UBIQUITOUS KIWIS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20863, 15 August 1942, Page 3

ÜBIQUITOUS KIWIS

R.A.F. IN MIDDLE EAST N.Z. AIRMEN WELL SPREAD (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent) (9 a.m.) CAIRO, Aug. 14. ’ Everyone calls them Kiwis, those New Zealanders in the Royal Air Force in the Middle East. Practically every squadron, including the South Africans supporting the Eighth Army, has one or two New Zealanders. One Hurricane bomber squadron 1 have seen operating is commanded by Squadron-Leader J. C. Hayter, of d’Urville Island, who fought in France and the Battle of Britain, and has been flying in the desert for three months.' His squadron,* including Australians, Canadians, Americans and Rhodesians, has blitzed many enemy positions and also acted as a normal fighter squadron. ‘A nearby Hurricane fighter squad- . ron includes Pilot-Officer J. S. (Hepburn, of Ashburton, who flew in Canada, Iceland, England, Ireland, the Gold Coast, Cyprus, Syria and Palestine before flying in the desert, and Sergeant K. G. Allington, who has been flying fighters since the retreat from Gambut. The envy of all the others is one Spitfire squadron, which includes Sergeant Denny Burman, of Invercargill, who is now resting at a rear aerodrome after his squadron provided top cover for Royal Air Force operations in this campaign. Among the hardest working squadrons is the naval Albacore. SubLieutenant Sandy Brunt/ of Christchurch, has partaken of 32 sorties since Tobruk fell, including minelaying and land bombing. The most frequent target lately has been Mersa Matruh, the most defended enemy port. Sle&p all morning and bomb at night has been the programme for many weeks.