RESCUE FLIERS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20907, 6 October 1942, Page 4

RESCUE FLIERS

N.Z. UNIT IN DESERT AUCKLAND COMMANDER SCOUTING FOR CONVOYS (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright.) ’ (N.Z.E.F, Official War Correspondent.) (11.30) WESTERN DESERT, Oct. 5. A New Zealand squadron leader in command of a Western Desert aerodrome has with him several of his countrymen in an air-sea rescue flight which has undertaken the location and rescue of plane crews from sea and land. The commander is Squadron-Leader S. W. R. Hughes, .0.8. E., who was formerly on the litefary staff of the New Zealand I-lerald, Auckland, and a large proportion of the navigators are New Zealanders.. , Skilful navigation of the long-range machines employed is the essence of successful operations.. . Locating missing crews is no easy task, particularly as' there is often only the. vaguest knowledge of their whereabouts and searches frequently, take the rescuers into enemy territory. Dangerous, work in daylight f.or long-range planes. During the comparaticely short time of its existence the flight has rescued 118 men, representing 100 calls. On" one occasion four men in dinghies, who were rescued, were rescued, were found to be the crew of a German plane which bombed the flight’s aerodrome the ,previous night. During his air force experience, Squadron-Leader Hughes has flown more than 20 different types of planes, one of them now. being the Fairchild amphibian, formerly the property of Mr Gar Wood, the American motorboat racer. It was purchased by several American organisations and presented to the air force. The machine still contains the elegant blue cushions, washroom and many elaborate fittings. “Eyes of the Navy” Several New Zealanders are engaged on reconnaissance work with a nearby, sauadron known as “Eyes of the Navy.” Theirs is a specialist job requiring, among other things, a knowledge of different types oi warships. They must be able to distinguish, say, a I2in. from a 15in. gun ship or Gin. from an Bin., so that the navy will know the strength of the opposition. The squadron also reports the positions of enemy convoys in the Mediterranean. Vfeaiing a New Zealand.peaked hat the day that I visited .the- squadron \yas Sergeant T. E. Armstrong, of Akaroa, who came to the Middle East nearly two years ago and has been on reconnaissance work for about 12 months. “It pleases us when we can get.our people those enemy convoys carrying stuff to kill our cobbers,” he said. Serge'ant Armstrong- has been on desert stations during the whole time ip the Middle East and has carried out 65 operational flights-as navigator. He 'has a brother in the New Zealand artillery, here, Gunner R. WArmstrong. , Another .brother, Corporal I, D. Armstrong, was killed during the present campaign.