Newspaper Article 1941 – Two Recent Victories Revealed

Two Recent Victories Revealed

LONDON, Sept, 9.

A Hastings airman, Pilot-Officer R.S. Masters, who is the only New Zealander in the Madras Presidency Fighter Squadron, shot down two Nazi aircraft on two successive days recently.

“On the first day,” he said, “we were out on convoy patrol and were circling above a fairly long line of shipping. There was a good deal of low cloud. Suddenly we saw two Dornier “215’s” diving out of the clouds, and we selected one each. I went for the first one. He had dropped his bombs into the sea and was climbing for the clouds when I got after him.

“I managed to get in three bursts at him, and as I broke away from the last attack I finished up in the clouds. I could see smoke pouring out of him, and I got covered in oil. When I came out of the clouds again I saw a patch of debris on the water – all that remained of him.

“On the next day I was out searching for one of our chaps who was shot into the sea off Cherbourg. I saw two Heinkel “59’s” – which the Germans use for rescue work – flying about, and I saw a Spitfire up above having a dog-fight with two ME. “109’s”. One of the ME’s. came after me firing cannon shells. I managed to get out of the way, and after a bit of manoeuvring I got on his tail.

“He kept at sea level and made for the French coast, but I was able to catch him up and give him two […] bursts. He went into the sea.