AIR WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 80, 4 July 1941, Page 6

AIR WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST

, "r f \l • . I New Zealanders’ Part OFFENSIVES BEHIND ENEMY LINES (From The N.Z.E.F, Official War Correspondent. ) CAIRO, June 28.. On every air front in the Middle East, New Zealand pilots, navigators, gunners and observers have, during the last few months, helped to carry the war behind the German lines, while the Dominions’ men on the ground have grappled fiercely with the enemy land forces. Though no distinct New Zealand squadron exists here, New Zealand members of the R.A.F., spread in ever-growing numbers through British formations, have played worthy parts in the offensive actions launched from Mediterranean, bases. This week 1 located several of them at operational stations laid out on the yellow Egyptian desert. All we.e veterans of the. Battle for Britain and long-range attacks on Axis targets in Europe. In their few months in the Middle East they have already operated over Sicily, Greece, Crete, Libya, Iraq and the Dodecanese. Most belong to heavy bomber squadron*; and lately their . work has been con centr.ltcd on distant enemy objectives beyond the scene of British land activity in the Western ‘Desert; They look upon frequent and effective raids on Benghazi, for instance, as mere, routine, yet every such flight is less than two hours short of the time for the Atlantic crossing. A Hastings pilot officer, who captains a Wellington machine, told me proudly that his was the first British bomber over us. in Crete after the battle there began. The big Wellington flew alone through the night on a special mission at the time when the Germans had started to land troop carriers at Mai-, emi aerodrome, and the situation was extremely obscure. He spent more than an hour above the battlefield,- reconnoitring, bombing and exchanging signals with New Zealanders and, incidentally, with Germans. Germans Bluffed. “We bluffed them into thinking our plane was one of theirs,’’ he said “We lammed enemy landing operations and troop positions, after making sure where our own forces began, and the front gunner put out a landing floodlight the Germans were using. I got a real kick out of knowing that our own fellows were below me, and that I had been lucky enough to be chosen to give what help I could.” The same pilot, who instructed fighter trainees in Britain before he was transferred to heavy bombers aas also made raids on Greece, Rhodes Island and several points in Libya, where his squadron caused much of the destruction which kept the Luftwaffe out of the air during the. recent British land operations. In an adjoining ’ squadron I came across a Timaru flying officer, who has similarly sent heavy bomb-loads hurtling into many Middle East targets since he left the European front, where battle operations in France and the invasion port attacks tilled his life last year. In addition he took part in bombing work during the Iraq uprising, and his most exciting adventure there \va.< landing on an aerodrome under closerange rebel fire. It left uncomfortable close marks on his machine. The reputation he won ovei Europe for daring low-level bombing is being maintained here by a 26-years-old Wellington flying officer, who was* awarded the D.F.C. after making 30 raids from England on German targets, or in his own words, “saving up 30 coupons.”