FLYING CROSS WON

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 52, Issue 3276, 16 June 1943, Page 4

FLYING CROSS WON

FLYING-OFFICER s. short P.O.W. IN ITALIAN HOSPITAL ADVICE RECEIVED IN PAEROA Advice has been received by Mr Thomas Short of Paeroa, that his son, Flying-Officer Sydney Armstrong Haig Short, of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Flying-Officer Short who is at present a Prisoner of War in an Italian Red Cross Hospital in Rome, is the eldest son of Mr Thomas Short of Paeroa and the late Mrs Ruby Short. He was born in Auckland and received his education at the Paeroa District High School, gaining his Public Service Entrance in 1932. At the time of his enlistment with the R.N.Z.A.F., Flying-Officer Short was employed by New Zealand Railways at Tauranga. He proceeded to a South Island Air Base in March, 1941, and gained his wings there, leaving for overseas in September with the commissioned rank of PilotOfficer. >

Promoted to Flying-Officer while in England 12 months later, where he was specially trained to fly the new Mosquitoes, Flying-Offi-cer Short was sent with his squadron to North Africa last October. He was wounded in action about six weeks later but recovered sufficiently to be discharged from hospital within a week and was very shortly again in action. Mosquito pilots receive their specialised training in England for intruder work, having been hand-picked in the early stages of their flying careers. Spitfires make it unsafe for the Luftwaffe by day and Mosquitoes during the hours of darkness.

The following brief note written by Flying-Officer Short from an Italian Red Cross Hospital in Rome was received on Monday by Mr T. Short. It reads as under:

“ I am well and fairly fit though slightly wounded. Recovering O. Am at present in hospital in Italy and will later go to P. Camp. Love to all. Cheerio. Sydney Short.”