R.A.F. IN RUSSIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 29 September 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. IN RUSSIA

PILOTS TELL OF WARM WELCOME EFFECTIVE COMBINED OPERATIONS. COASTAL COMMAND PLANE VISITS MOSCOW. LONDON. September 27. An Air Ministry communique yesterday stated: “Reports from the Russian front show that R.A.F. fighters continue to escort Russian bombers on offensive operations. Our fighters shot down two more Messerschmitt 109 s without loss to themselves. The first detailed description of the fighting side by side of British and Soviet pilots in Russia is printed in the Moscow “Red Star” under the subtitle, •'Soviet' and English pilots jointly routing Fascists." The article describes British and soviet flyers studying maps in deep trenches, and it adds, •‘'rhe British Hurricanes are the pride of British aviation." An R.A.F. pilot, in a letter which his brother has received in Britain, writes: "The Russian pilots are stout fellows. Things have been made very comfortable for us. I have not yet flown Russian planes, but tney certainly look useful. The Russian flak is very accurate, and the German planes in this area arc rather shy of the observer posts. . . . The Germans often turn back when our fighters are seen. “The Russian commander is most helpful and friendly. The Russian pilots invited us to a dinner, and we toasted everything imaginable: then in conformity with the old Russian custom for the senior officers to do the stepdance, the Russian general who is our commander made an attempt, which seemed to gain general approval.” The crew of a R.A.F. Coastal Command aircraft which has been to Moscow, came back vastly impressed by the morale, efficiency and fine fighting spirit of the Russians, says the Air Ministry News Service. Coastal Command aircraft have made a number of flights to Russia, and this was the first crew to travel right into Moscow itself. One of them said: "When we appeared in Moscow in our uniforms they simply gave us the city. I never imagined such a welcome anywhere. We went wherever we pleased, and nobody allowed us to spend money on anything. We had only to say we wanted anything and it was promptly given to us. The warmth of the welcome would have been embarrassing except that they made us feel it was genuine and spontaneous. We knew it was the R.A.F. uniform they were welcoming, not ourselves as individuals.” The airmen saw practically no bomb damage in Moscow, and they cannot speak too highly of the good spirits and morale of the citizens. AIR FIGHTING LOSSES VERY MUCH AGAINST ENEMY. (British OfTicial Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.52 a.m.) RUGBY, September 28. A Soviet overnight war communique states: "On September 27 our troops fought the enemy along the entire front. “On September 25 we destroyed 44 enemy planes. We lost 19 planes.” AID TO RUSSIA STATEMENT EXPECTED IN COMMONS. (British OfTicial Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.52 a.m.) RUGBY, September 28. When Parliament is to reassemble shortly, the Prime Minister, Mr Winston Churchill, is expected to make a full statement, at the first sitting, on the Russian situation and to indicate what competent observers in 'London believe to be the very considerable scale upon which Britain has been already supplying' Russia with materials and commodities.