R.A.F. FIGHTERS AIDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20572, 4 June 1941, Page 5

R.A.F. FIGHTERS AIDED

LOCATION GT U/ULERS

ROYAL OBSERVER CORPS

(British Official Wireless.)

Reed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, June 3. An example of the valuable assistance afforded by members of the Royal Observer Corps to Royal Air Force fighter pilots in locating enemy aircraft is contained in an Air Ministry bulletin describing the shooting down of a Junkers 88 off the southeast coast just before dark last night by two Hurricane pilots of a Polish squadron. “When the Hurricane pilots were first told by the ground’controller to try to intercept the raider, it was some distance away from them and was flying in cloud towards the south, while’they were going in a different direction. Cliff watchers of the Royal Observer Corps heard it pass overhead, while the men at another post kept track of the Hurricanes, which they could not see. Both posts kept constant touch with the ground controller by telephone. He was able to give the Polish pilots instructions to alter their course, and then, as the German pilot somehow sensed he was being chased and went first in one direction and then another, watchers all along the coast took up the record of the three machines and eventually knew by the sound that they had come together. While they waited for the results they heard the sound of machine-gunning above the clouds. A few moments later the Junkers 88 came diving down through the murk with the Hurricanes in hot pursuit. Smoke poured from the raider as the pilot made one last attempt to dodge back into the cloud, failing to shake off his pursuers. He dived headlong. Eight New Zealanders in another squadron, flying in pairs on patrol further south over- the east coast at dusk last evening, also had a game of hide-and-seek with a Junkers 88. Each pair momentarily saw it slipping out of the cloud. Each pair managed to get a short burst from their guns at onej range, and each pail* saw their bullets do slight damage. The German pilot did not once remain in the open long enough to be brought effectively to combat.