PILOT RESCUED

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24832, 2 March 1944, Page 7

PILOT RESCUED

EXCITING EXPERIENCES TRIP ON NAVY MISSION (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, Feb. 28 The first New Zealand pilot to laud at Green Island is Flying-Officer B. Hoskin, of Auckland, formerly of New Plymouth, but he stepped ashore from a rescue boat and not his aircraft. Even then his adventures were not over, for the patrol torpedo-boat, which eventually returned him to his base, had another job to do first. Tins was a boldlyconceived and successfully-executed surprise raid by night on an enemy lair off New Ireland.

Flying-Officer Hoskin's adventures began when he was detailed to fly with the New Zealand Warhawk Squadron on escort duty providing protection for Dauntless dive-bombers in an attack on Rabaul, A defect developed in the fuel system of his aircraft on the way out arid on the homeward run his fuel supply was quickly becoming exhausted. Sergeant Directs Rescuers In this predicament he turned toward Green Island, where ho knew crash boats were stationed. Flying with him in another Warhawk was Sergeant A. F. C. Hough, of Lower Hutt, who was aware of the difficulty in which Flying-Officer Hoskin was placed and turned toward Green Island with biin. He subsequently played a leading part in the dramatic series of adventures that overtook Flying-Officer Hoskin, who later said; "Sergeant Hough did a great job. I reckon he saved my life." Unable to see Green Island because of bad weather and with his fuel supply perilously ' low. Flying-Officer Hoskin was forced to bale out into the sea 30 miles from the shore. He came down uninjured and managed to scramble into his dinghy. Sergeant Hough circled above him to make sure he was all right and then made for Green Island at top speed. There he made contact with a crash boat and gave directions as to where Flving-Ofiicer Hoskin had aliehted.

While at Green Island Sergeant Hough enlisted the help of an American Lightning pilot from another island, who flew hark with him and assisted to find Flying-Officer Hoskin, ahove whom they circled for an hour. Shelling of Feni Island

As time passed and there was no sign of the rescue boat, Sergeant Hough dashed off again to check uj) and found the crash boat heading in the wrong direction. Corrections were quickly made and a little while Jater the rescue boat, escorted by Airacobras, arrived and picked up Flying-Officer Hoskin, who had been two hours in his dinghy.

After being taken to Green Island, where he was warmly welcomed by New Zealand soldiers, Flying-Officer Hoskin set out at dusk in a torpedoboat on a mission to Feni Island. In darkness the torpedo-boats ran in close to the shore under the noses of the Japanese and plastered their targets with everything they had. It was a thrilling and exciting engagement and was crowned with success.

Flying-Officer Hoskin is back with his squadron and thankful to his rescuers and for the lucky chance that gave him a first-hand experience of one of the wars in which the Nary works.

Flying-Officer Hoskin is the second son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Hoskin, of Sandringham. He was educated at the New Plymouth Boys' High School and was studying accountancy before he joined the Air Force in January, 1940. He was instructing in New Zealand for two years before he left for the Pacificarea. where he is now on his second tour of operations.

THEFT CHARGE THREE MEN ON TRIAL SUPREME COURT HEARING Charges of breaking and entering a warehouse, or, in the alternative, of receiving stolen property, were brought yesterday against Frederick William Hopkin, aged 49 (Mr. G. Skelton), Leslie Pearce, aged 39 (Mr. Dickson) and Frank Norman Harrop, aged 37 (Mr. Haigh). The trial is being conducted by Mr. Justice Fair and Mr. Cleal represents the Crown. The accused are charged with breaking into the warehouse of Laddaloc and Lady Jane Lingerie, Limited, Broadway, Newmarket, on December 5, and stealing four cases containing lingerie valued at £272 12s Bd, or, iu the alternative, with receiving this property knowing it to have been stolen. ilr. Cleal said it would be established that the premises of Laddaloc, Limited, had oeeu broken into between a Friday evening and Monday morning. Early on the Sunday morning Pearce was seen standing outside the premises, and later in the morning he was in the company of the other two accused, Harrop and Hopkin. About midday they left at a house in West Street the bags produced in Court, and one of them gave a pink nightdress to the woman of the house. Later detectives took charge of the suitcases, and when questioned Hopkins said he had got the lingerie inside them from a man he met in Parnell Road and that the suitcases were his.

Evidence was given by representatives of Lnddaloc, Limited, identifying the suitcases and lingerie produced in Court. The factory manager said the value of the property not recovered was about £.'K).

Further evidence for the Crown will be heard to-day.