~thiopia's First Fighters SOTHER chapter in the history of the fa ire^ Finfly opened
A on September 2 0 h , when the first of a substantid number of
fly h4k Is ordered by the Ethiopian govern men^ was formally accrprcd at Ringway Airport by Lt.-Col. Ascfa, Chicf Liaison n f i r c r of the Irnnerial Erhionian Air Force. .....----Rrsplendent i n desert -ouflape--dark earth and mid-stone upper surfaces and sky undersurface-the initial batch of five airmfr. Lined up with their pilots in front of the Fairey hangars., comprised four reconnaissance-fighters and one operauonal *nrr. Each bore, in addition to preen, yellow and red national mkings on wings and fusclngc, a large black serial number on its fin, .;uccessively from 601Lo 605. . T h s e Fkflies like the ones being supplied to Thailaiid, arc rcconktioned *-I aircraft of the y'pe used.dvith~great success by the Royal Navy against ground targets in Kored. All, including the miner, arc'equippcd to carry rockets and homhs, bur nre at present ficced wiih 90-gallon long-range tanks for de!ivcry bv air to Ethiopia via Ringway, Lyons, Nice, Tunis, Tripoli, &sjhazi, El Adem, Cairo, Wadi Halfa, Khartoum and Bishofru. Leader of the ferry flight, which should be nearing completion by the time rhis is printed, is Major F.Unnberg, one of the I.E.A.F.'s Swedish insuuctors:. other machines in the formation are piloted by Lr. Col. Asefh and 2nd Lts. Joseph, Negash and Abera. A further batch of Firefiies will be delivered to Ethiopia next month; others will follow as and when they can be rcleased from service with the Royal Navy and reconditioned. They will be based at the training station of Bishoftu, which is 30 miles south a: .Addis Ababa and under the command of Col. the Count von Rosen--one of the most colourful characters in present-day aviation, whose achievements include flying for the Red Cross during the Inlo-Ethiopian War of 1935-36and a remarkable nonsrap 3,865-mile flight in a Saab Safir from Stockholm to Addis Abobz in 1947. The Fireflies will equip rhe I.E.A.F.'s first fighter squadrons, wpplcmenting the Saab 17 single-enwed attack bombers and Snah Safir and Cesna UC-78 trainers at present in service. The F'airey Aviation Cornpnny, incidentally, has prescnced an
unusual trophy for the mrkt outstanding feat of flying by pilou, crews or squadrons of the I.E.A.F. I t is a silver model of the ydditional Ethiopian lion-"the Lion of JudaY-holding, the Christian Cross. The derir. ans appmved by d c Empemr.
Helicopter Assault
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from the start of the Korean war, the use of heliALMOST copters for rescue, communication and supply services has
been an accepted procedure; but not until last week-to be precise, on Thursday, September 20th--did rotary-wing aircraft assume an assault rroopcarrying die. On this day nvclvc Sikorsky hclicoprers-prcsumably S-55suansponcd a company of infantry, with ammunition and ratrons, LO a stra~egicposition on n mountainside. T h c whole opemion, which would have occupied two days by marching, was completed in four hours without incident. T h e landings were made within range of the Communist lines, but for some reason the enemy offered no opposition. One helimptn even laid o telephonr line over the tree-tops to the new position. The success of the operation suggests that it may be the first of many others in circumstances where interception by enemy fighters or light A.A. 6re seems reasonably unlikely. THE UNITED NATIONS MEDAL. which will be owbrded
lo personnel serving with the U.N. fond, sea and air forces in Korea. The obverse beorsthe U.N. emblem and the reverse the inscription: "For Service in Defence of the Principles of the Charter of the United Nations." The ribban is blue and whire.