GALLANT AIRMEN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24402, 13 September 1940, Page 6

GALLANT AIRMEN

TWO AWARDS OF D.F.C. NEW ZEALANDERS HONOURED SQUADRON-LEADER'S FINE RECORD (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Sept. 12... , The following particulars regarding awards to New Zealand airmen have been released by the Director of Publicity Two more New Zealanders have been awarded I Distinguished Flying Cross, according to information received at Air Headquarters, Wellington, this morning.' They are Acting Squad-ron-leader Aubrey Arthur Nmnis Breckon and Acting Flight-lieutenant Francis Edwin Eustace. Acting Squadron-leader Breckon comes from Northcote, Auckland, and is aged 26 years. According tp the official .citation. “ he participated in 21 major bombing attacks on Germany, Holland Belgium and France. He made a reconnaissance flight north of Narvik of a duration of 14J hours undeterred by enemy action and bad weather. He is a reliable and persistent long-distance pilot and a cool courageous and determined leader.” The flight ‘to Narvik is generally acknowledged as the record long-dis-tance flight of the first 12 months of the war. involving a distance of 2000 miles from Scotland and back through icy weather and severe storms The flight was made by an aircraft' of the New Zealand Squadron with two other New Zealanders in the crew, the navigator coming from Stratford and the wireless operator from Auckland Acting Squadron-leader Breckon was ; newspaper photographer in Auckland before he was granted a short service commission in the. R.A.F, Shortly before the war he was posted to the New Zealand Squadron in England, transferring to the Royal New Zealand Air Force. When war broke out the squadron was placed at the disposal of the R.A.F., and he has since played a conspicuous part in the scmadron’s activities. Acting Flight-lieutenant Eustace, who is aged 24 years, was born at Nelson and educated at Taumarunui District High School and Nelson College. He was accepted for a short service commission in the R.A.F. in 1937.