NEW ZEALANDER AT DIEPPE

Southland Times, Issue 24888, 30 October 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALANDER AT DIEPPE

AIR FORCE PRAISED (Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, October 28. Three members of the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteei - Reserve were recently on leave in London after a variety of experiences. Lieutenant K. D. Hall, of Auckland, went to hospital to have shrapnel extracted after landing with the Canadians at Dieppe. Petty Officer Radio Mechanic. L. M. Hadley, of Wellington, spent his first day on shore last week since June, after serving in H.M.S. Scylla, which was the flagship of the Rusisan convoy in September. Able Seaman H. Hutchison, of Temuka, returned to England _ after serving in Russian waters. He is now taking a commission at H.M.S. King Alfred. Lieutenant Hall commanded a flotilla of landing-craft at Dieppe. We landed the Canadians between the west jetty of the harbour moles and a tobacco factory immediately in front of Dieppe,” he said. “Flights of four-can-non Hurricanes prepared the way, shooting up the defences. Then a number of two-cannon-bomber Hurricanes continued the good work. The Royal Air Force co-operation throughout the raid was superb. We withdrew to sea after landing the soldiers at 5.30 a.m. Then we returned at 11 a.m. to pick them up.” His most hectic period was when a shell, bursting 20 yards from the craft, planted splinters in his ankle, which he did not notice until later. LANDING IN FORTIFIED AREA “We picked up a South African pilot who had baled out over the sea just as we were leaving Dieppe,” he said. “We certainly proved that we can land t-oops in a fortified area on hostile territory.” Lieutenant Hall has now participated in five landings, including those at Vaagso and Bruneval. Petty Officer Hadley operated a radio during the passage of the Russian convoy, which a big wave of torpedobombers attacked. “We picked up several of them miles away,” he said. “I was able to see the whole action. Four bombers attacked our ship, two off the bow and two astern. They all missed and high-level bombers dropped two 10001 b bombs on either side. The Scylla is a grand ship. I have served in her since March.” Petty Officer Hadley has been recommended for a commission. Able Seaman Hutchison had the unusual experience of swimming in the White Sea after 48 hours of brilliant sunshine, the water reaching a temperature of 58 degrees. He was also bitten up by mosquitos. SHIP ICE-BOUND “The worst experience was being ice-bound for 20 hours in ice-floes, when we were a sitting target for bombers, which fortunately did not appear,” he said. “Naval torpedo bombers cnce fired five ‘tin-fish’ against us, but we dodged all. We also picked up the survivors of a United States merchantman who had been adrift on rafts for 13 days. Fortunately for them it was the warm season. The U-boat commander gave them food and the route. We searched for them for four days and were within a-quarter of an hour of abandoning the search when we nearly rammed them in a fog. They had all taken turns at rowing and were not allowed to sleep in case they never woke up. They were all right until they relaxed. Then they were unable to use their legs for some time, but eventually they recovered.” Temporary commissions in the Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve have been granted Sub-Lieutenants D. G. Watts and P. B. Hindle (Wellington), J. F. M. Coote and S. N. Braithwaite (Auckland), W. H. A. Henderson (Hawke’s Bay) and H. R. Schurr, R. L. Campbell and M. H. Bannister. A member of the Fleet Air Arm, SubLieutenant R. L. Russell, has also received a temporary commission.