FIRST AWARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 102, 1 May 1943, Page 5

FIRST AWARD

N.Z. VENTURA FLYERS

D.F.M. FOR SERGEANT

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) (Rec. 12.45 p.m.) LONDON, Apl. 30. The King has approved the immediate award of the D.F.M. to Sergeant G. F. Whilwell, of Tirau, for gallantry and determination in flying a Ventura bomber back from Boulogne although his left arm had been shattered by shrapnel. Sergeant Whitwell has the distinction of receiving the first decoration awarded te the New Zealand Ventura Bomber Squadron. He has received a personal message of congratulation from Air Chief Marshal Harris, Com-mander-in-Chief of the Bomber Command, and also from the officer commanding the group to which his squadron is attached, Air Vice-Marshal J. H. Dalbiac. Sergeant Whitwell, who was in a crew with three Englishmen, took part in a raid on marshalling yards at Outreau, near Boulogne. His was one of 12 aircraft. It was a fine, clear day, and the squadron could see the French coast when they were still at a height of 3000 feet over England. As soon as they arrived over the target area they were met by very intense flak, which was so fierce that the fighter escort remained over.the Channel while the squadron went in to drop its bombs. While they were on the bombing run flak burst near Sergeant Whitwell's aircraft, smashing his left arm and causing a compound fracture. The pain was excruciating. Blood welled from the wound, but Sergeant Whitwell, handling the Ventura with* his one good arm, carried on the run until the bomb-aimer reported that the bombs had gone. Then he turned for England, and despite pain and difficulty in flying the bomber with one hand he brought it down in Kent, making a perfect landing. His troubles were not over, for one engine caught fire us the Ventura landed, but Sergeant Whitwell put out the licimes with an emergency fire extinguisher. He was weak from pain and loss of blood, but he is now making a good recovery in hospital and will not lose his arm. OFFICIAL CONGRATULATIONS. Air Chief Marshal Harris, in a message which he signed personally, stated: "My warmest congratulations on the award of your Distinguished Flying Medal." Air Vice Marshal Dalbiac s-aici: /'Heartiest congratulations on your well-deserved award." The New Zealand High Commissioner, Mr. Jordan, also sent a message of congratulations. Wing Commander G. J. Grindell, A.F.C., of Timaru, the squadron's commanding officer, gave Sergeant Whitwell the highest praise. "The flak on that day was the worst we have ever encountered in the squadron's 20 raids," said Wing Commander Grindell. "We could see it bursting with red flashes all around, but miraculously, all the aircraft returned, although all were shot up; one had 134 holes. The flak was so accurate that we had to break up our formation, which we had not had to do previously. Every one in the squadron is proud of Sergeant Whitwell, and we all agree that he deserves to win the squadron's first decoration." The squadron also recently raided marshalling yards at Dieppe, Abbeville, and Cherbourg, securing good bombing results, and all the aircraft returned. Sergeant Whitwell has been on twelve raids. It is the second occasion that Air Marshal Dalbiac has sent congratulations to this New Zealand squadron. The first was when he praised their bombing of the Rotterdam docks. The Air Ministry recently announced that the Ventura is the most heavily armed medium bomber in the world, having 10 machine-guns, two of which are of half-inch calibre. It is a twinengined machine with a range of 1000 miles, and cruises at 260 miles an hour, with a maximum speed of 300 miles an hour.