BOMBER SQUADRON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 December 1941, Page 6

BOMBER SQUADRON

CONSISTING SOLELY OF NEW ZEALANDERS WILL BE OPERATING SOON FROM SCOTLAND. ASSOCIATION WITH COASTAL COMMAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ( (Received This Day, Noon.) LONDON, December 16. A New Zealand squadron stationed in Scotland will soon be augmenting the. R.A.F.’s famous Beaufort torpedobomber squadron which operates with the Coastal Command. The New Zealand squadron, which is comprised of men trained under the Empire scheme, is now undergoing operational training under the guidance of an Australian officer, Wing Commander James Brown. At first there were insufficient New Zealanders to form the squadron and its strength was supplemented from R.A.F. personnel. New Zealanders have been steadily posted to the squadron, singly and in groups, some trained in Canada and others trained in New Zealand. The squadron now entirely New Zealand and its flying hours are mounting to the point where it will be ready to become a fully operational squadron. It has formed a boxing team and two-thirds of the station’s Rugby team is now made up of New Zealanders. The squadron recently received a hamper from New Zealand which it divided equally with its R.A.F. comrades at the station.