ANZAC TEAM WORK

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25211, 25 May 1945, Page 6

ANZAC TEAM WORK

BOUGAINVILLE SUCCESS GRATEFUL AUSTRALIANS (R.N.Z.A.F. Official News Service) BOUGAINVILLE, May J3 An outstanding demonstration of Anzac team work was given yesterday, when Australian troops followed behind a fierce Royal New Zealand Air horce air strike to occupy an important ridge commanding the Buin road, along which our forces are driving into southern Bougainville. The ridge was strongly held by Japanese who were supported by heavy and _ medium artillery, mortars and machine-guns. Booby traps, land mines and tank traps added to the difficulties facing the Australians, and even with the support of Matilda tanks all previous infantry attacks had been stopped. The occupation of this strategic height by the Australians would mean the linking of their forward units and the exposure of important Japanese garden areas. It would also mean the clearing of a road to the heart of enemy concentration bases in the south. The strong defensive works were evidence that the Japanese intended to make a stand at this point. The culminating assaults by New Zealand Corsairs came yesterday morning, when aircraft of two squadrons, led by Flight-Lieutenants N. C. Sutherland, of Dunedin. and E. L. Avery, of Hamil- | ton. went in just ahead of the Ausi tralians to blast a whole block of jungle I on the ridge out of existence. Trees and j earth were churned up by the attack, which was deadly and accurate. Following up hard, the Australians found the churned-up ground strewn with enemy dead. Grateful infantrymen commented: "Without air attack the capture of the ridge could only have been achieved bv a sacrifice amounting to mass slaughter. It is a pity the New Zealand pilots* do not know how good their job was." Later in the day a heavy Japanese gun opened up on the Australians on the ridge- An urgent call was sent for Corsairs, which were in the air within ten minutes. They were led by PilotOfficer P. 0. Moore, of Petone. Direct hits sent the gun barrel high -in the air. while ammunition exploded for half an hour afterward,, The sudden end to the gun's activities allowed the Australians to consolidate their position hefore nightfall.

WOUNDED PILOT LEG PARALYSED BY BULLET SAFE FLIGHT BACK TO BASE (R.N.Z.A F. Official News Service) GREEN ISLAND, May 20 ■With his right leg paralysed by a bullet wound from enemy ground "fire. Flying-Officer K. H. Dockery, of Napier, displayed great fortitude and excellent airmanship by flying his Corsair back to base and making an excellent landing. He has now been invalided back to New Zealand. On an early morning patrol over Rabaul, Flying-Officer Dockery and Flying-Officer H. N. R. Jackson, of Auckland, skimmed over the coast of New Britain searching for targets. In Malapan plantation, in Blanche Bay, they surprised a party of 20 to 30 Japanese working in a garden. They got right in among them with low-level strafing, causing hea%\v casualties and damaging a truck. When coming off the strafing run at 500 feet. Flying-Officer Dockery was hit by a bullet which ripped through a wing and the side of the cockpit. He struggled to open his flying suit and managed to apply first aid and bandage the wound, which was bleeding profusely. Flying-Officer Jackson saw his fellow-pilot "wobble all over the sky" and judged that he had been hit. Steadying his useless leg with his sound one. Flying-Officer Dockerv kept full control of his aircraft and headed toward his base, with the other aircraft flying close in case of trouhle. They reached Green Island safely after flying 35 minutes, and Flying-Officer Dockery went straight in t-o land without the usual circles of the airstrip. He was exhausted bv shock and loss of blood, and was unable to move. He was lifted from the aircraft on to a stretcher and taken to hospital. Several days later he was flown to New Zealand as a stretcher case aboard an R.N.Z.A.F. Dakota transport. ROTORUA MILK SUPPLY (0.C.) ROTORUA. Thursday Evidence of difficulty in maintaining the town milk supply for Rotorua was given before the No. 2 Armed Forces Appeal Board by Mr K. R. Welch, secretary of the local Milk Producers' Association. He said the normal requirements of the borough were 8000 gallons of pasteurised milk and 12.000 gallons of raw milk a day. That morning, a shortage of 95 gallons had been reported and a canvass of 15 dairy farmers within range of the borough had elicited a response from onlv one farmer, representing an additional 35 gallons. x Witness said the payment, of 14.42 d a call on, equal to 2s Sd per lb butter-fat. had been insufficient to induce dairymen to change over from factory to town supply, as year-round maintenance of dairy herds was entailed. UNITED STATEvS LEGATION (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Thursday The appointment of Colonel Harold A. Meyer. United States Infantry, as military attache to the Legation of the United States of America. Wellington, in place of Colonel John H. N T ankivelK is reported in the Gazette tonight, as is also the appointment of Mr Norman William Redden a* Vice-Consul of the United States at Wei" igton, i