ACTIVE BOMBERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 2, 4 January 1943, Page 5

ACTIVE BOMBERS

NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN OVER LIBYA

(By TtUgrMh—Prm AwoelatUn— Ct»yri|ht] (Special Correspondent.) LONDON, January t. The satisfaction of handing out to the Germans a taste of what they gave - the New Zealanders in Greece and Crete is enjoyed by Flying Officers Basil Gray, Waverley, and Robert T. Fleming, Opotiki, who are among the many New Zealanders who are bombing Field-Marshal Rommel's army. , They went to Egypt last May, Fleming flying*out with an all-New Zealand crew comprising Pilot Officers G. Rigg, Masterton, and M. R. Breed, Wanganm, and Sergeants A. Batty, R. Beatson, Auckland, and H. Stevens, Wellington, • who later flew in other crews. Gray flew out with Pilot Officer. N. Spence, Christchurch, and Sergeants R. Wyn- . yard, Kawhia, and C. Piper, Christchurch. Spence Snd Piper 'are nowreported missing. Stevens is reported v killed, but others .are expected to return to England shortly. Gray and Fleming both carried out 44 raids. "We started operations during the battle of Bir Hacheim, when we > bombed aerodromes round El Oaba, and then throughout the retreat strafed the Germans and also bombed more , aerodromes," Gray said. "When the. El Alamein front was • established. Tobruk became the chief target. If was reported to be the best defended area in the world at that period. They were all lively raids. , "My aircraft once turned upside down when I was caught in the searchlights. While weaving, a burst of flak exploded right under my starboard wing. We were at 8000 feet. AH the ' instruments were put out of action, and; i as a result I could only tell when !••' was right side up when the search-,:, lights shone from below instead of above—there was no horizon visible. Wynyard had an unpleasant moment; He was standing in the astradome when, we somersaulted, and an incendiary bomb which was used for lighting up the desert and for estimating wind drift, dropped in the dome, carrying it away. As a result, Wynyard's head poked through the hatch while he wasv standing upside down. The slipstream ripped off his helmet, but he was unhurt. I righted the aircraft at 4000 feet." ... ■ :■•■ ■ .■■■•■- .•■.■-.. -~. " ..■.. ;■,-•. Fleming said: "I carried out 23 raids over Tobruk and never found a ispot ' where I could run in and dodge the defences, but our, greatest satisfaction, especially after seeing the Eighth Army retreat, was assisting its advance. After the first day we met no opposition', which gave us an open season for : strafing the retreating Huns. We wert able to drop bombs singly wherever w* desired." ■ •-

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