GALLANTRY ACCLAIMED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 162, 13 July 1942, Page 5

GALLANTRY ACCLAIMED

AIR EXPLOITS IN NORTHERN AUSTRALIA (Special Australian Correspondent—N.Z.P.A.) (Recd. 10 p.m.) Sydney, July 12. A senior American Army Air Force officer and a young Australian air-gunner are being acclaimed for tbeir gallantry in the northern air war. The American is Brigadier-General A. L. Sneed, who has been awarded the Silver Star decoration, and the Australian is a 19-year-old Tasmanian. Sergeant Trevor Wise, of Hobart. ‘ Personal leadership as exemplified here 's an excellent builder of morale and is in true keeping with the American spirit of offensive warfare,” is the tribute paid in the citation covering the exploits of Brigadier-General Sneed, who took personal command of a flight of Flying Fortresses which raided Koepang on May 8 and 20. These raids were disastrous to the enemy ground installations and personnel. When 18 Zeros attacked Allied bombers returning from Lae recently, Sergt. Wise became the hero of his squadron. He was wounded in both legs when three fighters sprayed his olane with cannon-shells and tracers, setting it on fire and putting the port engine out of commission. Though unable to move, Sergt. Wise fought the flames with a fire-extinguisher until he put them out. He brought down one attacking Zero with gunfire. He refused to occupy the life-raft when the machine was forced down into the sea because it was required to carry the crew’s emergency rations He swam three miles to the shore despite the pain of h's wounded legs.