NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1943, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

SERVING IN BRITAIN CHRISTCHURCH SQUADRON LEADER. IN COMMAND OF FAMOUS COUNTY UNIT. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) (Received This Day, 12.15 p.m.) LONDON, June 19. The County of Nottingham Auxiliary Squadron—one of the famous auxiliary squadrons which fought in the Battle of France—is now led by Squadron Leader J. Kilian, of Christchurch, a former member of the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron. His station commander is Wing Commander Arthur Donaldson, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and Bar, one of the famous Donaldson brothers. Squadron Leader Kilian’s squadron was one of three escorting a New Zealend Ventura squadron. The Venturas had one squadron with them as a close escort, while Kilian’s squadron and another acted as top cover. When about 12 miles off the Dutch coast, at 15,003 feet, Kilian saw about 100 Focke-Wulf 190 s coming down through clouds. Some of the Focke-Wulfs stayed as top cover squadrons, while others went on after the Venturas. Every time Kilian tried to catch up with the Venturas, two squadrons of Focke-Wulfs over him swept down as if to attack his squadron, which had to prepare to defend itself, but at the last moment the Focke-Wulfs would not clinch and fight. They would break off and reform, until the Spitfires again attempted to catch up the Venturas, when they would repeat their attack. Kilian said: “I think they were partly trying to get us to exhaust our petrol, addition to* diverting our attention. I have never seen so many Focke-Wulfs as I did that day. They gave us little opportunity to fire our cannons at them, and they fired very little at us, but we had to"be watching them all the time, as we were outnumbered by at least two to one.” Pilot Officer P. J. Doyle, of Featherston, who is in Kilian’s squadron, was also in the fight. They both saw a Ventura, piloted by A. V. Duffill, D.F.C., since promoted to squadron leader, flying back to England. The County of Nottingham Squadron has to its credit a total of 33i enemy planes destroyed. A third New Zealander is Flight Sergeant W. J. Warwick ,of Hawarden. He and Doyle were with a squadron in Northern Ireland for a while, carrying out patrols over shipping. The squadron also carries out sweeps. It has been over Cherbourg so many times that its members regard this sweep almost as “a mail run.”

Recently Kilian led his squadron in an attack on shipping off the Channel Islands. Twelve Spitfires went hi line abreast, raking the ships, and dropped bombs. It was a very successful attack, two ships being sunk and one probably sunk. Doyle also was in this attack.

On the same station, in other squadrons, are Flight Lieutenant P. W. D. Stewart, of Wanganui, and Pilot Officer G. R. Dickson, of Invercargill. The doctor in the station is Flying Officer O. S. Maunsell, who was born in Masterton, but has been in England for many years. The pilots say that up to the present they have seen more antiaircraft fire than German fighters. Kilian has now destroyed 2| Germans and has carried out 140 sweeps. One of the officers on the station is an outstanding English pilot, Wing Commander E. H. Thomas, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and Bar.