NEW ZEALANDERS DECORATED

Southland Times, Issue 24599, 22 November 1941, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS DECORATED

MEMBERS OF ROYAL N.Z. AIR FORCE

(8.0.W.) RUGBY, November 20. Pilot Officers Timothy John Wilder Williams and Eric Clarence Cox of the Royal New Zealand Air Force have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citations state: “Since June Pilot Officer Williams has participated in 28 operational sorties. He is a 'fearless pilot and always displays the utmost determination to reach and bomb his objective. One night in September he failed to receive the general recall signal and was one of the few who succeeded in reaching Berlin, where he penetrated into the centre of the city and released his bombs over the target area and flew back safely. “Pilot Officer Cox’s outstanding ability is so marked that after two operational missions as second pilot he was promoted to captain of an aircraft. He has displayed splendid leadership at all times and pressed home his attacks with the utmost vigour in the face of enemy opposition and bad weather. Many times the intensity of the enemy barrage forced him away from the target, but he always returned again to the attack until he finally succeeded. Pilot Officer Cox throughout has shown real tactical ability in the final staging 'of his attacks only equalled by the thoroughness of his pre-flight preparation.” Sergeant Kynaston John Stanford and Sergeant Francis Charles Sergent have been awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal. The citations state:

‘ ATTACK ON GNEISENAU 1 “Sergeant Stanford was in July the captain of a plane participating in a f daylight attack against the Gneisenau t at Brest. Throughout the attack in the ) face of intense and accurate antii aircraft fire he flew close in formation - with his leader, presenting such a de--1 termined front that the enemy fighters I did not dare to attack. Sergeant Stanford has always carried out his opera- , tions in the most courageous and j resolute manner, pressing home his at--1 tacks from low altitudes in spite of j enemy opposition. His keenness and cheerfulness have set an excellent example. “One night in July Sergeant Sergent was rear gunner of a plane participating in a successful attack against Duisberg. The plane was on the homeward journey over Venlo when it was attacked from astern by a Messerschmitt 110. With great coolness in the face of the enemy’s intense cannon and machine-gun fire Sergeant Sergent withheld his fire until the enemy was at close range, when he delivered , a long and accurate burst, causing the enemy plane to dive towards the ground, crash and burst into flames. Sergeant Sergent’s cheerfulness and courage under the most trying conditions has been an inspiration to all.” The following are the next of kin of the airmen: Pilot Officer Cox, father, Mr C. D. Cox, Lambton road, Napier; Pilot Officer Williams, mother, Mrs M. M. Williams, Atua, Hastings; Sergeant I Sergent, mother, Mrs M. I. Sergent, 198 Hanson street, Wellington; Sergeant Stanford, father, Mr J. R. Stanford, High street, Marton. ONE-ARMED PILOT A fighter pilot who had his arm shot off by a Messerschmitt cannon shell over Malta last March has been appointed to lead a famous Hurricane squadron in Britain. He has returned to the front line of the Fighter Command after showing that his flying skill is not hampered by the loss of

his arm. To prove this he spent six months in Africa flying the latest types of fighters. He put in more than 250 hours’ flying and by the time he reached Britain he was so used to flying with his artificial arm that the medical board passed him as fit for operational duties. The squadron of which he has now been given command destroyed more than 100 enemy aircraft in France. He himself has flown between 50 and 60 different types of aircraft. He fought with a battle bomber squadron in France early in the war and after the fall of France he was sent to Malta with a Hurricane squadron. For his work in both these campaigns he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and bar.