ROYAL AIR FORCE DECORATIONS

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23088, 2 August 1940, Page 10

ROYAL AIR FORCE DECORATIONS

♦ NEW ZEALANDERS V HONOURED (PRESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM..) WELLINGTON, August 1. The gazetting of six more awards to New Zealanders serving with the Royal Air Force brings the total of these awards since the outbreak of war to approximately 25. The following additional particulars concerning the latest recipients of the D.F.C. and D.F.M. have been released by the Director of Publicity:

Squadron Leader E. W. Whitley. D.F.C., left New Zealand for Britain in 1930. where he joined the Royal Air Force in December of that year. After an excellent record of service, he was promoted to his present rank of squadron leader. He is 31 years of age. married, with two children. Pilot Officer Neil Hyland Svenson, D.F.C., was born at Pukekohe and is aged 25. He was educated at Pukekohe Technical High School, where he matriculated. After leaving school he became keenly interested in the volunteer and territorial military forces and served with the Auckland Regiment with the rank of second lieutenant. He was selected for a short-service commission with the , Royal Air Force in 1937, and left for Britain in August of that year.

Sergeant Edwin Peter Williams, D.F.M., who celebrates his twentyfourth birthday next month, was born at Rotorua, and educated at St. Stephen’s Boys’ School, near Auckland, where he matriculated. He was prominent at school in the cadet corps, attaining the rank of company sergeantmajor. He was a well-known amateur radio enthusiast, and was employed for a period by Pan American Airways at Auckland, leaving in 1938 to join the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a wireless operator. He left to join the Royal Air Force for training in January, 1939. In the same group was Corporal C. B. G. Knight, of Nelson, who was awarded the D.F.M last February for conspicuous bravery. The other three men mentioned are Pilot Officer I. E. Parsons. D.F.C., Pilot Officer W. Trigance, D.F.C.. and Sergeant Asher Reece, D.F.M., whose biographies were published yesterday. TWO MORE PILOTS HONOURED LONDON, July 31. Two New Zealanders, Flying Officer N. Williams and Pilot Officer J. F. Swift, have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. Pilot Officer Swift is a son of Mr G. L, Swift, of Invercargill, and a grandson of Mr George Swift, of Dunedin. Pilot Officer Swift is 23 years of age, and he left for England to join the Royal Air Force in 1938. He was a member of the Royal Air Force at the outbreak of war, and has had many exciting encounters with the enemy over the English Channel, the North Sea, and Norway. Educated at the Southland Technical College, Pilot Officer Swift was employed as a motor mechanic by the Invercargill Fire Brigade before going overseas. He is attached to a Wellington bomber squadron, and for several months he has been engaged in raiding operations. Three months ago he was promoted to the rank of crew captain, having charge of a crew of five. Pilot Officer Swift was a prominent amateur boxer in Southland, and he has been achieving some success in the- ring since joining the Royal Air Force. ENLISTMENTS FOR MAORI BATTALION FORTY-THREE PER CENT. OF MEN AVAILABLE WELLINGTON, August 1. The total number of enlistments for the Maori Battalion and reinforcements to July 22. when voluntary recruiting ceased, was 4103. This includes 213 enlistments on July 22. The response of the Maori population to the appeal for volunteers has been particularly gratifying and shows that the members of the Maori race are as ready as their pakcha brothers to share the burden of preserving freedom and independence. The total number of Maori males, including . half-castes, between the ages of 21 and 35. which, for most of the recruiting period were the prescribed age limits, at "the census of March 24, 1936. was 9355. The total enlistments thus represent approximately 43 per ceqt. of that number, which,, it must be remerpbered. includes men who, for many reasons, such as being married and having more than two children, were, ineligible to enlist. A total of 3077 have been medically examined. Of that number 2182 have been classed as fit for overseas ser- ( vice. Those classified as temporarily unfit and Permanently unfit number 409 and 486 respectively Of those classed fit. 1211 have been disnatched to -camp and 708 are available for camn any time. V Without taking into account the large number still to be medically examined, there are more than sufficient men to provide for Maori Battalion reinforcements for some time to ijorne and to cover any wastage which may occur during their training. NATIONAL MILITARY RESERVE EXAMINATION BY MEDICAL BOARD The second and third drafts of men for the National Military Reserve have now appeared before medical boards for examination. The following is a list of the names of the men who were examined Second Draft Annand, A. D.: Ashby, F. J.; Anderson, F. R.; Beanland, A. 'W.; Burrows, F. L„

