AIR ACE MISSING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 181, 2 August 1944, Page 6

AIR ACE MISSING

A LEADING NIGHT FIGHTER SQUADRON-LEADER E. L. JOYCE (0.C.) HAMILTON, this day. Squadron-Leader Ernest L. Joyce, D.P.M., of Hamilton, reported missing on operations, is one of New Zealand's leading air aces. Born in Hamilton 24 years ago, SquadronLeader Joyce is the son of Mrs. C. Joyce, of Hamilton. He attended the Marist school and the Hamilton Technical High School. He was a member of the Civil Air Reserve before the war and gained a license when 19 years of age. Leaving the Dominion in 1940, Squadron-Leader Joyce went to England as a sergeantpilot. For six months he was flying Hurricane fighters. Later he was transferred to aircraft carriers and was operating from the Ark Royal just before she was lost. His next scene of operations was the Middle East.

When the squadron was commanded by the ]ate Flying-Officer E. J. ("Cobber") Kain, he was engaged in night strafing raids across Luftwaffe airfields in Cyrenaica. Squadron-Leader Joyce was one of the most promising young sergeantpilots. He won a reputation for unusually good eyesight and became the leading night fighter pilot with eight victims to his credit. In five nights over El Alamein he shot down three German bombers. In October, 1942, he attained the rank of FlightLieutenant. He returned from a training period to be the squadron's commander at the close of the North African campaign. A short time ago Squadron-Leader Joyce returned to England.