TRIPLE DECORATIONS

Grey River Argus, 11 June 1943, Page 2

TRIPLE DECORATIONS

For N.Z. Airman SQUADRON LEADER THIELE’S RECORD.

(Special to N.Z. Press Assn.) LONDON, June S.

When Squadron Leader Keith Thiele, D. 5.0., D.F.C., and Bar, of Christchurch, left New Zealand in June 1941, he brought a flying helmet which he used throughout his training. He continued to wear it for his first tour and although a newer and lighter type of helmet was issued without heavy rubber air-pads Theile remained attached to his New Zealand headgear. On his 57th and final operation that helmet saved his life. He was over Duisberg when shrapnel shattered his windscreen. He felt a terrific clout on the right ear. When he landed he found his ear swollen like a cauliflower and embedded in the rubber ear-pad was a flak s'plinter. He has no doubt that his favourite helmet prevented his being killed outright, for the new type of helmet is without rubber pads. At 22 Theile is one of a small distinguished group of New Zealand airmen who have won the triple decoration in this war His career like, his ability as a pilot, is outstanding. After leaving the Christchurch Boys’ High School he was for two and ahalf years a reporter on the “Star Sun.” He joined a Canadian S'quadron for his first tour, rising from Pilot Officer to Squadron Leader in five weeks. Theile did 21 raids in Wellingtons on that tour and 11 in Halifaxes, taking part in all three famous 1,000 plane raids. He was awarded the D.F.C., after the tour, but being unattracted to instructing, asked to be allowed to return to operations. Giving up the rank of Squardron Leader, to do so he was posted to an Australian Lancaster Squadron. He was promoted to Squadron Leader again. Fie carried out the scheduled 20 raids on his second tour, but applied tor an extension and was allowed to carry out four more, before being ordered off. Theile has the unusual distinction of receiving the immediate award of the Bar to his D.F.C., and only two days after it was announced that he had been awarded the D. 5.0.. He is now posted to Transport Command—still protesting that he wants to do more raids. Theile has had more than his share of “shaky dos." Twice he flew a Wellington back from Germany on one engine, and twice he had two engines of his Lancaster put cut of action but landed safely. He has been' to Berlin five times. The first occasion was when 37 bombers were lost owing to bad weather. That night the A.A. fire over Kiel stopped one of his Wellington engines, but Theile flew o» and landed with only 30 gallons. This again happened over Bremen when returning from Hamburg. Again he got back safely. While approaching Berlin on his fourth raid in Lancasters the reargunner complained of lack of oxygen. Theile turned the emergency supply and’ the rear-gunner said it was better but later reported that he was not getting his full supply. Later it I was discovered that he v/as using an old type of mask which had iced up, his breath freezing at 19,000 feet. Thiele was only two miles from the target and had to carry) on and bomo. After bombing Thiele dived to under oxygen height, put in “George” (automatic pilot) and left the flight engineer in charge. Then he sum- : moned the remainder of the crew to i get the gunner out. While doing so , flak hit the Lancaster twice. The ' rear-gunner was unconscious when ■he was brought out and he subse- ; quently died. Then came the N ur ’ i emburg trip. One engine caught tire I while over the sea, but Theile got the Ifii'e out and jettisoned his incenI diaries. He carried on with a I“cookie” (four thousand pounder), bombed the target and then returned over Germany and France at 1,000 feet, flying for seven hours with three engines.

On a Duisberg raid, while running up to the target he saw a cone of searchlights holding another aircrait. They suddenly .picked up TheiJe and shifted their entire attention on him. He was only two minutes off the target, so he carried out his bombing, turned, dived and made for home. It was then that his windscreen was blown awa'y' and the ear-pad saved his life. Flak also blew away half the starboard outer-engine, and riddled and set fire to the inboard engine. Theile put out the fire with an extinguisher, and gradually losing

heignt, set out for England, but the Lancaster maintained a height of oUO feet.

TQheile put the plane down safely in “England. It was that flight which gained him the immediate award of the Bar. Only the week before when returning from Stuttgart and flying low a chance rifle shot hit the edge of a wing. It must have been one of the luckiest shots of the war. It cut the cooling pipe of the starboard outer engine and also put out of action part of the hydraulics with the result that only one wheel would come down, but Theile returned safely, landed on one wheel and without flaps. Theile will talk only diffidently of his experiences and dismisses them. “It is all luck this game, I am absolutely certain.” but anyone in the squadron will tell you Keith “is a first-class pilot. He has the most definite ideas and does not like waving,” preferring to fly on a straight level. He likes returning low, shooting up targets and advpiding night fighters. Certainly he has never met a night fighter. But Theile still maintains that it is luck. One of his most valued possessions is that rubber ear-pad in which a piece of shrapnel 'is still embedded. His ambition is to become a Fighter pilot He has always wanted' to fly Spitfires and is still hoping to do so.