IN RAIDS ON ITALY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 197, 20 August 1943, Page 3

IN RAIDS ON ITALY

New Zealand Crews In Two Flights To Turin SWISS ALPS IN MOONLIGHT N.Z.P.A. Special Correspondent LONDON, Aug. 19. Bombers of the New Zealand Stirling Squadron have taken part in pounding Italy, and the squadron bombed Turin on the last two occasions, with a mine-laying trip sandwiched in for good measure. The squadron flew to Turin on both nights in clear moonlight. Except for the long hours of flying—eight for the round journey— they regarded the flights as "easy after the visits to Germany. This was because there was little flak over the target compared with the Ruhr, while there were fewer night fighters. , . , All the crews were eloquent about the beauties of the Swiss Alps seen in the moonlight. Squadron-Leader R. Broadbent, of Auckland, who flew on the first night, said: ' We had a perfect view of Mont Blanc. We could also see in the distance lighted Swiss chalets and lights from cottages in apparently macessible mountain localities." Flight-Sergeant M. E. Parker, who went to Turin on the second night, said: "It was so clear that we pinpointed our way all the time until we got above the Alps, when we ran into a lot of ground haze, but we found the target all right. Flight-Sergeant Parker was in the same crew with Flight-Sergeants V. Jamieson and C. L. Parker, both of Auckland, W. Whitehead, of Papakura, and P. Dobson, of Blenheim. A newcomer to the squadron is Flying-Officer James Lovelock a brother of Jack Lovelock, the fam-°UFlying-Officers N. C. B. Wilson, of Auckland, and T. Lodge, of Rotorua, and Pilot-Officer T. Dance, of Weilington, were in the mine-laying trip.

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