DESERT FLYING

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 16

DESERT FLYING

TDIAItU SERGEANT VERY VARIED CAREER (X Z.E.F. Official Xcws Service) CAIRO, Sent. « Piloting a reconnaissance aircraft for desert patrols is a New Zealand sergeant who has had an inteiesting career. A member ot a well-known Titnaru family, he was accepted in I.MO for a short-service commission with the Ron al Air force. However, when he arrived in England he was rejected on medical grounds and had to return to the Dominion. from .IU.T2 to 1 I he was associated with Wing-Commander T. W. White, and together they built a fleet ol live Spartans which they reconstructed from crashed machines and from two to f h rcc-sca tel s, I hese iiscd for flying passengers on '"joyrides." _ Wing-t onunander White then left New Zealand to work with the late Sir Charles Kingston! Smith, who was experimenting with a machine be hotted to use to establish it lasnian mail mmvice. The machine proved to lie a failure and Wing-Commander White returned to N'ew Zealand. However, when Kingston! Smith made his last flight to the Dominion in the .Southern Cross lie met the young Tiniaru airman and gave him the position ol assistant pilot. The New Zealander held this post until Kingston! Smith completed an extended tour and went back to Australia. After that the New Zealander gave tt]) serious flying until war broke out. when he applied to join the Royal NewZealand Air force, lie was ollered a post as an instructor. but decided against it and joined the Army instead in the hope of seeing more action. He arrived ill the Middle East as a private.