260966 Malcolm Albert Peterson DFC, CdG.Royal New Zealand Air Force No. 138 Squadron from:Wellington, NZ I know so little about my father Malcolm Peterson's war record. I have his log books and I know he trained to be a pilot in Blenheim NZ before travelling via Canada to Britain where he first joined 51 Squadron in Sept 1941, during which time he flew on bombing ops over Europe. Following that he joined No. 138 Squadron in January 1942, and this is where the information becomes sketchy because his logbook states 'ops as ordered', rather than mentioning towns which were bombed as happened during the time with 51 Squadron. I think this is when he was with SOE flying out of RAF Stradishall.
From July 1942 there was a stint at No. 10 OTU Abingdon followed by one at No.24 OTU Honeybourne, and on 14th February 1943 a crash at RAF Greenham Common, where the aircraft was totally destroyed. There were no injuries sustained by the crew, but my father was very badly injured and out of the war for 10 months. He recuperated at Stretton Hall, Staffordshire where he met my mother who was a nurse there. There seems to have been a long period of training when my father returned to the war, and finally he joined No. 692 Squadron in Feb 1945.
He was awarded the DFC and also the Croix de Geurre avec palme for his war efforts.
|