BOMBING MISSION FROM ENGLAND

Chronicle (Levin), 24 September 1946, Page 5

BOMBING MISSION FROM ENGLAND

After being in the air for 57 hours on a leisurely trip from Blackbushe Aero drorne, Sussex, England, an Avro Lui coln of the Rbyal Air Force, Excaiibur. arrived at Ohakea last evening at 6.3 U The aircraft, which is the largest bomber in the R.A.F., is on-a bomoex tacties mission. The first indieation of the bomber V approach to the Ne\v Zealand coastlin. was when a wireless message was re ceived from it stating that it had pin pointed on Cape Farewell. About an hour la.ter it became visible, to those at the aerodromC as it approached from the sbuth, and at 6.22 p.m. it began to circle the aerodrome. At 6.30 it touched down. The mission is under the eommand cf Group Captain S. C. Elworthv, C.B.E. D.S.O., D.F.C., A.F.C., formerly oi Timaru aud having family connection? in the Ohakea district. Leaving England on September 9, ihe aircraft took a course via Lvdda, Ivaraehi, Singapore, Darwin, Melbournt.and Sydiiey, and in the course of tht trip the crew diseussed with branche.of the Empire Air Forces bombing taetics peculiar to their certain regious The plane carries the modern staudaicl equipment Of the Royal Air Force aud is modified in that it has had the nnd upper tcirret removed for crew comfort. The Lincoln belongs to Central Bomber Establishraent af Marham, in No. 3 Groifp', a station on which many NeW Zealand aifmen served during tlie war. It is powered with four Rolls Royce' Merlin 68A (new series) engines has a range of about 3500 miles and earriCs 3650 gallons of fuel; Designed primariiy for work in tlie Far Easl it has an unusual nose for a Britisli machine, tfte bomb-aimfer's windnw being' in segments rather reminiscent of a Junkers 88. The bomb load is caleulated at 24,000 pounds of bombs of suifable size. The wing span is just on 120 feef. With a crew of 11 the aircraft had a goofl trip from England, -flying at ahoui 13,000 feet all the way and averaging about 200 knots true speed. There were no mishaps and the engines gave no trouble. The meteorological data sup plied during the trip was very aceurale One of the passengers on the [>lane a doetor, is Wing Commander R. 11. Winfield, D.F.C.,- A.F.C., who is study ing aircrew psychology. He has been a pilot in the R.A.F., having teinporar ilv given up his professional prac.liee to beeome a member of aircrew. The following is a list of the ero'w:— Group Captain S. C. Elworthv fleader of the mission); Wing Commander R J. Ayling (deputy eom-niander of tln mission); Flight Lieutenant C. J. Well. (second j>ilot) ; Wing Commander B. C. McKinley, D.F.C., A.F.C. and Bar (secoHdAnavigator) ; Warant Officer K. (Fof&yv (fq!-st?'h%y|^mfq.r,).;-: .Fly-ihg Officer «H- Ap^keey (ffi'^t-'' ;w?%less op'er'ator ) , FHgkt "Se'r geant ' Aust ri n e ( second w i rotess opefator); Warrant Officer K Haywo'od (rigger ) ; Flight Sergeant McCar'thv (litter); Sergeant C. Puarson (radio mechanie). The Excaiibur will remain at Ohakea fof three days and then proceed to Whenuapai. At both stations leclures will be given th6 station persontiel on bombrng tacties and various local bomb ing pfoblems will' be diseussed. Oi. Monday, Septfember 30, the aircraft will leave for Brisbane and return to Eng land via DarWin, Singapore, Colombo, Delhi and Palestine.