DOMINION AIRMEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24894, 16 May 1944, Page 4

DOMINION AIRMEN

SPITFIRES IN ACTION TWO OPERATIONS A DAY (Special Correspondent) LONDON, May 14 From an advanced airfield of the Second Tactical Air Force, tbs New Zealand Spitfire Squadron is carrying out two, and sometimes three, opera tions daily in the great offensive against enemy targets in France. Living under canvas and in similar conditions they will experience once they move to captured territory, the New Zealanders escort 'Marauders* Bostons and Mitchells, and also bomb marshalling yards and railway lines. Before being briefed for an operation, some of the pilots rested comfortably in chairs, or lay on a mat basking in the sun, stripped to the waist. A few minutes before being briefed they slipped on their clothes and strolled across the airfield to the briefing "room," which is a large camouflaged tent. Here, with the pilots from two other squadrons, they listened to a wing-commander. Then they returned to their own dispersal and drank a bottle of orangeade before clustering round their Scots commanding officer, who discussed details of the plan of attack. Gripping their parachutes and flying equipment, they then walked leisurely to their bpitfires, past a detachment of American soldiers, who were visiting the airfield that afternoon. These Americans seemed amazed when they heard the New Zealanders were taking off on an operation. Why, those guvs look as if they were just about to take the train to London instead of going to attack the enemy, said one. There was, in fact, almost an air of casualness, and not studied casualness, for the New Zealanders have now become so accustomed to operating daily and seeing no German fighters, and only occasionally being greeted with flak, that the raids have tended to become something of a routine. It is noticeably a very different atmosphere from this time last year, when fights with Focke-Wulfs could be expected on every operation, and all pilots had a feeling of tenseness before they took off.

BOMBER OUT OF FUEL PILOT'S SKILFUL LANDING LONDON, May 14 Limping home 011 three engines after a 12 minutes' running fight against a Messerschmitt 109, the crew of a Lancaster bomber, "K for King," saw the lights of an English airfield and thenran out of fuel. The skill of the pilot, Flight-Sergeant A. Gibson, of Wellington, however, was equal to the occasion, and the bomber, all four engines dead, came in as smoothly as a glider. The Lancaster was attacked after bombing Mailly, in France. The enemy's fire damaged the control services and petrol supply system. _ Flight-Sergeant Gibson put the plane into a dive, and the Messerschmitt then attacked again. The Lancaster's fire hit the enemy fighter, which burst into flames, dived and exploded on the ground.

HOSPITAL RATING NEED FOR OVERHAUL THE MINISTER'S ATTITUDE (0.C.) THAMES, Monday The question of hospital rating throughout New Zealand was extremely complicated, and that was why, as Minister of Health, he deplored the suggestion in some districts recently of direct action to meet the position, said the Minister, the Hon. A. H. Nordmeyer, to-day. The suggestion was mischievous, because it bred contempt of the law. For some time, he had felt and expressed the opinion publicly that the system of hospital rating had many things against it, said Mr. Nordmeyer. There were inequalities in hospital rates in many parts of New Zealand, and the system was in need of overhaul. They did not mean that hospital rating should be abolished, but it should be possible to get a more equitable system than the present one. Parliament had appointed a select committee to go into local body matters, and no doubt hospital rating would be one of the questions investigated. . Replying to a question, the Minister said the abolition of local hospital rates would not solve the problem. The money had to come from somewhere. If it could come from the Consolidated Fund and income tax, a good case might be made out for abolition of a land rate.

FAULTS IN TUNNELS INQUIRY IN PROGRESS DECISION ON REPAIR MEASURES (p.A.) WELLINGTON. Monday The Minister of Works, the Hon. R. Semple, stated to-day that the Public Service Commissioner, Mr. J. H. Boyes, is conducting an inquiry into the administrative side of faults in the Turakina and Fordell railway tunnels. Associated with him are Mr. H. Vickerman, civil engineer, and Mr. W. Brooke, _ an experienced tunneller. both of Wellington. Railway engineers, in collaboration with Works Department engineers, have decided on measures to remedy defects in the tunnels. No time will be lost in executing this work and conducting the inquiry. SHEEP STEALING CASE COMMENT MADE BY JUDGE (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. Monday For sheep stealing Edgar Maxwell Husband, aged 24, a single man, was sentenced by Mr. Justice Northcroft to reformative detention for 12 months. His Honor said that the offence of sheep stealing was always regarded as serious. It tended to cause difficulties of a very unpleasant character in country districts. It was usually difficult to trace and it had always been the policy of the Court to treat it with severity. It was true that prisoner had been overseas for a short period, but the probation officer reported that since his return he had been behaving in a very irresponsible and unsatisfactory way.

CLAIMS AGAINST CROWN ACCIDENT ON DREDGE (P.A.) CHRISTCBURCH, Monday Damages were claimed from the Crown in two suits before Mr. Justice .Northcroft and a jury to-day. One claim was for £2500 general damages and the other was for £ISOO. Both arose as a result of the collapse of some scaffolding on the Marine Department's dredge Ruby Seddon when the dredge was in dry dock at Lyttelton on September 2* 1943. Charles Rolls, on behalf of whose estate the Public Trustee claimed £2500, was killed, and Clinton Courtney Hollis, another shipwright, who claimed £ISOO, was seriously injured. Mr. T. A. Gresson appeared for both suppliants and Mr.* A. W. Brown for the Crown. The cases were heard together. Mr. Gresson submitted that the death of Rolls was due to negligence by the Marine Department through its servants in tampering with a forward shore rope which had supported the scaffolding. Specific negligence, _it was alleged, was caused by untying or loosening the rope immediately before the accident and failing to warn either Rolls or Hollis, who were dismantling the scaffolding, that the rope was no longer fast. The Crown denied the allegations that the death of Rolls and the injuries of Hollis were caused in any way by negligence on the part of any servant or servants of the Marine Department. The hearing was adjourned*