BRITISH ENDURANCE

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 69, 18 April 1941, Page 5

BRITISH ENDURANCE

New Zealand Troops’ Admiration

AIR BATTLES WITNESSED

Sincere admiration for the people of Britain for their 'stoic endurance of wartime hardship, and regret that they had had to return to New Zealand before victory was won, were the principal reactions expressed by mem hers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who have arrived in Auckland, after being invalided home from Britain. Many of the men expressed the hope that treatment in the Dominion would fit them to return overseas, and to see action before the end of the war. “Much has been published about the marvellous spirit of the people of Britain, but they have to be seen during a raid for it 'to ; be fully appreciated,” said a corporal. “In t-he East. End of ..'(London, where hundreds of bombs -have' fallen, children continue to play in the streets while the raiders are over, unless they are chased, to their, shelters by wardens. Poor people refuse to move and, instead of running for shelter when the sirens sound, they come out into the streets, shake their fists at the raiders, and shout abuse at the German fliers. Several of the New Zealand soldiers who have returned witnessed last year’s “blitz.” A private said he was in London on the day a German Dor nier came out. of the clouds and tried to bomb Buckingham Palace. Before the German could regain the cover that the low clouds provided, a Spitfire caught up with him, fired a burst, and sent the Dornier down. Other New .Zealanders among the party- were stationed near the South Coast of England when the Germans were making their mass daylight raids toward the end of last August, and in September. They all expressed the greatest admiration for the skill and courage of the pilots of the Royal Air Force, and mentioned that many New Zealanders had already won great distinction. •

. “On the day that the Royal Air Force downed 185 Nazi warplanes, the start was anything but good,” a corporal said, .“‘ln the region of Dover we saw the Germans coming over in a great ma s. with bombers sandwiched between la; trs of fighters. Three of our Spitfires went into this vast German force to bioak the formation, an'd were promptly 7 hot down. We saw the, fall, and thought that at last the Germans had proved too good for our chaps.

"Then more Spitfires, joined by Hurricanes, came from nearby aerodromes to take on the Germans, and

went through the enemy formation like ■harp knives. The air was full of wheeling aeroplanes. German bombers clumped their bombs in an effort to get clear, being at the mercy of our fighters when they spoiled the enemy formation. "The British fighters wade'd right in, and German fighters and bombers started falling in all directions.' Some landed in the sea. and crash-boats went out and fished the crews from the water. Others crashed on land, an'd for hours they came down at the rate of one every eight minutes.”