FLIGHT OVER LE HAVRE

Evening Star, Issue 24328, 17 October 1942, Page 4

FLIGHT OVER LE HAVRE

NEW ZEALAND PILOTS PARTICIPATE (N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent.) LONDON, October 15. The High Commissioner (Mr W. JJordan), the New Zealand Air Secretary (Mr T.-, A. Barrow), and Commodore L. M. Isitt, accompanied by Mr J. Garfield Stewart, of Auckland, who i* senior medical officer for the famous No. 11 group of Fighter Command, visited a squadron of former Hurrican*, night fighters which recently moved to a new station, and is now flying th» latest type of fighter on daylight pat-, rols. The visitors went to dispersal hut* and saw the pilots returning from uneventful south coast patrols. They stood chatting in the sunshine, and, learned that the squadron had participated in last week’s big fighter bomber sweep, when the Americans claimed over 40 Germans. The New Zealanders’ role was to carry out a diversion sweep over Le Havre. The visitors heard from Pilot-officer’ G. G. Thomas and Sergeant K. TaylorCannon how they recently sighted two Focke-Wulf 190’s while on patrol. One Focke-Wulf had just dropped a bomb in a sneak raid when the New Zealanders appeared. There was a low cloud base for which the Germans made off, but Thomas opened up fire at 800yds range, closing to 400yds before the enemy entered the clouds. , The squadron’s pilots at present include Squadron-leader C. L. C. Roberts, Flight-lieutenants J. G. Clouston and H. N. Sweetman, Pilot-officers A. E. Umbers. V. C. Fittall, A. H. Smith, L. V. Weir, I. D. Waddy, B. J. Dali, and J. H. McCaw, Warrant-officer J. G. Wilson. Flight-sergeants J. Pearse, W. B. Tyerman, C. N. Gall, F Murphy, amf N. E. Preston, Sergeants B. Fitzgibbon* A, H. James, R, Walker, D, R. Clark* M. O. Jorgensen. W. K. Mawson. R. W. Pennv, I. B. Mathesou, D- Macalister, and D. Bennett, and the following ground crew:—Corporals (R. K. Bartlett, N. S. Parkes, D. Ramsey, Leading aircraftman M. J. Hallett and Mackiu. non. and Aircraftman I. G. Goward.