NEW ZEALANDERS AT DIEPPE

Southland Times, Issue 24838, 2 September 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDERS AT DIEPPE

SPITFIRE SQUADRON IN FOUR SWEEPS (Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 31. The New Zealand Spitfire squadron carried out four sweeps during the recent attack on Dieppe and shot down two Huns, and probably two more. Lea by Squadron Leader R. Grant, D.F.M., they were also accompanied by WingCommander P. G. Jameson, D.F.C. and bar. They took off on their first flight at 2 am., returning periodically for refuelling and reammunitioning and snatching hasty bites of food. Wing-Commander Jameson ' shot down one Hun in flames, while Pilot Officer C. Chrystall (Foxton), got another. Flight-Lieutenant R. Baker (Dunedin) and Flying Officer Lindsay Black (Levin) got probables. During the fourth flight Wing Commander Grant, Flight-Lieutenant Baker ana Sergeant H. Leckie (Petone) all had combats, but they were without result. Many members of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve also took part in the Dieppe raid, including Telegraphist R. N. Mitchell (Christchurch) and Petty Officer Motor Mechanic D. Gillies (Oamaru) who were members of the crew of a motor launch. “We arrived at Dieppe at 5 a.m. escorting a number of invasion barges carrying French Canadians,” said Telegraphist Mitchell. “It was just before dawn when we got there. We accompanied the barges to the shore while a shore battery pumped shells at us. They landed behind us until our destroyers silenced the battery. I got a good view of this because I was working for two hours on and off and I was off this period, so I stood on the deck. As we closed inshore the Huns fired anti-aircraft guns at us, but the flying splinters did not injure anyone on our ship. We put a smokescreen round the barges when they were nearly ashore. We swore when our engines stopped temporarily, but they were soon restarted. “After landing the troops we stood out until 3 p.m. watching the destroyers bombarding land targets. We also saw several German aircraft shot down.

Once three Hun bombers attempted to attack, but the destroyers shot a wing off one and directly hit another, while a Spitfire accounted for a third. Another time six Dorniers came out of the clouds intending to fix us, but inside two minutes Spitfires shot down four. The remaining two jettisoned their bombs and tore off. We were among the last ships to leave. Our flotilla had an escort of at least 76 Spitfires over us for the whole return trip.”