N.Z. DAY BOMBER SQUADRON

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23914, 5 April 1943, Page 3

N.Z. DAY BOMBER SQUADRON

SHARE IN RAIDS ON EUROPE ATTACKS MADE ON ROTTERDAM LONDON. April 2. The New Zealand Ventura Bomber Squadron is taking its full share in daylight raids in the round-the-clock offensive against Germany. They fly in a wing with Australian and English squadrons. Twice recently the wing received messages of congratulation from the general officer commanding their group, Air Vice-Marshal J. H. d’Albiac. One message came after the wing had bombed the Rotterdam docks. They scored a direct hit on a minesweeper or escort ship, almost putting a bomb down the funnel. They also sank a floating dock and started a large fire. The New Zealand squadron bombed Rotterdam on two successive days. Wing Commander G. B. Grindell. A.F.C. (Timaru), led it on the first raid, when intense anti-aircraft fire was encountered. Squadron Leader L. H. Trent, D.F.C. (Nelson), led the second attack. One crew which has the distinction of being the sole all-New Zealand crew in the squadron--the others being comprised of New Zealanders, Englishmen, and Canadians—went to Rotterdam on both raids. It comprised Sergeants F. S. Stevenson and A. Sheehan (Auckland), M. L. S. Darrell (Morrinsville), and J. R. Lloyd (Wellington). During the first Rotterdam raid, a shell exploded under the tail of Sergeant Sheehan’s aircraft. “It made the kite skid on its nose, but nobody was harmed and the aircraft was not damaged.” he said. Intense Fire The squadron also raided Dunkirk to bomb shipping. It was prevented from finding the target once by bad weather. On the second trip the bombs narrowly missed shipping in the port. The squadron met with intense flak on these occasions—Dunkirk being a “hot spot." Eight out of the 12 aircraft were holed by flak. Nevertheless, all pressed home their attacks regardless of opposition. Air Vice-Marshal d’Albiac again congratulated the wing for these attacks. When the New Zealanders bombed the marshalling yards at Caen they scored a direct hit on engine sheds, cut a train in half, scored three hits on the main station, and flattened two acres and a half of warehouses. They bombed the Abbeville marshalling yards twice, and an oil refinery at Maasluis. That trip was remembered by Sergeant R. R. W. Pye (Auckland), who was making his first raid with Flying Officer G. A. Park (Otago). Flying Officer Park has been in nine of the squadron’s 12 raids. Wing Commander Grindell has also been in nine raids, and Squadron Leader Trent. Pilot Officer T. L. B. Taylor (Wellington), and Flying Officer S. Coshall (Auckland) have been in eight each. Wing Commander Grindell paid a warm tribute to the squadron’s ground crews for their part. “It is through their untiring efforts that we have been able to make so many sorties,” he said. His squadron is now well settled down and more New Zealanders are being posted to it. They include Flying Officers O. E. Foster (North Canterbury), S. McGowan (Hastings), and T. A. Penn (Christchurch). Sergeants R. F. Beazer (Feilding), D. R. Fowler (Arrowtown). H. Baird (Hamilton). C. R. Smith (Miller's Flat), T. W. J. Warner (Motueka), J. F. Ulrich (Hawera). and R. Street (New Plymouth). Flight-Lieutenant L. J. Drummond, D.F.C. (Auckland), and Sergeant W. L. Harvey, D.F.M. (Abbotsford), who were recently decorated for bravery when their Stirling was hit by anti-aircraft fire while minelaying, raided Berlin on March 27. It completed their thirtieth and final operation of their first tour. They are now resting, together with Flying Officer G. Patrick (Dunedin' and Sergeant S. Craw, who were in the same crew. This crew has raided Turin three times and Genoa once. There are a number of New Zealanders in the same squadron, including Flight Lieutenant W. Butler and

Flying Officer I. McNarry (Dunedin), Pilot Officer L. Blair and Flight Lieutenant I. Ellis and Flying Officer H. Shields. Pilot Officer T. A. Stewart (Dannevirke) and Flight Sergeant A. James (Wellington) received the D.F.M. from the King at Buckingham Palace recently. Pilot Officer Stewart flew Lancasters and raided Essen and Munich. He is now an instructor. Flight Sergeant James did his first tour of operations with the No. 75 Squadron and later went to Malta and Egypt. Once he crash-landed in an enemy minefield, but miraculously he escaped unhurt. He is now at a gunnery school.