N.Z. Pilot Has Remarkable Career

Northern Advocate, 5 October 1943, Page 2

N.Z. Pilot Has Remarkable Career

(Rec. 2 p.ro.) LONDON, October 4.! A New Zealand piiot to whom success has come rapidly is SquadronLeader J. B. Starky, of Opotiki. After bombing Germany and the Mediterranean area, for (which he was] mentioned in despatches, he returned to Britain and .joined the Lancaster] squadron. He was flight-sergeant bn January 31. 1943. and by August 17 was squadron-leader. He was awarded the D.F.C. on September 12 for allround good work- Then, within ten days, he won the immediate award of; the D.S.O. He won. the latter on a raid on Mannheim. His Lancaster—the; latest type of Lancaster, nick-named] “Hitler's biggest headache”—was at-j tacked by a Junkers 88 at pointblank; range. It shot the perspex hoods away] and seriously wounded the second-] pilot and engineer. The bomber sud-j denly went out of control. This iwasj caused by the dinghy flying out from] the aircraft and wrapping itself around] ] the elevator making it impossible for] Squadron-Leader Starky to fly it. He ordered the crew to bale out and the navigator and wireless operator had igone when the dinghy was torn free, ! taking the elevator with it. Squadron-Leader Starky then re-: i ceived a report on the condition of (the wounded men and decided to at-] ; tempt to base. A Perilous Journey i By this time he had jettisoned his] j bombs. The gunners shot down the] I Junkers, but it had holed the petrol] [tank, as a result of which the two; starboard engines both shortly cut out.; ' Squadron-Leader Starky had to fly] the Lancaster on the port engines.] ]while the wounded engineer worked! |to get tiie starboard engines going !again. Then began a flight of two and a-half:

ihours to base without a navigator, and ;all the time flak crumping around the !bomber. Eventually the plane arrived lover England, and found they were 30 miles off the track. However, i Squadron-Leader Starky located ani.other aerodrome. But his troubles j were not over. The Lancaster was ivery unstable without its elevator and | Squadron-Leader Starky had to land at flying speed—l4o miles an hour. ;This he did successfully, cutting off the engines and using the brakes. For that flight, four decorations were j given to the crew, including SquadronLeader Starkv's D.S.O.

It was Squadron-Leader Starkv’s last flight, for he has now finished his second tour, with a total of 47 operations.

Squadron-Leader Starky began operating' early in 1941, when he did 13 raids over Germany in Wellingtons. He flew to the Middle East in October of that year. He look part in General Auchinleck’s push to Benghazi and the retreat to Halfava. He also bombed targets in Greece and Crete. His crew at .this period comprised an Australian, an American, a Welshman, an Englishman-and an airman from Kenya.

Miraculous Escape Squadron-Leader Starky had a miraculous escape when both engines cut out shortly after taking off with a full load of petrol and bombs. He jettisoned his bombs at 80G feet and, despite the terrific explosion, got his aircraft down on the desert, but two of the crew were killed. Squadron-Leader Starky walked for several hours back to the airfield for help and insisted on returning with the ambulance to help the members of his crew although he was injured, severely shaken and shocked. He was mentioned in despatches for this incident. He also bombed the Italian fleet at sea, and bombed and strafed Agedabir. Back tc Opeiaticns After returning to England in May, 1942, he became a test pilot, flying many tvpcs. Including Mosquitoes, Beaufighters and Spitfires, untii he applied to return to operations. He began his second tour last April and took part in 13 raids during the Battle of the Ruhr. He once collided with another Lancaster over Gelsinkirchen and knocked four feet off his own bomber’s starboard wing, but managed to return. safely.

‘a Notable Crew Other New Zealanders at present in the same squadron are Flight-Lieutenants J. H. Christiansen (Palmerston North) and F. C. Jones. D.F.C. (Auckland), FlvingCfficers A. Grey (Wellington), F. A. Braithwaite and R. C. Newcomb (Auckland), R. A. Nimmo (Southland), PilotOfficers C. H. Wright and S. J. Ellis (Auckland). Warrant-Officer H. G. Hicks (Wanganui). Flight-Sergeants F. S. Blackwell, J. Bcswell-Kitehinfi and C. K. Waldrcm (Auckland). A. W. A. Todd ; iWanganui). A. W. Clarke .(Westland). Sergeants C. F. Farquharson (Invercargill) and E. X. Hamblyn (Patea).