BRAVE DEEDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24178, 21 January 1942, Page 8

BRAVE DEEDS

AWARDS TO AIR FORCE

OPERATIONS IN LIBYA (Eecd. 11.20 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 21 d The first list of Royal Air Force awards exclusively - reserved for members of the air forces which have been operating in the Libyan battle, is published this morning.- It contains the names of four members of the Royal Air Force, four members of the Sbuth African Air Force, and two members of the Royal Australian Air Force. - Squadron-Leader Stephens, of the Royal Air Force, who is awarded the D.5.0., was leading an attack on enemy mechanised transport in the Acroma area. Following the attack Stephens observed his fighter escort in combat with a force of enemy fighters, but while attempting to participate in the engagement his aircraft was severely damaged, and his starboard petrol tank, with the oil tank, burst into flames. The same burst of fire wounded Stephens in both feet, and blew out the starboard, side of the aircraft's cockpit. Squadron-Leader Stephens then prepared to abandon his aircraft, but when half-way out of the cockpit he observed an enemy aircraft flying past him. He immediately regained his seat and shot down the enemy aircraft Stephens finally left his crippled aircraft by parachute and landed safely on the ground, where he landed within 300 yards of the enemy's lines, and succeeded in regaining his ,own territory within three-quarters of an hour. Flight-Lieutenant Arthur, Royal Australian Air Force, four enemy aircraft in a single operation over the El Gobi area in November. The majority of the airmen decorated have destroyed seven or eight aircraft in the past" two months' fighting.

CHINESE ALLEGATION GAS USED BY JAPANESE CHUNGKING, Jan. 19 A Chinese communique officially charges the Japanese with using poison gas. It says: "The Japanese in their recent operations on the North Kiangsi front sustained 3000 casualties, including a brigade commander killed and two battalion commanders captured; "A Japanese attack against Chinese positions in North Kinglien was sanguinarily repulsed last week. In desperation the enemy resorted to the- use of poison gas before retreating." SOVIET WORKERS' TOUR (Reed. 8.15 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 10 When, touring the Clydeside to-day with Sir Walter Citrine, General Secretary of the Trades "Union Congress, says the British official wireless, the delegation of Soviet trade unionists who have been visiting Britain spoke to several thousand shipyard workers on the need for more production. One of the delegates, M. N. M. Shvernimm, said: "'There is still very much to be done by you and by ourselves if we are going to crush Hitlerite Germany. There is much to be done in the rear as well as at the front to turn success into a crushing defeat for Hitler."