N.Z. AIRMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 March 1942, Page 4

N.Z. AIRMEN

PART IN LIBYAN BATTLE PILOT’S EXPERIENCE. ASSISTANCE TO GROUND FORCES. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO, January 1. While New Zealanders of the Expeditionary Force were fighting their way forward across the Libyan desert, New Zealanders in bombers and fighters high above were winging their courses across the sky, bringing destruction to enemy troops, transports and armoured units. It was, of course, no new occurrence. During the battle for Crete, Dominion airmen carried out daring raids on Malcme aerodrome in support of the dogged resistance being made by their compatriots below. But, just as the air campaign of the second Libyan push was on a scale that almost completely reversed the striking power, as compared with Crete, so was the aumber of New Zealand airmen engaged in offensive operations very greatly increased. With flyers from every part of the Empire they were able, right from the opening day of the campaign, to lend that aid to the ground forces which the Germans have learned to their cost is by no means the sole right of the Luftwaffe. The New Zealand land forces completed their tasks and were withdrawn, but New Zealand airmen are still going. These New Zealanders are not grouped in squadrons. They are scattered throughout the Middle East Command in ones, twos and threes. In one squadrom alone, almost every part of the Empire may be represented; and other countries besides. Thus, in the bomber to which a sergeant-pilot from Dunedin belongs, the- second pilot is a Rhodesian, the navigator an Australian, the wireless operator also an Australian, the front-gunner a Canadian and the rear-gunner is from the Argentine. The New Zealander had, during the Libyan campaign been engaged in a special task that made him the spectator of many an exciting tank battle. The beginning of the push saw him over Fort Capuzzo. From there he followed the tanks right through—to Sidi Rezegh and El Adem. The task he had to perform necessitated his plane playing a lone hand. Even so, only once was he in particular danger of being shot down. That was when eight Italian, fighters soared up towards him. “It was an anxious moment, but luckily for me they suddenly changed direction and disappeared into a cloudbank.” Before coming to the Middle East, the Dunedin flyer had been in England and had taken part in no less than 29 raids over the continent, mostly over Germany. These included raids on Essen, Mannheim and Stettin. It was often hard to see results, but judging from explosions and photographic records they were generally good. When in England his nagivator had been an American, who had accompanied him on most of his trips over occupied Europe. The New Zealander flew his own plane from England to the Middle East and counts the journey as his most interesting yet.