IN DESERT SQUADRON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 230, 30 September 1942, Page 5

IN DESERT SQUADRON

MANY NEW ZEALAND AIRMEN WANGANUI SERGEANT AS SECOND PILOT (Official War Correspondent N.Z.E.F.) Desert Aerodrome, Sept. 28. At almost every bomber aerodrome in the -Middle East are to be found at least a lew New Zealand pilots, observers and gunners, and more often than not as many as 20 or 30. Medium and heavy bomoers are being flown, many machines being ones tne New Zealand pilots themselves brought out from England. Flying Liberators at one aerodrome are Flight-Lieutenant D. M. Rolph Smith (Auckland), and Flying-Officers J. A. H. Smith (Dannevirkej, S. J. Madill (Auckland). Sergeant R. W. L. Cargill (Wanganui), is with FlyingOfficer Smith as second pilot. Flying Halifaxes at the same aerodrome are Flying-Officers J. C. Murray (Dunedin) and W. R. Koi’oed (Outran;). Flying-Officer R. G. Burgess (Gisborne) is an observer. All took part in the first thousand-bomber raids on Cologne, Essen and Bremen. Four of these New Zealanders started their training together at a North Island station in November 1940 Kofoed, Madill, Smith and Murray. ThSy were among the first to arrive in Canada, where they were at the same school. The company was split

in England but a few months ago four were reunited in Egypt.