KIWI PILOTS

Evening Star, Issue 24287, 31 August 1942, Page 2

KIWI PILOTS

fine service in the desert (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent.) WESTERN DESERT, August 28. Xew Zealand lighter pilots arc Hying with the men of the 'Umpire m the E A.F.’s battle against the Luftwaffe over Keypt, Day ami night they arc over the Western'Desert, Hying Hurricanes, Spitfires, and Kittyhawks in swoop's as bomber escorts and on divebombing raids. No New Zealand squadrons are operating in the Middle Hast, but in‘almost every R.A.F. fighter and lighter-bomber squadron there is at least one Kiwi pilot. Their Hying experiences vary as widely as their civil occupations. Some are sheep farmers who left back-country runs to fight in the Hattie of Jiritain. Others came from city offices and warehouses, were trained under the Empire .scheme in Canada and England, and have been posted to the Middle East for the first operational flights. A few have won gongs, ns pilots call their Hying crosses and medals. Many are waiting to get the first German plane in their sights. During the lull on the El Alamein front T have spoken to .several of these Xew Zealand, pilots who Hy from the dusty patches in the desert that are the R.A'F.’s advanced landing grounds. Thev are all keen to be operating over the land battle in which the New Zealanders are taking part. Their attitude is the same as the men of the division. They hate inactivity. “ The sooner we get this job over tbo sooner we will be aide to get out and tackle the Japanese,’’ they say. One of the most experienced New Zealand pilots now flying in tho desert is Flightlieutenant Victor Verity, D.F.C., a Timarn farmer, who was with fighter squadrons in France and in the .Battle of Britain. He has been posted missing twice, once during the evacuation at Dunkirk, but he returned across the Channel on both occasions. A night lighter pilot of long experience, he is now attached to a Hurricane squadron which searches for German night bombers over Egypt. Warrant-officer E. L. Joyce, of Hamilton, who lias shot down three Junkers 88’s at night, is in the same squadron. Four New Zealanders trained under the Empire scheme are now Hying Kitty hombers in the famous Shark Squadron, They arc Sergeant-pilots T. H. Morriron (Auckland), H. E. G. Thomas (Masterton), R. H. Newton (Weilington), and (J. Young (Bulls). Earlier :iu this campaign their squadron made as many as six bombing and strafing raids a day, many of them over tho New Zealand sector of the front line. Morrison, Thomas, and Young wore trained in Canada last year; Newton went directly to England from New Zealand last August. Pilot-officer ,1. S. Hepburn (Mid-Can-terbury) ami Sergeant-pilot K. G. Allington (Hastings) are the only New Zealanders in Hurricane squadrons at present in day operations over tho desort. Allington Hew Spitfires from stations on tho south coast of England and in the Orkney Islands before ho came to tho Middle East in time for the hectic days of the withdrawal from Libya. In 12 days he How from 11 landing grounds.