EGYPT AIR BATTLE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20876, 31 August 1942, Page 2

EGYPT AIR BATTLE

N.Z. FIGHTER PILOTS VARIED EXPERIENCES I' . vui *’,, X 5 * INACTIVITY RESENTED (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) (I't.Z.E.F. Official War < Correspondent ) (11 a.m.) WESTERN DESERT, Aug. 30. New Zealand' fighter pilots watte flying with men of .the Empire in the Royal Air Force’s battle, against the Luftwaffe over Egypt.- Day and night they are over the Western Desert, flying Hurricanes,'Spitfires, dnd Kittyhawks in Sweeps; bomber escorts, and dive-bombing raids. No New ' Zealand squadrons are operating in the Middle East,- but'in almost every Royal -Air Force fighter and fighter-bomber squadron there 1 is at least one Kiwi pilot. Their flying experience-varies as widely as their civil occupations. Some are slieepfarmers who left back-cour.trv runs to fight -in the Battle of- Britain. Others came from city offices or warehouses and'trained under the Empire scheme ! in * Canada and England have have - been‘posted to the Middle Eastfor the'ir‘first operational flights. A few have Won “gongs,” as the pilots call their flying crosses and medals. Many' are waiting to get their first German-plane in - their sights?During the lull on the Alamein front I have spoken' to I 'several uf these New Zealand pilots who fly the dutsy patches in the desert that are the Royal Air 'Force’s' advanced landing grounds. They are’all keen to be operating over the land battle in Which- the -New • Zealanders' "Sre taking part. Their attitude- is the same as the men of the- division. They hate inactivity; “The'- sooner we get this job over the sooner we> Will be able to' get dut iand -tackle the Japanese,” they say, Twice Posted Missing One of the' most experienced New Zealand pilots now flying-in the ddsert is Flight Lieutenant Victor Verity. D.F.C., a Timaru farmer, Who was with fighter squadrons in France and in the Battle of Britain. He has been posted missing twice, once during the evacuation of Dunkirk, -biit he returned across the Channel on both occasions.- -A night fighter fnlot of long experience, he is now attached to-a-- Hurricane i'squadron - which searches for German nigftßbomb'ers over Egypt. ■ / iTF’V'v Warrant Officer E. L. Joyce, of Hamilton, who • has shot down three Junkers 88s at night, is in .the Same squadron. !'■< A-pr Four New Zealanders trained under the Empire scheme-are now flying Kitty-borhbers in - the famous-.-Shark Squadron. They ‘ are Sergeant Pilots T. H. Morrison; of Auckland, H; G;' F. Thomas; of Mastertofi, Jti 11. Newton, of Wellington,-'and C, Young, of Bulls. Earlier in this'campaign, theft* squadron 1 made aS'-maiiy‘as’'s'ik bombing -and strafing-raids ’a 'day, many of them over the New Zealand sector of the front line) 'Sergeants Morrison, Thomas, and? Young; -trained in Canada last year and 1 Sergeant Newton went direct .to England' from New Zealand last August.- .■>•>(.} war Pilot Officer J. S.’H6pbtirn, of MidCanterbury, and Sergeant Pilot'K. G. Allington, of Hastings,- are the only New--Zealanders -in the • Hurricane squadrons at- present on' day opera*tions over -the desert. ‘--Sergeant Allington flew 1 Spitfires-from stations on the south coast'of England -and in the Orkney Islands--before- 'Re' came to the Middle 'East irr time • for' the hectic days of the withdrawal "from Libya. ' In 12 days he flew frorfi 'll landing grounds, “A ‘lf ;