ATTACKS ON ITALY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20939, 12 November 1942, Page 4

ATTACKS ON ITALY

N.Z. PILOT’S PART GENOA’S GREAT FIRES (Special Correspondent.) LONDON. Nov. 10. A New Zealander who was in the rc-cent historic raids was FlyingOfficer C. K. Silcock, D.F.C., of Nelson. He was in the.Le Creusot, two on Genoa, and fee Milan daylight raids. He has now completed H) raids and 130 operational hours. Commenting on the latest Genoa raid, Flying-Officer Silcock said: “It was a dirty night. A big cold front over France caused icing-up and electrical disturbances, resulting in blue sparks a foot long dancing over the plane and the air screws. We liardly saw the Alps, but when we passed we saw Genoa burning 100 miles away. We found that it was like daylight over the target. There were fires and flares everywhere. We could even see right into the water of the harbour. Our job was to drop incendiary bombs which we did from 8000 ft. The return journey was Uneventful. The weather was still bad.

“The daylight attack against Milan was much more interesting. We skimmed low over the Channel and (hen climbed up into a cloud bank over France until we reached Tours, when the clouds cleared, so we came down to deck level. The countryside seemed to. be deserted except, for ploughmen whose oxen stampeded with the roar of the aircraft, dragging ploughs through fences and hedges, but the ploughmen did not seem to mind and waved to. its cheerily.”