NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 250, 20 July 1942, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN

Members Of South African Squadron (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) WESTERN DESERT, July 15. When the nineteenth plane rolled to a stop at a desert aerodrome this afternoon the intelligence olliccr of a South African bomber squadron wrote in his log-book : “Squadron completed ■ the thousandth sortie since the battle of Egypt began, without the loss of a single aircraft. Three air-gunners jumped out, jammed New Zealand felt hats on their heads, and walked over for a bottle of beer. These New Zealanders —Sergeants Albert Garl'ath, of Wanganui, Cliff Gilbertson, of Palmerston North, and Mick Hopkins, of Greyinout.li—joined the squqdron a few weeks ago. They have been in near.y thirty sorties since. "We have had no bard work, said Garl'ath. "The fighters have done all the work for us, but the few hundred tons ot bombs we have dropped have bowled over a few enemy trucks and tanks After one raid we counted eighty-three tires. All the work has been in close support of the Army. The raid we have just done was supporting the Australians ou the coast.” The "kiwi” hats, Hopkius sum, were a souvenir of u visit, to Maadi. "We never ily without them stuck somewhere in the cockpit. Keep that beer bottle. We will drop it tomorrow. They scream like a bomb when we push them out. "Congratulations Matruh bag. Hiat ship very important,” read a message received by au R.A.F. bomber squadron from Air Vice-Marshal Coningnain, Air Officer Commanding in the Western Desert. Tlie leader of the Hight of eight bombers in the smashing attack on Matruh lust week was Squadron Leaner Lloyd Joll, of Dunedin, who has now had three years' service in the R.A.F. in the Mi,(ldle East. He has led a number ot bombing attacks since the battle began, including a close-support raid against Germans attacking the New Zealanders. Three oilier New Zealanders serving in the same squadron are Flight Sergeant Les Baker, of Wellington, and, Sergeant Observers Fred Hazel, of Wellington, and Frank Menzies, of Westport. They have taken part in a series of lowlevel attacks against ships, transport, tanks, and aerodromes, many without escort.