WAR ON U-BOATS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 June 1943, Page 4

WAR ON U-BOATS

NEW ZEALAND CATALINA SQUADRON

WING COMMANDER NICHOL TO TAKE CHARGE.

FORMER MASTERTONIAN.

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 12.20 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. The New Zealand Catalina Fly-ing-Boat Squadron, the seventh Dominion squadron in Great Britain, which the Defence Minister (Mr Jones) visited during his stay, is locking forward to helping to tip the scales in the great battle against the U-boats. It is at present commanded by Wing Commander D. W. Baird, ArF.C., former aitliaison officer in London. He will be succeeded by Wing Commander Barry Nichol, of Masterton, who recently arrived in England and will undergo courses before taking over the command. The squadron has many distinguished New Zealanders. One who has an outstanding record in the Coastal Command is Flight Lieutenant A. Frame, D.F.C., of Oamaru, who has flown 1600 hours in Sunderlands. He flew over to convey the first Canadian contingent, which arrived in Britain in December, 1939, then went to the Mediterranean, where he flew some 200 men from Greece to Crete during the evacuation, a similar number to Alexandria, and, when Crete fell, in one flight he took 50 passengers in addition to twelve of a crew. On several occasions he had a rendezvous with escapees from Crete, once taxiing for five hours in darkness along the coast attempting to find them, which he ultimately did.

Wing Commander Barry Nichol, who was for a time a member of the staff of the “Wairarapa Age,” served for an extended period" in the RA.F. prior to the outbreak of war, and attained the rank of squadron-leader. During later service in this country he was promoted to his present rank.