to gum the Hare path. He hit neither plane nor Hare path. We were, sent up on patrol until our kites all came in, but he Avas too shrewd to return. April Just back from leaA'e spent in Retford. They call it a "village" here, but actually there are 14,000 in it. Being the first Pig Islander to stay

there I Avas put on no end of fuss.

find was gi\ T en a very good time. All the A r illage fathers took me to their various clubs, and shoAved me no end of hospitality. I met a chap ivha Avas in the R.F.C. last war oncl is r.oAV in charge of Observer Corps' round there. He took me to lhe local post and to lunch a\'Ul> him. When I left the tCAvn I took aAvay scores of imitations to return f»n<l spend my leave at various homes. Here on the station it is a gas practice week, and the camp looks like something out of H. G. Wells. We have been issued with Dliuc battle dress, and it is very comfortable. We have some Aussies here now in place of the Eagles, who have departed. They are a great oroAvd these Aussies, Canadian trained .

May I went up the other n'ght and met my first Jerry, though woe is me< I did not get a clip at him. At the time I was with an English Sgt. Pilot. We were orbiting at 15,000, when I saw a shape ahead and tc the side. I yelled to him toi have a look. He dived down in a turn or it. Meanwhile I was swinging m> turret round when I saw what was definitely a Hun going across us ai 500 yards. It was too far to open up, and by the time Ave had whipped round he had dived into cloud. L was excited and my finger just itched to press the old button. My total on Defiants is new 4." hours. Our squadron boasts the distinction of having the first night tighter to be shot down. Gunner and pilot baled out and landed withjnu, 50 yards of each other, unhurt save for the gunner's black eye, where he made contact with mother ea--th. Our CO. got a Junkers 88 the night before last, bringing it down in flames. Four of tiie crew baled out into the sea. Next night a Sgt. Pilot with a N.Z. gunner shot down a Heinkle in flames 1." from our camp. I stood and watched it burning on the way down, as it is the first "flamer" I have seen, and it was like rv hug: torch dropping across the sky. A P,O- also damaged at Dormer, but it got away. Next night was one of perfect joy to our squadron, as the boys brought down six in 45 minutes. Our New Zealand Flight Comman. dcr. with a New Zealand gunner hot down two Hcinkles in 10 minutes. Another pilot with a New Zealand gunner chased a Junkers out tc sea for 30 miles and shot it down. Another English pilot and New Zealand gunner shot down a- third Heinkle, the crew of which baled out, one falling into the fire starter by the bombs he had just dropped. Poetic Justice. An English P'.O. and English g'unncr got the fourth Heinkle, and the CO. who flxrw a hurricane that night also got one Heinkle and damaged one. It is interesting to note that return fire was experienced in only two cases. Mid May Excuse paper, but we have shifted to a new drome, and my gear is al over the show, till I get sorted out. This will be very nice when completed. The drome itself is lovely to fly from, but living conditions "ain't so hot," in fact my old P.W.D. survey camp assumes the proportions of a palace when t think of a comparison to make. We are only a few miles from our last station, but are well and truly out in the country. There is a big farm nearby where we can buy milk and eggs and cook them on riur fires. Gigs and tobacco are very hard to get outside and as there is no canteen yet we are badly ftxed for smokes. I received your tobacco last v-eek, und was it welcome. The gunners here have a new job; Ave do spells of duty pilot along with our pilots. We are responsible for seeing the flare path is on etc. and on busy nights it will entail quite- a bit of cvork.

(To be continued)

To Fly Like Birds. A competition open to all Italian citizens for the invention ol "motored or man-power apparatus enabling human beings to fly like birds"' was announced recently in Rome, with a prize of 75,000 lire to the winner. The apparatus must enable a perfOn to fly at an altitude of at least five metres (about 15 feet) for a total distance of not less than two kilometres (a little more than n mile) without an aiding wind and without auixliary devices like those used to launch gliders.