GALLANTRY IN AIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 174, 25 July 1941, Page 8

GALLANTRY IN AIR

AUCKLANDERS FEATS

FLYING CROSS AWARDED

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday

Official advice has been received by Air Headquarters that the Distinguished Flying Cross has been awarded to Pilot-Officer Winston Brooke Mackley. Born at Lower Hutt in 1915, Pilot-Officer Mackley was educated at the Auckland Grammar School. He was club captain of the Auckland Model Aero Club. He was selected for a short-service commission in the Royal Air Force in 1939, but later withdrew his application and instead commenced training in New Zealand in October, 1939. He proceeded overseas in the middle of 1940.

As a member of the Auckland Aero Club Pilot-Officer Mackley won the Davis landing competition, was runner-up in the Mason trophv for airmanship in 1938, and in 1939" won the Owen trophy for the forced landing competition for pilots with more than 50 hours' flying time. His father is Mr. J. F. Mackley, of 20, Ascot Avenue. Remuera.

Official citations accompanying the awards to Pilot-Officer Mackley and Pilot-Officer G. R. Simich, whose award was announced recently, state that Pilot-Officer Mackley has completed 178 operational flying hours and 27 sorties. He has shown constant devotion to duty and consistent flying skill. His 'attacks on heavily-defended targets have been carried out with courage and determination.

On two occasions he has executed excellent landings when very short of petrol, one when cloud was at 200 ft and visibility only 500 ft He has displayed unfailing gallantry. Objectives attacked by him include targets at Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen Brest, Kiel and Dusseldorf.

Pilot-Officer Simich has completed 182 operational flying hours and 31 sorties. He has proved an ideal captain and has done outstanding work. He has attacked Berlin on four occasions, each time displaying outstanding skill, determination and gallantry in successfully pressing home his attacks, in spite of severe damage sustained at times by his aircraft.

. On the night of April 17 he ran into a fierce barrage of anti-aircraft nre and searchlight concentrations on the outskirts of Berlin. In spite ol his attempts to run on to his arget he was forced so low that he was unsuccessful and had to turn away. Regaining height, he persevered until he was able to accomplish a successful run over his objective.