AIR FORCE IN PACIFIC

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22478, 13 January 1943, Page 4

AIR FORCE IN PACIFIC

Tribute To Dominion Pilots Monotony Of Operations From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F. AN ADVANCED PACIFIC BASE, Dec. 16. Squadrons of the Royal New Zealand Air Force operating along the South Pacific war supply routes and into the Solomons zone itself are the first complete units of the Dominion’s armed forces to serve in any theatre of operations under United States command. The high-ranking United States Navy Officer under whom they serve is well pleased with them. He is Rear-admiral William Fitch, commander of aircraft in the South Pacific Force, who said of his New Zealand units to-day: “They are a credit to themselves and to their country.” Long reconnaissance and anti-sub-marine patrol flights calling for a high degree of navigational skill and airmanship are among the duties assigned to the New Zealand squadrons. Exactly how and where they are operating may never, in view of the very nature of their work, be made known to the public. But Rear-admiral Fitch, when I interviewed him to-day, agreed that the Dominion might find satisfaction in knowing that its air forces in the South Pacific were carrying out important tasks in a highly creditable way. At the head of a force which is winning renown with a conspicuous absence of verbal fanfare. Rear-admiral Fitch chooses his quiet words carefully. There was no trace of flattery in the compliment he paid to the New Zealanders. “Doing a Nice Job” “They are doing a very nice job,” he declared. “They have a sound conception of what is required of them, and they are carrying it out in a most satisfactory way. lam sure that whatever demands may be made of them in the future, they will meet those demands with the same efficiency and spirit of co-operation.” The commander said he realised the monotony of some of the operations which New Zealanders were carrying out in areas comparatively distant from the actual combat zone, and he understood their eagerness to take a place in the front line. They might feel that they were out of the picture, he added, but the work they were doing was nevertheless highly important. All of the New Zealand units were performing their tasks in a manner that brought credit to themselves and to their country. Rear-admiral Fitch said he treated the New Zealand squadrons exactly as he did the United States forces under his command. He made no differentiation between them, and he was pleased with the spirit of mutual cooperation that existed. When the time came to reward individual men with decorations or citations for outstanding performances, he would place the New Zealander on exactly the same basis as the American airman, the commander concluded.