N.Z. BEAUFIGHTER SQUADRON

Southland Times, Issue 24864, 2 October 1942, Page 5

N.Z. BEAUFIGHTER SQUADRON

NIGHT-FIGHTERS OVER SCOTLAND (Special Correspondent, N.Z.P.A.) LONDON, September 30. A New Zealand Beaufighter Squadron is now operating as a night-fighter unit over Scotland. It is commanded by Wing-Commander R. M. Trousdale, D.F.C. and bar, of Auckland, who is 21 years old. His flight commanders are Squadron Leaders P. W. Rabdne, of Palmerston North, and J. R. Gardner, of Nelson. The squadron, which was recently formed, started operations at the beginning of September. Each crew is in the air on an average every' second night, but none has sighted a German so far. New Zealanders form the largest percentage of the air crews. Many are in the special radio section, but the ground staff is chiefly British. The air crews are mostly all experienced in night fighting, pilots having operated an average of 130 hours, some in Beaufighters and others in Defiants, Havocs and Blenheims. The High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan, visiting the squadron for the first time, met the New Zealand personnel, including Flight-Lieutenants A. C. McKinnon, of Cambridge, and I. R. McChesney, of Auckland, Flying Officers R. J. B. Peacoke, of Auckland, E._ C. Ball, of Huntly, F. W. Davison, of Timaru, P. S. Mcßride, of Takapuna, Pilot Officers J. A. Gunn, of Gisborne, A. E. Brown and A. S. Cutfield, both of Auckland, and A. L. Turner, of Wellington, Warrant Officers G. F. Reed, of Auckland and E. C. Watt, of Invercargill, Flight Sergeant R. S. Jeffs, of Wanganui, Sergeant J. S. McQueen, of Invercargill, Mechanics, Corporals H. C. Smith, of Gisborne, R. A. Anderson, of Christchurch, C. D. George, of Auckland, and R. C. Gager, of Hikurangi. Leading Aircraftman A. I. Vasta, of Cambridge, and A. Jeffreys, C: S. Barker, H. R. Smith, of Auckland, H. P. Henderson, A. J. Brown and H. M. Seaward, of Christchurch, M. J. Hillier and K. Pearson, of Morrinsville, G. C. Mulholland, of Dunedin, W. W. Mahood, of Wellington, D. McWha, of Westport, B. Saveli, of Foxton, D. C. Gray, of New Plymouth, E. G. Gibbs, of Wanganui, C. Vaughan, of Norsewood, and H. P. Piercy, of Woodlands. The records of the three commanding officers are particularly outstanding. They all came to England before the war. SERVICE OVER DUNKIRK Wing-Commander Trousdale flew Fairey Battle planes and then Spitfires and was over Dunkirk during the heroic withdrawal. He then fought in the Battle of Britain and shot down two Messerschmitt 109’s in dog-fights. Wing-Commander Trousdale transferred to Defiant night fighters in November, 1940. As a flight-commander he shot down three Heinkel Ill’s oyer Hull during the blitz, once shooting down two in one night. His flight shot down seven Germans in 20 minutes. He later transferred to a Canadian squadron, with which he shot down two more enemy planes over Hull. They were a Heinkel and a Dornier 217. He flew some 400 operational hours. Squadron Leader Rabone went, to France with a squadron of Fairey Battle planes the day before war broke out. He carried out 16 day and night raids and then transferred to Hurricanes after the fall of France. He shot down two Messerschmitts, one in October and the other in November 1940. Then he transferred to night fighter Hurricanes on experimental development work, and shot down a Heinkel 111 during the blitz over Liverpool. He next flew Havocs, after which he was posted for a time to command a special flight. Squadron Leader Rabone has flown at least 500 operational hours. Once he had to bale out over London and landed in Hyde Park. Squadron Leader Gardner was flying Blenheim night fighters when the war broke out. He then transferred to Defiants, which were operated in day-time during the Germans’ big bombing raids preceding the Battle of Britain. Squadron Leader Gardner, while flying as “Tail-end Charlie,” was with a squadron which was bounced by the Germans in July 1940. His reargunner was killed and his plane was shot up, but he managed to make a forced landing four miles from Dover. His Defiant sank immediately, but he was picked up after 15 minutes with a badly cut head which kept him in hospital for three months. He then returned to night fighters, with which he carried out 200 operational hours. He had several moonlight fights with Junkers 88’s, one starting at 16,000 feet and breaking off at 10,000 feet when the Junkers found cloud cover. TWO TOURS OF BOMBING Flying Officer Ball has carried out two tours of bombing, comprising over 50 raids. His second tour was with the New Zealand Bomber Squadron. FlightLieutenant Mcßride has the distinction of being a formation member of two New Zealand squadrons, for he was one of the first pilots in the Spitfire squadron at Cutfield. Flying Officer Davison and FlightLieutenant McChesney previously served in the same squadron as WingCommander Trousdale, Flight-Lieuten-ant McChesney shooting down a Junkers 88. Flying Officer Davison is now armaments officer and Flying Officer Turner is the squadron’s signals officer. Pilot Officer Gunn is credited with one enemy plane destroyed and one damaged during night fighting. The squadron is waiting hopefully for the Germans to appear in their area. Their Beaufighters, which weigh 10 tons fully loaded, carry one ton of ammunition with a firing time of from 20 to 30 seconds. Therefore, Germans getting in their sights can expect a deadly fire. Although the squadron has been a comparatively short time together it was obvious to Mr Jordan that it was in great spirits and, given an opportunity, would soon contribute materi-

ally to the fine record already established by other New Zealand squadrons.