A FLYING VISIT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 43, 30 October 1946, Page 5

A FLYING VISIT

SQUADRON LEADER L. H. TRENT V.C.

BRIEF STAY IN WHAKATANE

A brief visit to Whakatane was paid by Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, V.C, of Nelson on Monday. The well known and distinguished airman spent.only one night in the town, staying at the Commercial Hotel, and leaving yesterday lor Taurariga.

• On Monday morning he flew over the town at a very low altitude, apparently 6nly just managing to keep below the belt of weather. He continued to Qpotiki where he landed, and then returned to Whakatane by road.

Yesterday morning, he was given the opportunity of paying a visit to Ohope, and making an inspection of the Paper Mills. Squadron Leader Trent, who is very interested in Air Training Corps work, expressed appreciation of the strong local unit, and his regret at being unable to prolong his stay in order to meet some of the members. He was keenly interested in the town and its surroundings, whilst his visit to the Paper Mills provided his, first insight into the process of pulp work.

A COMRADE'S MEMORY

LATE FLYING OFFICER A, COUTTS

The real reason behind Squadron Leader Trent's visit to Whakatane lies in his desire to visit the bereaved relatives of those who lost their lives in the historic raid under his command on the Amsterdam power-house on May 3, 1943. In this magnificent raid, timed to coincide with a pre-arranged rising by the Dutch underground, Flying Officer Andrew Coutts of Whakatane, who commanded one of the Venturas in the attacking squadron, was shot down and lost. As

later transpired the eighty Spit-

fires which were to make a feint , attack on Flushing to draw off the protective fighter cover from the city, failed to materialise, and the resultant action over the Dutch capital found the German fighters massed over the cloud formation under which the unsuspecting Venturas pressed home.

Squadron Leader Trent who led •his squadron through to the objective was awarded the Victoria i Cross, but his attitude is that the coveted decoration was only. made' possible for him by the co-operative gallantry of his whole squadron, and to this end he is spending his leave in looking up the relatives of those of his comrades who made the supreme sacrifice,;' and exhibiting to them the medal which he credits to them all.

He visited Mrs Andrew ■ Coutts last Monday afternoon conveying his own personal sympathy and made many contacts while there. Later, he looked up Mr and Mrs P. Coutts and was driven by them to Tauranga where he collected' his plane and flew on to Hastings on a similar mission.