BRAVERY AWARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24275, 16 May 1942, Page 6

BRAVERY AWARD

AIRMAN MADE I SAVED LIFE OF COMRADg SQUADRON-LEADER S. HUM j LONDON, An Aucklander in the Royal it I Force, Squadron-Leader Sidney J min Rochford Hughes, has been» ! pointed an officer of the Order of British Empire, military division. • The citation says: "One night in j cember, 1941, this officer was flying 1 - i Sunderland flving-boat in the Medife* ranean area, when two enemy fighter* attacked, one of which was p ro , bably destroyed, but Squadron-Leadj, Hughes' aircraft sustained damage j the aileron control. Two 1 put out of action, and the aircraft logf height rapidly. With great skill, h oSf< ever, this officer succeeded in turaiM it into the wind. 3 "Finally he descended safely on'tin water. Heavy seas were running, IfSl although one wing tip float smashed, he managed to steer the air. craft on to a near by reef in such j way that the crew was able to escape from the flying-boat into much calm w water. "Observing that one of his cojj, rades, who had been swept from tin main plane toward the sea, was ex. hausted and in difficulties, Squadron. Leader Hughes dived into the wate* and brought his comrade to safety affej swimming some 30 yards across heavy seas. His action undoubtedly saved th# life of his comrade. Throughout, thi officer displayed exceptional couraee and leadership." Squadron-Leader Hughes, who is 27, is the only son of the late Captain hj! R. Hughes, former commander of thj cable-ship Iris (now Recorder) and Mrs. Hughes, of 10 Parkside Street. St. Heliers. He was a flight-lieutenant a g the time of the exploit for which he has been decorated, and has since been promoted. Squadron-Leader Hughes has served with the Royal Air Force in England, Singapore, Ceylon, ismailia and various parts of Africa, and was recently appointed to command a sea rescue flight in the Middle East. Most of his service flying has been in flyingboats. An old boy of Waitaki Bop' High School, he joined the staff of ft# New Zealand Herat.d on leaving school, and was shipping reporter until 1937. He was then a civil pilot, having bees taught by the late Squadron-Leader B. M. Allan, of Auckland. His service fly. ing training was done in New Zealand* and he later underwent a special flying, boat course in England.

FLYING CROSS WINKER NAPIER AIRMAN'S SUCCESS (0.C.) NAPIEK. Fridty The Napier airmail, acting-Squadron Leader F. .1. Steel, who has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, is aged 23. He was born at Masterton, and educated at the Napier Boys' High School. He enlisted in the Air Fore# in 1939 when he was attached to th« staff of the Public Works Department in Napier. After completing 34 raids over Germany he was promoted in July, 1941, to flyingrofficer, in September to flight-lieutenant, and in October to acting-squadron-leader. For the past! six months he has been stationed at Malta. His father is Mr. F. J. Steel, of Napier.