BRAVERY IN THE AIR

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 119, 15 February 1944, Page 5

BRAVERY IN THE AIR

Bomber Crew Decorated ACTION AGAINST ZEROS

Two Zeros were definitely destroyed, three probably destroyed, and, two others damaged when in a force of nine they attacked a lone R.N.Z.A.F. Venturi! bomber returning from a raid in the vicinity of Bougainville and New Britain at the end of last year. The members of the crew of this bomber that fought back have received immediate awards of the Distinguished 1* lying Cross in two cases and the Distinguished Flying Medal in a third. The awards, which are the first made to members of a New Zealand leutura bomber squadron in the Pacific, ate as follows: — Distinguished Flying Cross. Flying Officer Donald F. Ayson Mrs. E. Ij. Morrison, 22 Dartmoor Avenue. New Plymouth (m.). Warrant Officer William N. Williams, D.F.M. Mrs. D. R. Williams, 24 Muripara Avenue, Point Chevalier, Auckland (w.), and Mr, H. Williams, 12a Carroll Street, Dunedin (f.). Distinguished Flying Medal. Flight Sergeant George E. Hannah. Mrs. L. Hannah. 162 Chelmsford Street, Invercargill, (m.l. Flying Officer (then Pilot Officer) Ayson was the captain and pilot of a yvntura when it was suddenly attacked oj nine Zero fighters, states the citation to his award, hi spite of the skillul evasive action lie took, the fire controller was wounded and the inter-communica-tion system wrecked by the Zeros fire. Ayson nevertheless continued to take such evasive action as be could till another member of the crew took over tne fire control and pave him intermittent reports of the enemy attacks. “During one attack Ayson s rudder controls were shot away, and it was only by his courage and determination, and his coolness in handling a crippled aircraft in the face of strong enemy opposition, that he succeeded in bringing ,tns crew safely back to base,” the citation observes. ’ ”B,v his skilful manoeuvring of thp aircraft during the action be contributed materially to the destruction for certain of two Zeros, and tne probable destruction of three more and damage to two others.” Ayson, who is 28 years of ago, was a liuotvpist employed Uy the ’’Taranaki Daily News,” New Plymouth when be enlisted in the R.N.Z.A.F. in 1940. He was born at. Mosgiel, and received Ins secondary education at the New Plymouth Boys’ High School. It was Warrant Officer Williams who took over the duties of the wounded fire controller and, by running between the astro batch and the pilot, gave Ayson verbal information of the enemy’s movements, enabling him to take successful evasive action. On observing a Zero attacking from astern iqnd below the level of the turret guns. Williams took over the belly guns and operated them to such effect that the Zero was forced to pull upward sharply, and it fell to the turret guns. Williams was born at Dunedin, lie was a hairdresser in civilian life. In the course of the engagement, Flight Sergeant Hannah so skilfully operated the turret guns, withholding his fire till the enemy were at the most effective range, that be destroyed one Zero, shared in the destruction of another, and damaged five others —three so severely that thev probably did not get back to their base. He was born and educated at Invercargill.