Bennett, A. C.; Bennett. L. P.: Bishop, G. H.; Brown, A. C.; Beaven, E. T.; Black, N. J.; Crombie, W. D.; Cook, E.: Chambers, A.; Carrington, J. L.; Caygill, G. D.: Candy. C. C. S.; Cregoe, J. P.; . Crowley, C. L.; Cuthbert R. A.: Cameron, D.; Clark, L. H.: Collins, A. E.; Crean. B. R.; Chilman, W. N.; Chappie, J.: Donald. W. E.; Dobbs. C. E.: Dcnford. J.: Dunn, G F.: Dempsey, F.; Ennis, L. M. NV.; Evans, P O. Fraser. H.: Gamble. G. W.; Graham. A. A.: Giddons. H.; Goode, C. J. G.; Gimblett, E. W.; Gale, J. W.; Gallagher, W. J.; Hayes, B. W.: Hardle, P. D.: Hattaway, G. D.; Hughes, F. W.: Hammond, K.; Hughes, J. A.: Hcncy, F. C.; Henwood. J. E.; Hill, H. N. A.; Hill, R. H.; Innes-Jones. S.; Jury, W.; Kay, A.; Ledsham, W. D.: Lambert, S.: Lee, C.: Lake, A. G.; Lewis, W.; Lovell-Smith, C, S.; Lewis, J. K.: Leslie, S.: Lee, W.: Lauchland, W. K.; Melrose. G. A.; Millar, R.: Maxwell, A.; Middleton, J.; Moran. J. E.: McPherson, J. H.; McKain, J.; McNally. H. G. H.; Nicholls, J. C.; Pine, H. D.; Pumpbrey. E J.; Pearce, F.; Pohio, H. H.; Pausing, V J.; Pycroft, E. J.; Pester, W. H.: Rowe. C. H. Rowe, F. G.: Smith, F, J. C.; Sharp. A. N.; Smith, E, E.: Sturgess, W. E.: Styles. W. W.; Soal, A. E.; Smith. J. J.: Voss. R. J.; Webb. W. H.; Wilson, G.; Wood. E. G.; Waterhouse*. P. G.; Whittle, E. D,; Webster, C. F.; Wilson. G. M.; Wilkinson, L.; Woods, A.; Sheard, E. J.: Kisscll, E. Third Draft

Atkins. J. A.: Allen. J. C.; Anderson. W. A.; Aithison, S.: Barnes. R. A. N.: Baker, A. F.; Beckett, H. E.; Burford, C. E.: Barker, A.: Bessley. A. R.: Bowles, D A.; Blyth, J A.; Coward, E, S.; Capper, H D.; Crake. E. H.: Cockerell. D. B.; Coutts, H. A!: Chamberlain, J.: Cuddon, E. W.; Cassidy, C. p.: Doran, T. J.: Davis, P. H.: Davey, H.; Dewhurst, A.; Donovan. R.; Dales, J. E.; Donaldson, P. McC.: Douglas. G. H.; Dow, W.: Ferrier. C. J.: Franklin, C. H.; Funston, W. J.; Graham, C. N.; Godfrey. J. D.: Greenway, W. G.; Howison, W. L.; Hill, W,; Hines, A. F. B.; Hope, O. V.; Harwood, L. L.; Hewstone, A. E. W.: Hampton, E. L.; Horsley, C.; Hahn, J.: Harris, L.; Hastings, J.: Irvine, R D.; Jennlson, I.; Jones, S. C.: Jones, J. D.; Johnston. M. A.; Jack, J. T.; Kernick, J.; Leith. A. H.; Kay. A.; Lester. T.; Lulham. W A.; Lanyon, J. M.; Lascclles, W. R.; Moffat, W. R.; Margetts. F. J. S.; Millar, D. E.; Miles, B. C.; Mitchell, H.. S.; McKay. F.; McKearney, D.; Olsen, Y G.; Oates, J. J.; Parker. R. W.: Prebble. F. W.; Parkins, G G.; Paul, G.; Pritchard, A. W.; Pain. A.; Philpott. L.; Robb, D.; Rastrick, E. R.; Robinson, H. W.; Robertson, A.: Russell. S J : Regan, E.; Rcndel. H. S, H.; Ranger, C. H.: Stenberg, I. F,: Stewart, J. A.; Sharpe. F. J.; Stoddart. W. T.; Sheldon. G. M.; Spence, H. J.; Stuart, C.; Tisdall, L. F- Taylor. ,L. G.: Wright, J.; Ward, F. w.: Wilson, F. H.: White, W.; Welsh, N.; Wilmott, W.: Yates, J. E. >