HONOURS FOR N.Z. AIRMEN

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27683, 13 June 1955, Page 10

HONOURS FOR N.Z. AIRMEN

OFFICER WHO SERVED AT WIGRAM

A Royal New Zealand Air Force officer now serving on exchange duty with the Royal Air Force was awarded the 0.8. E, in the Queen’s Birthday Honours. He is Wing Commander A. H. Harding, -who was senior administrative officer at Wigram for two and a half years before being posted to the R.A.F. at the end of 1952.

Wing Commander Harding, who comes from Wellington, entered the R.A.F. in 1938. and transferred to the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1944. During the Second World War he served in Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East. He was officer commanding the R.N.Z.A.F. station at Woodbourne from 1946 to 1947, and from 1948 to 1949 commanded No. 41 (Transport) Squadron, which he took to Singapore for service in Malaya. Another New Zealander who has had a distinguished career in the Royal Air Force was awarded the C.B.E. in the Birthday Honours. He is Group Captain S. W. R. Hughes, formerly of Auckland, who was on the reporting staff of the “New Zealand Herald” when he joined the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1937. Until recently he was commanding officer of the R.A.F. station at Farnborough, and was responsible for managing the annual display and exhibition of the Society of British Aircraft Constructors. Last, year he broke the England-Cyprus record in a Canberra jet bomber at an average speed of 580 miles an hour. At present he is taking a course at the Imperial Defence College. His decorations include the Air Force Cross and the Greek Distinguished Flying Cross.