WORK OF AIR ARM

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 216, 10 August 1940, Page 8

WORK OF AIR ARM

CANADIANS’ HELP. NOTABLE SERVICE. (Uuited Press Association —By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official YViieJess.) Received August 10, 1.45 p.m. RUGBY, Aug. 9. Now approaching its ninth birthday, the oldest fighter squadron in the Canadian Air horce is completing its training alongside a British squadron •which has already had eighty victories against the Nazi raiders. Equipped with Canadian-buJt Hurricanes and slatted b.y Canadians, this squadron is made up of men from auxiliary units in Canada who in civil life followed as diverse callings as their brothers in arms of the U.A.E. auxiliaries and Volunteer Reserve. Inspected to-day by the Canadian High Commissioner, the squadron sent by him its congratulations to the R.A.E. on its superb achievements over the Channel yesterday. A feature of the occasion was the sending of messages by 100 officers and men over the microphone of the Canadian broadcasting unit to friends in Canada. More than a score of times since the outbreak of the war, the high-speed-launches of the R.A.E. Coastal Command have been sent out to rescue German airmen adrift in the sea after being shot down. Often on these occasions these small boats have had to face violent weather, and a number of times have stayed out at sea for 24 hours. On Thursday one of the R.A.E. launches) went into the English Channel to rescue the survivors of a sinking merchant ship and it must have been obvious that it was acting as a lifeboat. Nevertheless a German aircraft came down low and machinegunned the launch. The crew carried on, however, and eonrpleted the rescue of thG seamen.