BRITISH AIR BASE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 January 1943, Page 4

BRITISH AIR BASE

UNDER FRENCH COMMAND. Frenchmen in every part of the world have been deeply touched by a mark of confidence and honour conferred on an officer of the Fighting French Air Force by placing him in temporary command of a front line British fighter base. The French fighter so honoured is Captain Jean Morlaix, who has no fewer than 19 enemy planes destroyed to his credit. Jean Morlaix when war broke out was a common soldier; today he is one of the ace flyers of the Allies. When, the Armistice was signed he was learning to fly. He wanted to fight the Germans, so responded among the first to the appeal of General de Gaulle to come to Britain to continue the fight. He finished his training here and entered a British flying squadron, where he proudly wore his French uniform. He was decorated with the Cross of Liberation by the Fighting French, has the-Croix de Guerre, and the Distinguished Flying Cross of the British Air Force. He has under his command British, Canadians, Australians, South Africans, Americans and French. “This is an honour,” says “France,” “not only to a man of remarkable courage but also to the whole Fighting French army.”