Evening star., 1942-06-14
Heroes
Continued From Page Alb.

gunner. took part in the famous
Augsburg flight and raid along with
Squadron Leader Nettleton. He
comes from fighting family. His
father and brother, he said, are also
In service in South Africa.
Pilot Officer A. F. Taylor, Raj,
participated in fierce fight in the
air over Rostok, but modestly told
about it only on repeated question
ing. He admitted having flown his
burning, bullet -riddled Wellington
back to base, with his rear gunner
dead and himself wounded What
kind of a wound?" he was asked
"Only a flesh wound in the leg"
he replied with a gesture of un-
Importance. but he admitted having
been hospitalized for more than a
month.
1t. Thomas Wilson Boyd of the
Royal Navy received the Distin-
guished Service Cross for his part
in the combined operations attack
on the naval base at st. Nazaire.
He also took part in the evacua-
tion of troops at Dunkerque. After
obtaining his commission in 1910
he commanded a motor torpedo
boat. His latest assignment is in
command of motor gunboat.
Frightened by Ceremonies.
British Navy Petty Officer Harry
Howard was in charge of the en-
gine room on the former American
destroyer Campbelltown when the
British rammed it against docks at
St. Nazaire. He was below deck
and kept the engines pounding till
his craft had driven Is feet into the
dock structure, he said. Then he
remained to open valves so water
would rush in and the ship would
settle. He and his men then es-
capped through flames set by enemy
shelling over the dock and into a
small boat. He saw some of his
mates killed as they ran.
He fought also around Tobruk and
Bardia, as commander of tug used
in keeping larger vessels in shape.
When the general staff fed from
Bardia, it was his tug which took
them off. He has been under heavy
enemy fire of one type or another
at least a dozen times, but said on
arrival here he was just as frightened
by the prospect of the official cere-
monies as he was on the destroyer
Flight Sergt. Maxwell Alexander
Dick Riddell, of the RAF, youthful,
red-head, with pink cheeks, is a
veteran already of many flights over
enemy territory, in which he Oc-
cupied the dual role of radio opera
tor and gunner in bomber. In one
battle over Wilhelmshaven, Ger
many. he said the British were
attacked by seven German fighter
planes. of which I'VE shot down
two" Asked if it was his gunf1re
which hit the enemy. he modestly
replied: Il couldn't tell-all of our
guns we're firing
Airline Hostess Popular.
When Sergt. Riddell was asked
what he was going to do with his free
time today the youth responded
that I'm leaving everything to
Providence" and promptly added,
where's Mama?"
Mama" is Miss Louise Taylor, the
Pennsylvania Airlines host
ess who earned her name in Boston
when the flyers discovered she had
been quoted as saying she felt like
a mother to the heroes.
Miss Taylor, who always seems to
have at least one of the heroes how
ering nearby, left the airport yes
terday in style-riding between an
American officer and one of the
British heroes in a jeep.
The pretty young hostess says
the young men never talk to each
other about the war or their expe-
riences in it. Most of the time in
the air between cities they're very
quiet. particularly the British. she
said. With her they discuss their
girls back home" though they are
not loath to comment on the Amer
lean variety. particularly the beau
ties assembled to greet them at
evening parties.