NEW ZEALANDERS OVERSEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 21 May 1942, Page 6

NEW ZEALANDERS OVERSEAS

SERGT. HINTON’S V.C. RIBBON.

LONDON, May 20.

Sergeant J. D. Hinton, who is a prisoner in Germany has received the Victoria Cross ribbon Mr. Jordan sent to him in March. Hinton’s postcard of thanks states: “I am now out of hospital, feeling well. I have received quite a few letters from New Zealand in the last two months. They sure help one quite a lot.” Temporary commisioned R.N.Z.N. V.R. sub-lieutenants include: F. Reid and J. A. Millar, Auckland; I. A. Mitchell, Dunedin; H. K. Rhodes, King Country; C. J. Wright, Hastings; J. N. Barker, Te Aroha; A. B. Ryan, Invercargill; C. G. Goldsmith, Eltham; also H. F. Warner and Herbert P. Walmsley. ~ . ,„ . Pilot Officer D. J. Stanford, Wellington, received the D.F.M. from the King at Buckingham Palace yesterday. Stanford has started his second tour operations. ~ Smith, a twenty-live year °’ c ‘ Aucklandite, was promoted WingCommander last month. He has ri sen from pilot-officer in eleven months. He has had a remarkable career. He arrived in England in August, 1939, and joined a Hurricane squadron for the Battle of Britain, when he was one of four of the squadron’s twentyfour pilots surviving that period wherein he shot down a Heinkel and a Dornier. He and another pilot once attacked one hundred German bombers after seeing them performing over France. “It was a terrific sight. It was the first time I had seen so many aircraft together. I and the other chap sprayed them a bit, but ran out of ammunition, and returned home. They were intercepted and broken up later. It was a wonderful period, that.” After the Battle of Britain, the squardin was re-formed and converted into night-fighters, flying with Hurricanes and Defiants. Smith’s airgunner for a time was the Wellingtonite, B. Broit, whose only complaint is that he had “no squirt” against the Hun after eighteen months. Smith was promoted Flightlieutenant in June 1941, Squadronleader in February 1942, and on the same day he celebrated by. shooting down a Dornier over a convoy.

Smith is now flying a special aircraft.

Pilot Officer R. W. Sampson. Cambridge, is an airgunner in Smith’s squadron. He shot down a Heinkel 111, during the last big raid over London in Play last year. Sampson said: “We saw him rise from the smoke of London’s fires, after diving and bombing. He returned my fire, but turned on his side, after my second burst, so I gave him a third, and followed him clown until I nearly ran into a balloon barrage, so I left him.” Sampson also shot down a Junkers 88, during a convoy patrol last October. It was one of four. “We approached them at sea level, they broke up and headed for home. I gave one good burst, and saw him dive in the sea, whereafter I had a decisionless running fight with another for a quarter of an hour.” Sampson’s pilot is from Melbourne. A New Zealand night-fighter squadron, flying black-painted Hurricanes, operated when the Germans raided Norwich for two nights in succession. The English Commanding officer, Flight Lieutenants H. N. Sweetman (Auckland). J. G. Clouston (Wellington), Pilot Officer A. R. Umbers (Dunedin), had the distinction of being the first to operate for the squadron. They were disappointed they had no combat. It was a cledr moonlight night. They saw fires burning, and bombs dropping on Norwich, also flares from Nazi aircraft lighting up the country for miles, but when the New Zealanders roared through the night sky seeking the Germans, they couldn’t‘be found. Although the squadron stood by nightly, waiting hopefully for the Germans—-a hope unshared by the civilian population, incidentally.-—they had no further opportunity of operating, for the Germans have recently stayed at home. Meanwhile, the squadron continued training, winning warm praise from the station’s group-captain, who is a D.S.O. and two bars, and fought in France and the Middle East. The Group Captain said: They are excellent boys, all of them. I know they will do well.

Training for night-flying is arduous, ant’d pilots are not considered experienced, until they have flown for at least one hundred hours.

Pilots must be able to fly by the instruments, here and there, on a dark night. They carry out interception exercises during moonlight oeriods, co-operate with searchlights, and learn enemy silhouettes. This recognition is most important. It is a point whereon the Aucklander, Squadron Leader R. M. Trousdale, who recently won a bar to his D.F.C., won a reputation among New Zealand Squadronites, who describe him as a “wizard” nightfighter. Ht is attached to a neighbouring squadron. Pilots spend several hours carrying out “circuits and bombs,” which is practising taking off and landing at night time. When operating. they use oxygen at all heights, and also usually push back the cockpit hood, and take off the goggles, enabling them to see better. Few believe in “cat’s eyes,” but agree that if a pilot has good eyesight, he will maintain it® by keeping fit and paying attention to diet. Before the night flying, pilots sit in a dim-light-ed room, and then go out and accus - lorn 1 hemselves to the darkness before taking off. It is reckoned that it requires 45 minutes before the eyes are. thoroughly attuned to the darkness.

Sweetman and Clouston are the squadron’s most experienced operational pilots. Sweetman was one ot the New Zealand Spitfire squadron members in action against the Gneisenau and Scharnhorst. Clouston flew in the “unofficial” New Zealand squadron last year, carrying out over 50 sweeps. Umbers flew Spitfires before joining the night-fighters. He flew out to meet the convoy bringing the first Americans to Northern Ireland. Sergeant G. F. Rawson, of New Plymouth, flow Spitfires in Scotland, and probably destroyed a Junkers 88 near Aberdeen. Rawson said: Two of us were sent off to intercept the Junkers. We flew at sea level before sighting it. When it turned off eastward, I saw my bullets hitting, and causing one engine to smoke. I believe it was forced down into the sea. The squadron’s spirit is of the happiest, to which the popularity and energy of the adjutant, Flying Officer T. Ness, of Dunedin, greatly contributes. He is always cheery and helpful, and soon gained his nickname, “Pop.” He sees' that the pilots drink a pint, of milk daily. Like other groups of New Zealanders, the squadion received a supply of games, books, mid cbmforts from the New Zealand War Services Association, while a belated Christmas cake arrived last week and was cut up, due to the celebration of the photographs. Others in the squadron are Pilot Officers I. H. Irvine, A. H. Smith (Auckland), V. C. Fittall (Taumarunui), and L, V. Weir (Whangarei). Flight Sergeants C. G. Thomas (Auckland). I. D. Waddy (Blenheim), R. I. Phillips (Wellington). Sergeants K. G. Cannon Taylor (Alexandra), L. Walker .(New Plymouth), C. N. Gall (Rangiriri), N. E. Preston and G. Murphy (Wellington), R. Fitzgibbon (Canterbury), A. N. Sames (Auckland). R. J. Dall and H. C. Seaward (Hamilton), J. Pearse (Whakatane), W. B. Tyerman (Raurimu).