NIGHT PATROL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 100, 30 April 1941, Page 10

NIGHT PATROL

FIGHTER OVER FRANCE

ATTACKS AT AERODROME

EXCITING HOUR

LONDON, March 24.

The "night intruder patrol" has replaced the "dawn patrol," famous in the last war. One of many New Zealanders attached to night fighting squadrons, a new type of airmen entirely the product of the present war, is Sergeant Air Gunner E. E. Parsons, of Epsom, Auckland. Every night these fighters range the skies seeking the Nazi raiders over Britain, and also over France.

"Early in March we were flying over France in a night that was as black as ink," said Sergeant Parsons. "There were no 'flak' or searchlights to worry us; and then we saw a German aerodrome. It was- beautifully lit up, and we picked it up miles away. We circled round and saw about 12 Germans all returning from a raid and waiting to land. DOWN IN A DIVE. "We came down to about 800 ft and followed up behind one of them. We got fairly close to it, and then the pilot dived on it, giving it a long burst. It was a Junkers 88. It went straight down and did not pull out of the dive. "That started up all the guns and the searchlights. So we dropped a couple of bombs' on the flare path. All the aerodrome lights were switched off, so we flew off from the aerodrome and hung around waiting. .

"A little while later the Germans switched on the landing lights again, so we returned. This time we found a Heinkel 111. We were flying at about 200 ft, and we attacked the 'Jerry' from about 30 yards. I gave it about three-quarters of a,pan right through its nose. The navigation lights went out and it went straight into the ground.

"Then another of the 'Jerries' evidently thought the ground defences were opening up at him, because he fired off a recognition signal. It hit the ground and, fortunately for us, lit everything up. We were diving straight at a ploughed field, and were only about 50ft away from it. n THE NICK OF TIME. "The pilot climbed steeply, and we went up like an express lift. It was a lucky thing for us, that light, because it was' so dark we did not know the ground was so near. As we began to climb I noticed we were below the tops of the trees.

"The guns let off at us again, and so we flew round and let off another bomb on the flare path. We saw another 'Jerry' sftid the pilot gave him a long burst, but what happened to him we do not know. He broke away very quickly.

"We circled round for a bit longer, and one searchlight kept worrying us, and picking us up. So we. dived on it, and the pilot let a bomb go at about 100 ft. The-light went out after that and did not come on. again.

"By that time we had been over the aerodrome for about 50 minutes, and it was about time to pack up and go home. On the way back several searchlights picked us up, but we managed to twist out of their beams all right. Altogether it was a great show."