YOUNG N.Z. AIR COMMANDER

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24483, 5 February 1945, Page 3

YOUNG N.Z. AIR COMMANDER

WING COMMANDER C. BAIGENT EIGHT RAIDS ON BERLIN - LONDON,*, Feb, 2. . The New Zealand Lancaster Squadron (No. 751 is led by the' ybungest squadron commander m the ..Bomber Command] -i He is Wing Cdfflmander Cyril Baigent, D.F.C. wd NeL son. who was appointed, IQ. beiore his twenty-secon d ;He succeeds Wing Commander J *fi?>Jlewton, D.F.C., of Christchurch. ; ■ . Wing Commander is the' squadron’s, eleventh commanding officer, is one of New/tZealarua’s outstanding bomber HM h|j|s com-. pleted two tours of and has beenjigbt times He liegani his second Lan- . casters in. November, 1943, and . wo% the bar to-JptG* after flying his hircraft back. - from Berlin with only two serviceable en- ‘ gines. One member of his crew was badly injured, and the aircraft was extensively damaged. Throughout this second, tour She , hela^th^nmk' of*. squadron reader and vras infommiand of a flight]*' - '-■> 7 \ Before taking up his new Wing Commander wriCTed; at group: headquarters as kOTmatS/meex. , He is the youngest commidpa» the famous' No. 75 Squadron has ey£r- had, and he is the second bid boy df. Nelson College to- hold tfiis aunnuqd. The first was Wihg Cottmafiaer. R. Ma - D.S.O, D.F.C. He renews partnerships with several Nelson friends in the squadron, including Flight Lieutenants S. L. Soilman K. W. R, McMillan, and Flight Sergeant V. A. Clouston, with whomlie flewduring his «ecpnd[<tour. ■dosk Hie previous yoUrigekt ..NwfaZealander to command in Bomber Commsnct was > WialflwSginmander Fraser D.F.C;, D.FJkL, PalMerstoh,]wiw , missing. He was aged 23. i.-.’r Bom at Nelson and educated at Nelson College and Victoria [University ©liege Wing Commander Baigent vblumisefed for me Royal New Zealand Air; Force when aged 17 and still at.ußJteaßMfo He was told he was too# took lessons at . the Club and was accepted ] fdrtaMMBBM soon after his eighteenth:bli^ds^^Bt|l. gained his wings after Dominion, and was COTnmiSATOTwiKIHBf 1 fore leaving'' * for ■ vember, 1941. His fitst tpur of opera--1 tions was made in Stirlings, ana .hewas awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in September, 1942, for outstanding skill and devotion,to duty after his aircraft was crippled )jy-anti-aircraft' fire over Bremen. . ’ ** '