AGE PILOT
AWARDED D.S.O.
WING COMMANDER COMPTON
(Special P.A. Correspondent)
Rec. 9 a.m,
LONDON, September 12.
The Distinguished Service Order has been awarded to Wing Commander W. V. C. Compton, of Mission Bay, who already holds the D.F.C. and Bar. and the American Silver Star.
Compton is one of New Zealand's ace fighter pilots. He began his career as a sergeant in .the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron. He has now shot down a total of 14 \ Germans, and in the six weeks since he began to lead his wing it has accounted for 23 Germans for
the loss of only two of its own machines. Compton thus becomes New Zealand's most decorated fighter pilot, holding four awards. Flying Officer R. B. Hesselyn, D.F.M. and Bar, ■ Christchurch, who has shot down 10^ enemy machines, flies .in Compton^s-wing. Compton, who has flown with Gray andVDeere, Wells and Jameson, regards Hesselyn as the fastest* and quickest 'thinking New Zealander hehas ever seen- in the air.'
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19430913.2.42.5
Bibliographic details
Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 64, 13 September 1943, Page 6
Word Count
162AGE PILOT Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 64, 13 September 1943, Page 6
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Evening Post. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.