PROUD PARENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23617, 29 March 1940, Page 7

PROUD PARENTS

SON'S ACHIEVEMENTS NICKNAME OF "HURRICANE" KEEN INTEREST IN FLYING The proudest parents in New Zealand yesterday were Mr. and .Mrs. It. G. Kain, of Wellington, whose son, Flying-Officer Edgar Kain, R.A.F., was the hero of another air battle on the Western Front. Flying-Officer Kain, who is 21 years of age, is their youngest son. "I feel all up in the air to-night, along 4 w.ith Eddie," said Mrs. Kain, in a telephone conversation with the Herald last night, when asked how she viewed her son's achievements. Mrs. Kain said that she was naturally not keen about the risks her son was facing. "I should not altogether be sorry to hear that lie had gone down safely in the Gorman lines, and was being well cared for," she added. Mrs. Kain said that her son wrote to her by each air mail, but told very little about the war. Instead lie described the beauty of I'ari.s in the spring, with a special piece for her about the Parisian fashions. "Kddie was not known as 'Cobber' in New Zealand,'' she continued. "I suppose somebody heard him use tho word and, being unused to hearing New Zealand slang, they gave it to hint as a nickname. In New Zealand Eddie was known as 'Hurricane,' which is appropriate, because he now flies a Hurricane fighter. "Ever since lie was 10 years of age Eddie has been air-minded. A career in the air has been his ambition. Not perhaps as a war pilot, because there was no thought of war when he began flying nearly four years ago, but I don't think he is sorry the way things have turned out." When asked if her son had a sweetheart in New Zealand, Airs. Kain was amused. "No,'' she said, "he is quite heart-whole, and lie can take out any mademoiselle he likes.''

ENEMY REVERSES AIRMEN SINK VESSEL STRONG RETURN FIRE TRAWLER RUNS AGROUND By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 28, G. 40 p.m.) LONDON, March 27 An official report says tlio lloyal Air Force sank an enoiny patrol vessel in the North Sea. Two pilots saw four German vessels close together. Selecting one tlicy attacked it and dropped a salvo of bombs on the deck of the ship. The attackers then flew back into the clouds to escape from a storm of retaliatory fire. When they emerged again they saw only three ships. One of the two pilots who took part in the raid, says a British official wireless message, stated on his return: "The enemy's fire was heavy. We seemed to have every kind of antiaircraft device bursting around lis. There were flaming shells which burst with orange and yellow explosions, fierce shell fire with black bursts, and red streaks from machine-gun tracer bullets. "My gunner said we scored direct hits. After flying about behind a cloud .1 decided to go back and have a look at the resiflt. Where the ship had been there was only a mass of foaming, frothy water." The aircraft returned to the base unscathed. A message from Copenhagen says the German trawler Wilhclm und" Marie, of 242 tons, went aground off northern Jutland, while steaming near the Danish coast to avoid British warships. The official German news agency says: "German reconnaissance aircraft over the North Sea met British aeroplanes trying to fly over Heligoland Bight and shot down one British machine."

GUARD ON SUEZ CANAL ELABORATE PRECAUTIONS VIGIL OF BRITISH TROOPS (Received March 28, n.nr. p.m.) IONDON, March 2S British troops are mounting ceaseless guard in the Sue/. Canal, zone, says a correspondent of the News Chronicle at Lsinailia. Elaborate precautions aro taken against sabotage. Every ship entering the canal is searched, for it would be possible for a ship, specially constructed, to sow mines in the canal, and even easier ior a ship to sink itself in the canal. The authorities prohibit the passage of more than 1000 armed troops across the canal at any one time, so it would be impossible to land a force unexpectedly. Suspicious neutral ships are escorted through the canal in an elaborate manner. MANOEUVRES HELD ANZACS TAKE PART LONDON, March 28 Australian and New Zealand troops in Egypt have been holding manoeuvres in the desert with the Indian and other troops, according to messages from Cairo. TROUBLE IN BOHEMIA PRUSSIANS OPPOSED REPORTS OF MUTINY PARTS, March 27 ft is reliably reported that serious incidents have occurred in Bohemia and Moravia between German soldiers and officers of the Austrian reservists, and Prussian officers. A number of Germans are believed to have mutinied. At Kutnahora tho authorities shot one of every 15 men as a warning, and disarmed and interned numbers of Austi'ians who refubed to go to the front.