V.C. WINNER

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 247, 18 October 1941, Page 5

V.C. WINNER

BELIEVED KILLED AUCKLANDER MISSING Previously reported missing as the result of air operations on September 15, Sergeant-Pilot J. A. Ward, first New Zealander to win the Victoria Cross in the present war, is now stated to be missing and believed killed. The Wellington bomber of which Sergeant-Pilot Ward I was cap-l tain belonged to the 75th (New Zea-| land) Bomber Squadron, and it hadl left on a night raid over Germany,

!but no signal was heard from the i machine even after it was almost [certain to have reached the target. The same aircraft and crew hadi taken part in a raid on the German j battlecruisers in Brest Harbour two) nights previously.

Advice has been received by Mr. J. Waddell, of Marine Terrace, Bayswater, that his son, Pilot-Officer John Marshall Waddell, was reported missing on the night of October 12 while taking part in bombing operations near Berlin. After receiving his preliminary training at Levin, New Plymouth and Onakea, he went to Britain to complete his course, and of late had been making regular flights over Germany. Educated at Takapuna Grammar School, he twice lowered the school swimming record ] for breaststroke and played for the I Takapuna Rugby Club. For several I years he was Auckland champion in Z class yachts.