FIRST ACHIEVEMENTS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 August 1942, Page 2

FIRST ACHIEVEMENTS

OF NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN IN TORPEDO-BOMBERS. SHIP ATTACKED OFF NORWAY. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, August 14. The New Zealand torpedo-bomber squadron is credited with probably torpedoing a merchantman off the Norwegian coast and also probably shooting down a Nazi fighter, which are its first victories. The flight included Flying Officer J. J .Richardson and Pilot Officers J. H. Reason, T. D. G. Murray and S. Latta, all of Auckland, and Flying Officer A. J. Mottram, who is an Englishman. They were sent out on a search for a Koln-class cruiser. They ran into a thick "cloud-bank and could see nothing; then Mottram found a gap in the clouds and went down and found a 3000-ton merchantman at anchor. He dropped a torpedo and he last saw it travelling toward the ship when he was attacked by an enemy fighter, to which his gunners replied at pointblank range till both the planes were I covered by a cloud. Mottram’s gunners are New Zealanders, but their names are at present not available. Mottram is a' star tennis player; he played on the Wimbledon centre court before the war.

J. R. C. Kilian .Christchurch, who has been promoted to squadron leader, is now the commanding officer of a Spitfire squadron. He was previously with the New Zealand Spitfire unit.