BACK TO HOMELAND

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21900, 19 December 1945, Page 6

BACK TO HOMELAND

AFTER EIGHT YEARS NOW A U.S. OFFICER “So far as I am concerned, there is no love like the first love,” said Captain W. G. Kitchener, of the U.S. Army Air Force, on his arrival at Wellington. _ Captain Kitchener is a New Zealander who left this country for a holiday eight years ago and “forgot to come back.” In this war he has served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, the R.A.F. and the U.S.A.F. . At the outbreak of war Captain Kitchener, among hundreds of others, left his home in the United States, forfeiting all American rights and privileges (later reinstated by Act of Congress) to go to Canada and join the R.C.A.F. After a period of training in Ontario he was stationed near Victoria, 8.C., and finally was sent to England and assigned to the R.A.F. For many months in England he was assigned to the duties of technical supply officer in Bomber Command. “That was the real thing,” he said. “It was all night bombing in those days. They would come home early m the morning shot up and we would have them in the air ready for a mission that night. Those were hectic days. Shortages added to the worries of the supply officer. Working all day aircraft coming and going all night, left little time for sleep. I remember taking a couple of nights off, went to a small country village to get some sleep—and Jerry came over both nights!” Missed D Day

Finally came transfer to the Bth U.S. Air Force and reunion with the forces of his adopted country. Captain Kitchener, much to his sorrow, was recalled to the United States just before D Day, thus missing the greatest invasion in the. history of the world. He would have liked to have been on the way to Berlin with the boys.” _ After a sojourn of about eight months in America he received orders to go to Honolulu, and he pictured himself riding the surf boards at Waikiki. After a very short stay, however, he was transferred to headquarters of the Central Pacific Wing of the Air Transport Command at Guam and embarked on a life of “mud. tears and sweat.” “I spent eight hectic months.’ said Captain Kitchener, "firstly preparing the way for the Air Transport Command to follow the assault forces to Okinawa. We successfully completed that campaign, and besides overseeing air supply activities of the 13 stations of the Central Pacific Wing I spent my available spare time assembling the project of air crew supplies and equipment in preparation for the invasion of the Japanese empire. As it turned out. the invasion transformed itself into the occupation.” Okinawa Mission

Captain Kitchener was directed by his general to accompany the Air Transport Command project to Cadana airfield, Okinawa, which was the assembly point for all aircraft and supplies proceeding to Tokio behind General MacArthur. ‘I shall never, forget the thril of seeing my train of Skymasters lined up on the runway waiting to take off,” he said. This mission completed. headquarters were removed to Honolulu, and the general decided that he and his staff would make a tour of all the United States Pacific bases. When he learned that Captain Kitchener was an ex-New Zealander he released him in New Caledonia in order that he might proceed to New Zealand. “It was a tremendous thrill to sight the Three Kings,” said Captain Kitchener,” “and I trembled with excitement. The pilot flew down to the minimum as we came down the coast. ’ Subsequently Captain Kitchener flew to Paraparaumu and came on to Wellington. The journey from the airfield to the city was not half fast enough for him.

“Best Calling Card”

“The best calling card I ever had was the fact that I came from New Zealand.” said Captain Kitchener. “The Americans I met who were either stationed here or visited this country are sincerely truthful in their remarks about the kindness and generosity of the New Zealand people. 1 have yet to meet an American who does not long to return to this country.” Captain Kitchener’s people no longer live in New Zealand, but he has still the doubtful distinction of paying taxes here —when he first went away he left some money invested, and some small portion of this annually has gone to maintaining the public services of his original homeland.