319

MRP/NF

41314: Flight Sergeant Geoffery Ernest Dale.
PARENTS: Mr. & Mrs. E. J. Dale of Whangarei.

Geoffery Dale was born in Auckland on the 27th December, 1916. He received his secondary education at the Whangarei High School, and later, at the same school, took a commercial course at evening classes. As a sportsman he was interested in athletics, gymnastics, rifle-shooting and yachting. At the time of his enlistment he was a printer and was employed by the Northern Publishing Company, Whangarei.

F/Sgt. Dale applied for aircrew training on the 27th April, 1940, and eventually entered the Ground Training School, Levin, in January, 1941, as an airman pilot. At the conclusion of his initial training he was posted, on the 2nd March, to No. 4 Elementary Flying Training School, Whenuapai, and in April to No. 3 Flying Training School, Ohakea. On the 24th May, 1941, he was awarded his flying badge, and early in July promoted to Sergeant. Later in the month he embarked for the United Kingdom.

F/Sgt. Dale on arrival in England was posted, on the 16th September, 1941, to No. 10 Operational Training Unit, with which unit he trained on Whitley aircraft at Stanton Harcourt, Oxfordshire, and later at Abingdon, Berkshire, from which station he took part in a bombing attack on St. Nazaire, France. On the 21st November in the same year, he proceeded to No. 61 Squadron, Woolfox Lodge, Rutland, where he was engaged on flying duties on Manchester and Lancaster aircraft. With this Squadron, besides several minelaying operations, an Atlantic anti-submarine patrol, and a strike on enemy shipping in the Bay of Biscay, he carried out numerous raids on towns in enemy territory. The targets included Emden, Mannheim, Kiel, Essen, Bremen, and Frankfurt in Germany, and Brest and Paris in occupied France. On one occasion, while dropping incendiary bombs on the