N.Z. AIR CHIEF

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 9, 11 January 1941, Page 8

N.Z. AIR CHIEF

NOW A COMMODORE

PROMOTION ANNOUNCED

TERM EXTENDED

The promotion of Group Captain H. W. L. Saunders, M.C., D.F.C., M.M., to the rank of Air Commodore was announced last night by the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones), who said he had received advice to that effect from the United Kingdom. The period of appointment to the Royal New Zealand Air Force for Air Commodore Saunders has been extended till the beginning of 1942. Air Commodore Saunders arrived in New Zealand in February, 1939, in succession to Group Captain the Hon. R. A. Cochrane as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. A South African by birth, Air Commodore Saunders has had a distinguished career in the service of the Empire. In the last war he commenced his service as a private in the Witwatersrand Rifles. He iater became a sapper in the South African Engineering Corps, and still later a member of the South African Horse. He had. been awarded the Military Medal for bravery in the field before he joined the Royal Air Force at the end of 1917. He received the Military Cross "for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." On this occasion he destroyed five enemy machines and shot down, four more out of control. The dispatches stated that he showed "great j courage and skill in engaging the enemy craft and did splendid service." "EXCEPTIONAL COURAGE." When he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross the dispatches said of him: "An officer of exceptional courage who, since he was awarded the Military Cross, has destroyed five j enemy aircraft and shot down two balloons in flames. While on patrol he observed a formation of seven hostile scouts below him. Diving to the attack he engaged the leader, and firing short bursts at close range, shot him down nose foremost. The remainder of the formation scattered in all directions." Air Commodore Saunders's bar to) the Distinguished Flying Cross was awarded for service in Irak, "for gallantry and unflinching examples on all occasions, specially during operations in Samawah, where he descended to very low altitudes to drop food and supplies on the garrison at Samawah and the gunboat Greenfly."

Since the end of the last war Air Commodore Saunders has had a great variety of experience. He went to Irak in 1920 and served for three years and a half in bomber squadrons. On his return to the United Kingdom he served for four years with the Directorate of Training in Air Ministry. After this he did the staff college course and was then appointed staff officer in charge of training at Air Ministry. For three years and a half after this he was commanding officer of a bomber squadron in Egypt. On his return from Egypt he served for two years as Officer-in-Charge of the Flying Training Branch at Air Ministry. He attended the Imperial Defence College during the whole of 1938, prior to his posting to New Zealand.