Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 8, 2023 17:23:35 GMT 12
AERIAL BATTLES
EXPERIENCE AT MALTA
DOMINION SPITFIRE PILOT
Experiences at Malta, including being twice shot down, while the battle for the island was at its height in the middle of last year, were related by a New Zealand fighter pilot, Warrant-Officer M. C. Conway, who has returned to the Dominion on sick leave. Warrant-Officer Conway, a racing journalist who is well known in Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the middle of 1940, completed his training in the Dominion and has been on service in England, Ireland, Scotland and Malta.
To Malta he gave the palm as the hardest place to live in that he knows of, and there he found a higher proportion of New Zealanders than anywhere else. He flew to Malta in April last year with the second batch of Spitfires to be carried within flying range by the United States aircraft-carrier Wasp, operating from Gibraltar. At the time of his arrival the establishment of Malta was so reduced by casualties that it had only six aircraft in fighting condition. There were over 50 Spitfires in this delivery, four of them being flown by New Zealanders.
Flight Into Malta
From the Wasp to Malta was 700 miles, which is far beyond the normal range of the Spitfires, so that they had to be equipped with extra fuel tanks. Their course took them past the Italian base of Pantellaria.
"The Italians came up and had a look at us," said Warrant-Officer Conway, "but when they saw we were a large bunch of Spitfires they went down again."
The arrival at Malta was sensational. The Spitfires were just over the base, with no fuel left to give fight with, when they were "jumped on" by large numbers of German Messerschmitts, seven of which were shot down.
In the following week the Battle of Malta reached its highest pitch, the enemy losing 112 aircraft against four of the Malta aerial garrison, of which Warrant-Officer Conway's was one. Five days after his arrival his aircraft was shot down. Spinning from 18,000ft., he managed to bale out when only 200 ft. above the sea — one of the shortest parachute drops ever made successfully. He could not get at his dinghy and spent five hours in the sea. He was unconscious when picked up.
Injuries to Spine
Warrant-Officer Conway said that he owed his life on a subsequent occasion to Pilot-Officer R. Sim, of Gisborne. They were engaged in a "dog-fight" half-way to Sicily when Warrant-Officer Conway was slightly injured and his aircraft badly damaged, and Pilot Officer Sim shot a German plane off his tail. This engagement ended his flying career for the time being, for, trying to land his damaged plane at Malta, he struck a stonewall and received spinal injuries. That was at the end of June and he lay in plaster until the middle of November.
During the period Warrant-Officer Conway was at Malta food was extremely scarce and there was little respite from bombing. The German attack was most formidable. The Italian fighter aircraft were described as excellent, but the pilots lacking in resolution.
The Italian bombers were not good.
Among many New Zealanders who were at Malta, Warrant-Oflfcer Conway mentioned two who wore considered particularly brilliant young pilots and well on the way to making names for themselves as aces when they were killed. They were Pilot-Officer Walter Caldwell, of Wanganui. who had a tally of four victories in a very short time, and Sergeant-Pilot Jack McConnell, of Gisborne, who had three.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 29 JANUARY 1943
EXPERIENCE AT MALTA
DOMINION SPITFIRE PILOT
Experiences at Malta, including being twice shot down, while the battle for the island was at its height in the middle of last year, were related by a New Zealand fighter pilot, Warrant-Officer M. C. Conway, who has returned to the Dominion on sick leave. Warrant-Officer Conway, a racing journalist who is well known in Taranaki and Hawke's Bay, joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force in the middle of 1940, completed his training in the Dominion and has been on service in England, Ireland, Scotland and Malta.
To Malta he gave the palm as the hardest place to live in that he knows of, and there he found a higher proportion of New Zealanders than anywhere else. He flew to Malta in April last year with the second batch of Spitfires to be carried within flying range by the United States aircraft-carrier Wasp, operating from Gibraltar. At the time of his arrival the establishment of Malta was so reduced by casualties that it had only six aircraft in fighting condition. There were over 50 Spitfires in this delivery, four of them being flown by New Zealanders.
Flight Into Malta
From the Wasp to Malta was 700 miles, which is far beyond the normal range of the Spitfires, so that they had to be equipped with extra fuel tanks. Their course took them past the Italian base of Pantellaria.
"The Italians came up and had a look at us," said Warrant-Officer Conway, "but when they saw we were a large bunch of Spitfires they went down again."
The arrival at Malta was sensational. The Spitfires were just over the base, with no fuel left to give fight with, when they were "jumped on" by large numbers of German Messerschmitts, seven of which were shot down.
In the following week the Battle of Malta reached its highest pitch, the enemy losing 112 aircraft against four of the Malta aerial garrison, of which Warrant-Officer Conway's was one. Five days after his arrival his aircraft was shot down. Spinning from 18,000ft., he managed to bale out when only 200 ft. above the sea — one of the shortest parachute drops ever made successfully. He could not get at his dinghy and spent five hours in the sea. He was unconscious when picked up.
Injuries to Spine
Warrant-Officer Conway said that he owed his life on a subsequent occasion to Pilot-Officer R. Sim, of Gisborne. They were engaged in a "dog-fight" half-way to Sicily when Warrant-Officer Conway was slightly injured and his aircraft badly damaged, and Pilot Officer Sim shot a German plane off his tail. This engagement ended his flying career for the time being, for, trying to land his damaged plane at Malta, he struck a stonewall and received spinal injuries. That was at the end of June and he lay in plaster until the middle of November.
During the period Warrant-Officer Conway was at Malta food was extremely scarce and there was little respite from bombing. The German attack was most formidable. The Italian fighter aircraft were described as excellent, but the pilots lacking in resolution.
The Italian bombers were not good.
Among many New Zealanders who were at Malta, Warrant-Oflfcer Conway mentioned two who wore considered particularly brilliant young pilots and well on the way to making names for themselves as aces when they were killed. They were Pilot-Officer Walter Caldwell, of Wanganui. who had a tally of four victories in a very short time, and Sergeant-Pilot Jack McConnell, of Gisborne, who had three.
NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 29 JANUARY 1943
