WITHOUT LOSS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 April 1943, Page 3

WITHOUT LOSS

NEW ZEALAND BOMBER SQUADRON PARTICIPATING IN RAIDS ON BERLIN. \ SOME FORTUNATE ESCAPES. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, March 30. The New Zealand Stirling squadron participated in both Saturday and Monday night’s raids on Berlin. They bombed their targets successfully ana did not lose a single aircraft in either raid. Typical experiences were told to me by Pilot Officer R. O. French, Feilding, whose rear-gunner was Sergeant H, l. Moss, also of Feilding. Sergeant H. J. Dalzell, North Canterbury, had a miraculous escape when a piece of flak came in through the starboard side ana ripped his flying kit but was deflectea by a cigarette case in his right breast pocket. He was entirely unnurt. The piece of flak was 2£in. long, with a razor-like edge. Sergeant P. J. Buck, Wanganui, landed almost without petrol, two motors cutting as he touchea down. Pilot Officer K. H. Groves, Eketahuna, said he saw incendiaries lighting up Berlin. Fires could be seen still burning in Berlin when he was 60 miles away. Those participating in the raids were: Flying Officers R. R. Rayner, Wanganui, and C. F .Ormerod, Gisborne; Pilot Officers J. M. Bailey, Hunterville, and C. Carswell, Auckland; Flight Sergeants K. H. Debenham, Oxford, and C. Samson, Wellington; Sergeants A. Davidson, Auckland, W. G. Berryman, New Plymouth, C. Middleton, Hamilton, I. Furness; Nelson, B. J. Hosie, Manaia, A. J. Bodley, Auckland, J. Welch, Hamilton, FI. J. Drawbridge, Wellington, G. W. Fielding, Christchurch, and R. Stone, Tauranga; and Squadron Leader G. M. Allcock, D.F.C., Auckland. PRELUDE TO INVASION? BRITISH AIR OFFENSIVE. OPINION IN BERLIN. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, March 30. “It is possible that the R.A.F.’s air offensive marks the beginning of invasion of the European continent,” declared the Wilhelmstrasse spokesman, interviewed by the correspondent of the Stockholm newspaper “Aftonbladet.” “We are counting on that as a hard fact. We have no illusions about sleeping undisturbed.” All the schools in Essen are being closed for the duration of the war because of the results of the R.A.F. raids, reports the “Essener National Zeitung.” Cjiildren between the ages of six and 14 are being evacuated to prepared camps. Some of the schools which have not been destroyed are being converted into hospitals and hostels for essential workers. A Stockholm message reports that today’s regular Swedish plane to Berlin returned after three hours because it was unable to land at Templehof aerodrome, which was damaged in recent R.A.F. bombings.