MORE AWARDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 September 1942, Page 4

MORE AWARDS

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN IN BRITAIN MEMBERS OF SPITFIRE SQUADRON. VISIT BY NEW ZEALAND AIR SECRETARY. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, September 14. Three more Distinguished Flying Crosses have been awarded to the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron —to Squadron Leader R. Grant, D.F.M., of Auckland, who is commanding officer, and to Flight Lieutenants M. Shand, of Wellington, and R. W. Baker, of Dunedin, the squadron’s flight commanders. .

Mr T. A. Barrow, New Zealand Air Secretary, was among the first to congratulate them when he visited Spitfire and Hurricane night-fighters on the evening on which the awards were announced. Mr Barrow dined with Hurricane pilots—who, incidentally, will shortly be using a new nightfighter type, the details of which have not yet been officially announced—when Squadron Leader Grant and Flight Lieutenants Shand and Baker were present. After dinner, Mr Barrow met New Zealand sergeant pilots, wireless operators and mechanics and was shown the operations room. He saw two New Zealanders take off on a night patrol. On the next morning he attended a Sunday church parade and then watched Spitfire pilots give a demonstration of formation flying. After lunch, Pilot Officers M. R- D. Hume, of Wellington, and E. D. Mackie, of Auckland, gave a demonstration of aerobatics and also “shot up” the aerodrome, making Mr Barrow and the air crews duck instinctively as the Spitfires roared a few feet over their heads, at at least 300 miles per hour. Mr Barrow also met Wing Commanders P. G. Jameson and I. S. Smith, who both have Distinguished Flying Crosses and bars. Mr Barrow said: “I have never seen a better crowd of young fellows together who seemed so little worried about the war. They are grand boys, all in first class health and spirits.”