FINE REPUTATION

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 13 January 1944, Page 5

FINE REPUTATION

N.Z. CATALINA SQUADRON OPERATIONS ON NORTH AFRICAN COAST London, Jan. 11. A reputation for reliability and “being able to do the job,” together with the high serviceability of their aircraft, has been won by the New Zealand Catalina squadron which is operating on the West African coast. This news was brought to London by Wing Commander D. W. Baird, A.F.C., who, after six months as the squadron’s commanding officer, has been succeeded by Wing Commander Barry Nicholl, Masterion. Those six months included the worst season of the year in that part of the world. The New Zealanders had flown many hours in pouring rain, sometimes thunderstorms, on convoy protection and anti-submarine patrols. They ‘had also done many night anti-subma-rine patrols. So far they had the luck to sight only one submarine, which was later reported definitely sunk. “The squadron’s air crews are almost equally divided between New Zealanders and men from the British Isles, wth a few Australians and Canadians,” said Wing Commander Baird. “The squadron’s spirit is first-class. Everyone gets on well together. Despite the trying weather, their health is good, which is due in no small measure to our medical officer, Flight-Lieutenant I D. Gebbie, Christchurch, who holds a diploma or tropical medicine and hygiene, and also spent some time in Malaya studying tropical diseases. He has done a very good job. We are also fortunate in our adjutant, an Englishman, Flight Lieutenant Barrett, who kept the ground crew together well while they were awaiting tne air crew, who arrived some time later. Soccer is a great game out there, and our squadron, assisted by two internationsls-’ a Scott and an Irishman, won the station soccer cup and also had five men in the Colony’s representative team. PATRIOTIC BOARD THANKED “We are much indebted to the New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board, which sent us boots and jerseys, also a oaseball outfit, in addition to a library. That was for the lighter side of life, for pleasant relaxation after flying long hours, in bad indifferent weather, when patrols lasted anything between 13 and 16 hours. One thing on which we were keen was to train the squadron to become mobile so that if we had to go at short notice the changeover :ould be carried out with the minimum delay.” On e of the squadron’s flight commanders is Squadron Leader P. R. Godby, Christchurch. It was expected that Flight Lieutenant A. Frame, D.F.C., Oamaru, would fly with the squadron, but after arriving in West Africa he was transferred to Sunderlands, on which he had previously flown 1600 hours. Several n.c.o.’s were commissioned recently, including the well-known footballer, A. G. Sutherland, of Invercargill. Some of the Crews before going to West Africa were engaged in ferrying aircraft across the Atlantic.