TRIPLE DECORATION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 206, 1 September 1943, Page 5

TRIPLE DECORATION

WON BY ANOTHER N.Z. AIRMAN Reed. 6.45 p.m. London, Au;;. 30. The D.S.O. has been a warded to Squadron-Leader I). J. Scott, D.!’.( . and bar. of Greymouth, commanding officer of a New Zealand Typhoon squadron, who has shot down eight enemy aircraft. This well-deserved award places Scott in the quite long list of New Zealand airmen who have won triple decorations. It also further emphasises that New Zealanders have proved themselves among the Empire’s best lighter pilots ot this war—they are also excellent bomber pilots. There are at present in England three New Zealanders leading wings A. C. Deere, W. V. C. Compton and C. Malfroy, while Colin Gray is leading a wing, presumably at Malta. Then P. G. Jameson. I. S. Smith, E. P. Wells, R. M. Trousdale and M. Knight are now on non-operational duties, while M. V. Blake is a prisoner of war. There are also a number of distinguished New Zealand squadron leaders in addition to Scott. There are J. M. Checketts, R. D. Yule. J. Killian, E. D. Mackie, J. Clouston, J. N. Mackenzie and R. J. C. Grant. There is also M. G. Barnett, of Wellington, who recently was promoted from the New Zealand Spitfire squadron, where his place as flight commander has been filled by B. E. Gibbs, of Taihape, who is now a flight lieutenant. Unofficial records show that six New Zealanders have shot down at least 104 enemy aircraft. They are: Gray 27i, Deere 21 i. R. B. Hesselyn 16Y Compton 13 •■>, J. A. Gibson 13 and W. G. Clouston 12. Twelve more New Zealanders have shot down between them 113 planes which gives a total of 18 pilots shooting down 217 enemy machines. Another Focke Wulf 190 has been added to the New Zealand Spitfire Squadron’s score. It was shot down by Pilot-Officer J. G. Houlton, of Christchurch. It was his first German and the squadron's 56th. The New Zealanders were escorting U.S.A.A.F. Fortresses over northern France when Deere's wing was engaged in a running battle in and out of the clouds for a distance of over 40 miles, when at least 50 Focke Wulfs and Messerschmitts attacked. In the same action but in another wing, Pilot-Officer R. B. Hesselyn. D.F.M. and bar, followed up his recent successes by shooting down a Focke Wulf 190, making his total 16i.