HEROIC WORK

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXII, Issue 98, 25 March 1942, Page 6

HEROIC WORK

AUSTRALIAN CIVIL PILOTS

(2 15 p.m.) AIELBOI'RNE, March 20. Running the gauntlet of enemy bullets and bombs, Australian civil pilots in unarmed and comparatively mow machines have saved hundreds of Australian lives since the war with Japan began, states the Air Department. Others risked their lives by Hying aircraft heavily loaded with materials fro pi the mainland to military areas in New Cluinca, Java, limol, and other places. . The storv of their heroism during the bombing of Darwin. Broome, and New Guinea, and the part they played in the evacuation of women and children from the threatened areas, is told in reports received by the Minister of Air (Mr Drakcford). In eight days 762 persons, mostly women and children, were evacuated from New Guinea to the mainland tr. two civil aircraft, one of which carried an uverH<’o of 301 persons per trip and tho other an average of just over Jb persons a trip. During these operations there was not a single casualty. The magnificent work done bv the f ymghoat base staff during air raids on Darwin probably saved the lives of 100 to 160 mercantile marine pcisonnol. These men were rescued from the harbour and the jetty m two munches which were finally sunk by enemy action. The launches operated during a bombing attack under constant ma-chine-gun fire and in the vicinity ol a ship which was on fire.