GIFT PLANES

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 58, 5 September 1940, Page 12

GIFT PLANES

NUMBERS WANTED

A PILOT OFFICER'S VIEW

VERIFIED CLAIMS

The superior quality of British aeroplanes and the need for greater numbers of them are emphasised in a letter from an airman who went overseas when Hitler broke through into France and fought there until the final retreat to England. The airman (Pilot Officer J. S. Humphreys, formerly of the Audit Department, Wellington) tells of his experiences in a letter to his mother.

"It was , hard work, long hours, moments of intense excitement, and a time when one could test one's companions and be tested (he writes). I fought in a large number of engage- j ments; how many I have never attempted to count, and have scored two J definite and three indefinite. I have been in extremely tight corners, but have always managed to get away. Believe me, our machines are absolutely marvellous and they were so good and we have such confidence in them that we hardly ever hesitated to attack numbers much superior to our own. If only we had twice the number we would have been nearly in Berlin by now. The German pilot is a brave chap and a good fighter—when he has a two to one advantage—but he is badly let down by his machine. Taken all round, the odds are in our favour in the coming fight. Perhaps you have wondered if we are telling the truth when we claim 4 to 1 victories in fights; and that our bombers do such extensive damage while the Germans do so little. Believe me, our reports often understate the facts. We do not count a victory unless it has definitely been seen to crash or been destroyed by two chaps, and the bomber boys have their reports verified by photographs. The German bombing so far has been poor. I have seen much of it myself and their claims are mainly based on hot air and wishful thinking."

To help achieve superiority in numbers is the purpose of the Fighting Plane Fund which is being raised in New Zealand. Officers and men of the Royal Air Force have done and are doing their part with great skill and daring. Designers and workers have done their share in building machines in which the airmen have complete confidence. Away behind the fighting line the people of New Zealand can help by assisting to assure the finance to keep aircraft factories working at high pressure.

Support for this appeal continues to be strong. It comes from all quarters —in large sums and small, from individuals, firms, and associations. Much help has been received from staff groups. For instance, today a donation of £51 8s is acknowledged from the staff of the Reserve Bank.