GREETED BY KING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1942, Page 3

GREETED BY KING

NEW ZEALAND FIGHTER PILOTS ON RETURN FROM SWEEP. HIS MAJESTY SHOWS KEEN INTEREST. (Special Correspondent). LONDON, April 29. With his hair blowing in the wind and grubby-faced after his flight, Flight Sergeant T. Robson, Hastings, told the King how he probably shot down a German during a sweep with the New Zealand Spitfire squadron over France this afternoon. His Majesty was inspecting fighter stations and arrived at the New Zealanders’ aerodrome in time to see the squadron return from what they called an ‘'unexciting” sweep. Robson, who was accompanied by Pilot Officer L. P. Griffith, Levin, returned first. Their Spitfirfies bounced to the hut, where his Majesty talked with them both for several minutes while awaiting the return of the remainder of the squadron. Robson told his Majesty: "I saw a Focke-Wulf 190 above, so I pulled up the nose of my Spitfirfie, gave him a “squirt,” and saw him dive down with smoke pouring out, but I didn’t stay to see him crash.” His Majesty: “Good; I hope you got him.” Griffiths told his Majesty he regretted he had not got close enough to do anything useful. His Majesty, learning that Griffiths has been in England 17 months, said: “You are an old hand now.” Griffith: “Yes, sir. I had a good bit of luck.” His Majesty talked for several minutes to the squadron outside the huts, and then met them after afternoon tea. The New Zealanders were introduced to the King in the officers’ mess. He impressed them by the number of questions he asked and by the obvious interest he took. His Majesty had a long talk with Squadron Leader E. P. Wells, asking him about himself, the number of Germans he had shot down, and also about the squadron, German pilots, their tactics and aircraft.

While the squadron was landing the King’s greatest interest was the radiotelephone conversation between the pilots coming down. He listened for several minutes, and declared he was interested in the adjectives the pilots were using. Laughing, he said: “I have heard two ‘blasts’ and two ‘ ’s’ already.” Earlier in the afternoon, he shook hands with another squadron before it took off on a sweep. The pilots included Pilot Officers. ID. Waters and Owen Hardy, Auckland.