CONVOY TO RUSSIA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22474, 8 January 1943, Page 5

CONVOY TO RUSSIA

Experiences Of New Zealander LONDON. Jan. 6. The only New Zealander serving in one destroyer which vas in the autumn convov *" —obd also pceo'—nanled the convov that took part in the landing of the army in North Africa is Able F-—nan Andrew Turnbull, of Wangaui. He is a member of a pompom gun crew. His gun brought down four fn’—'do bomb“rs during an attack on the convoy to Russia. “They appeared like a swarm of bees on the hori—m.” Able Seaman Turnbull said. The crew averaged three hours sleep daily on that trip. Later the destroyer went to Algiers, phillippeville. Bougie and Bone. “The most marvellous sight I have ever seen wss tb°t North African convoy. It was a clear sunny day. The Mediterranean was a perfect blue and every where I looked were ships, all shar"s and sizes. Our destroyer was one of the first to anchor in Algiers harbour after the commandos had landed. From then on we were divebombed continuously. Our nay-owert escape was when a Messerschmitt acted as a decoy and attempted to detract our attention in the dus” while nine dive-bombers took posiri - ' over us. They each dropped four bombs, all of which missed, one sroing within six feet of the forecastle.” Able Seaman Turnbull is shortly going to H.M.S. Alfred for a commission.