“KIA ORA”

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22245, 14 January 1944, Page 3

“KIA ORA”

NEW ZEALAND MASCOT

EXPLOIT BY AIRMAN POLISH VICTORIA CROSS

(Spprlal Correspondent) (Received Jan. 14, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13 “Gremlin Scarer,” his own design and painting, was the mascot used during _his operational flights by j Wing-Commander A. H. C. Boxer, j D.F.C., who recently received the Polish Victoria Cross—the Vertuti Militari—from ex-General Sosnkowski. Polish Commander-in-Chief. The design incorporated the head of a tiki, two silver ferns, and the Southern Cross, with the motto, “Kia Ora.” Wing-Commander boxer painted on it a piece of square metal, which he can bolt on any aircrai-t he is flying. “And I would not operate without it,” he admits with a grin. Wing-Commander Boxer has a great admiration for the Poles, which is evidently mutual, and formed firm friendships when he commanded a Polish flight in a Halifax squadron. He regards them as excellent operational pilots, and although he only speaks a few Polish phrases the New Zealander and the Poles could always understand one another by signs aided by broken English. In fact, he understood them so well that he was often called in as an interpreter. Summary of Service No information can be given as to how he won the Virtuti Militari—it is a Royal blue ribbon, with two black bands at either end—but here is a summary of his service record. He joined the Royal Air Force in 1938 and after being commissioned took an instructor’s course. He continued instructing on Oxfords, Ansons and Harvards until March, 1942 when he was posted to the Whitley Squadron as Flight-Lieu-tenant. Wing-Commander Boxer arrived at the squadron at 3 p.m. At 4 p.m. he attended a briefing and operated that night, bombing a tank assembly plant in France. He did fourteen raids on Whitleys, then transferred to the Halifax squadron. It was here he commanded a Polish flight as squadron-leader. By April, 1943, he had completed 21 operations in Halfaxes, making a total of 35 for the tour. For a while he commanded a satellite operational training unit station and then joined the intelligence staff at the Air Ministry, where he is now. The “Gremlin Scarer” served him in good stead in his operations. Engines Out of Order On four occasions he returned with one engine out of order, due to engine trouble or flak. One of them cut out while ’ne was on an operation which lasted 13£ hours. On another occasion he was over Southern Germany with only three engines working when a Heinkel 101 challenged him. It was probably a training aircraft, for it used flashlight morse. Wing-Commander Boxer flashed back several letters, including “5.0.5.” Eventually the aircraft drifted away from one another. Whether the “Gremlin Scarer” had anything to do with the German being put off so easily is a moot point, but at all events Wing-Com-mander Boxer insists that he will fly with his mascot on his next tour, which he hopes he will carry out beforD long. ! ;