ENEMY RAMMED

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21204, 29 August 1940, Page 9

ENEMY RAMMED

EXPLOIT OF PILOT AWARDED BAR TO D.F.C. SAFE AFTER CRASHING (By Telegraph.—Special to Times) WANGANUI, Wednesday A bar to his Distinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to the Wanganui ace, Flight-Lieutenant A. C. Deere, according to a cablegram received from him today by his parents, Mr and Mrs T. J. Deere, of Wanganui. The feat for which the decoration was awarded is not mentioned, but it is presumed to be his destruction of a Messerschmitt 109 by ramming it. Describing this incident in a recent letter, Flight-Lieutenant Deere wrote:

“Well, the war is at our shores now and we are having some grand fights. I was in a dogfight with some Messerschmitt 109’s and had shot one down when another endeavoured to get on my tail. We both manoeuvred for position, finishing up shooting at one another headon. He wouldn’t give way and neither would I, so we finished up by colliding. He went straight into the sea. Machine On Fire “I tried to bale out, but had to sit there, as my hood had been pushed in. My machine caught fire, and 1 eventually crashed in a field, mowing down posts en route. I managed to batter my way out, and escaped with bruises. I was up flying next morning.” Flight - Lieutenant Deere was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in June for exploits in France, during which he shot down five aeroplanes. On one occasion he escorted a trainer machine to Calais to rescue his squadron commander, who had been shot down there. The trainer was attacked by 12 Messerschmitts while taking off, but FlightLieutenant Deere and a companion drove them off, shooting down three and damaging three others. DEATH IN OPERATIONS NEW PLYMOUTH PILOT (By Telegraph.—Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, Wednesday Notification of the death of PilotOfficer Leonard William Bennett, aged 24, as a result of air operations in England on August 26, was received by his mother, Mrs E. Bennett, Bulkley Terrace, New Plymouth, this morning. Pilot-Officer Bennett was the eldest of three brothers. One is serving in the Navy and the other in the Territorial Forces.