DISTRICT PILOTS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21682, 7 April 1945, Page 4

DISTRICT PILOTS

DISTINCTION GAINED CRITICAL "OPERATIONS MALTA, INDIA, BURMA The awards of the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Distinguished Flying Medal respectively to two pilots'" from this district are announced bv the Air Department They are Flight Lieutenant William Janies Murphy, an old boy of the Gisborne Marist Brothers' School and the late Pilot Officer Nigel Manfred Parle, who received part of his education at the Gisborne High School. Flight Lieutenant Murphy secured his decoration tor his work in the Burma campaign, in which he \va; engaged when, at short notice, he was sent back to New Zealand or six weeks' leave. He left Gisborne this week to report back for duty. He had been three and a half years abroad, and had served in West Africa. India and Burma. In the Burma campaign he was included in a group of R.A.F. pilots who worked with forward troops, and on one occasion he was absent 33 days from his base, in country riddled with Japanese units and strong-points. He enlisted from Gisborne, and before becoming a flier had attained local prominence in sport, including Rugby football. He is a single man, whose mother, a former Gisborne resident, now fives at Kaitawa, in the Wairoa district. Defence of Malta The late Pilot Officer Nigel Manfred Park was the only son of Mr. and Mrs. M. N. Parle, Whalatutu, and lost his life in the epic defence of Malta against constant attack by enemy aircraft at the height of the Mediterranean war. He served at Malta during the second deadly blitz there, which almost caused the evacuation of the Maltese. He had to his credit an 'official score of 10 German planes destroyed, and during these operations he was commissioned in the field. Born in the Gisborne district, Pilot Officer Park received his earlier education at the Mangatu School, and later attended the Gisborne High School, where lie matriculated. He was a keen participant in Rugby football, cricket and rifle shooting while at school, and later was equally interested in hunting, and in showring and sports riding. He was accepted for training with the R.N.Z.A.F. at the age of 18 years, the year following his departure .from the High School, and he left New Zealand in May, 1941. For a time lie was held as an instructor at a West Coast city in the United Kingdom, but later lie was released for active operations and took part in numerous sweeps across the Channel. at a time when the R.A.F. was just developing its plans for extensive offensive operations. He went to Malta in June, 1942, arriving there after the first serious blitz and in time to take part in the defence of the Mediterranean base against the second great effort to reduce it. Fie was killed only a few days before the enemy, having suffered extraordinary losses, was compelled to desist from his attacks.