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Otago Daily Times, Issue 24855, 3 March 1942, Page 5

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R.A.F. WING IN RUSSIA MISSION FULFILLED SUCCESSFUL OPERATIONS (Rec.-ll p.m.) LONDON, Mar. 2. The R.A.F. wing which was sent to Russia under the command of the New Zealander, Wing Commander Rams-bottom-Isherwood, has returned to Britain. The wing, whicih consisted of two squadrons, was sent for the purpose of permitting Russian pilots to oecome familiar with Hurricane fighters, which are now being sent to Russia in hundreds, and to help in the battle around Murmansk. Both tasks were carried out successfully. Operations were restricted by the weather, but Ihe wing destroyed 50 German planes for the loss of one. Wing Commander Ramsbottom-Isherwood and the two squadron leaders received the D.F.C. NEW ZEALAND LEADER AN EFFICIENT ORGANISER Tributes to Wing Commander H. N. G. Ramsbottom Isherwood, A.F.C. (Petone), the New Zealander commanding the R.A.F. wing in Russia (states our London correspondent; have been paid by airmen in their letters to friends in England. “He has a very responsible job, and he is doing it very well,” an Australian wrote. “He is a most efficient organiser. He is jovial and popular everywhere. He has not had much opportunity to fly, for it has been his job to direct operations from the ground. He is a better ski-er than most of us.”

There were four Australians with the wing, two Canadians, a Rhodesian, and a “ mixed bag ” of English, Scots. Welsh and Irish. Their job was to teach the Russians now to fly and service Hurricanes. When they arrived at an aerodrome near Murmansk they found that it was sandy and boggy. But conditions improved after six feet of snow had fallen, providing a carpet which froze and packed tight. “We d 9 not fly much above 15,000 feet. It is too cold,” - the writer said. “ I came down the other day with my boots frozen to the rudder bar. The wing has shot down 17 Nazis—the front is only 26 miles away—but unfortunately I missed the scraps. Actually, the fighting is only a spare time job, and most of the time we spend teaching the Huskies. They are learning our tactics, our methods of flying in formation and escorting bombers. We have our interpreters who speak Russian, and several of their chaps speak English. Russian Pilots Efficient

“The pilots we’ve met seem pretty efficient. They learn easily and are very systematic about' maintenance. They seem to have particular aptitude for mechanical work. Their aircraft are good and they have a bomber which we think is like the Messerschmitt 110, In fact, the boys, call it ‘the Husky 110 job.’ The Russian morale ,is extremely good, and I think our people could learn a good bit from them. They really do hate the Hun, and they think only of winning the war. They don’t do much grousing about short rations and things like that. They want to see the end of the war, and that’s all they worry about. “Our quarters are quite comfortable, and we are stationed in rooms in a block of barracks built for the Russian Army. On the whole, we don’t mind the Russian food, but it is different from our own, and, to our taste inclined to be greasy. There is plenty of caviar, and for a time we had champagne for breakfast. When that gave out, tey supplied us with red wine. They call their tea -chai.’ It’s weak with plenty of sugar and a little lemon! We are getting to like it. But we could all do with a really good steak and chips. Recently the weather has been getting very cold, particularly at night. Our breath freezes on our jackets. The other day one of the boys was warming some water by a stove for shaving. He poured it into a mug, and it froze immediately into a solid block. Cordial Relations Sometimes we go to see Russian films, and their stories are quite good. Ihe Huskies seem very keen on art, and have a number of cultural centres Ihey enjoy musical comedies, and wnen some films arrived for us thev were delighted with ‘Robin Hood ’ and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ’ Our relations with the Huskies are cordial. It is quite plain to see that there is no lack of man-power here. They don’t require men so much as machines and equipment. We are all enjoying our experiences, and none of us would have missed the trip for anything.”