The Calais raid

He Got His Revenge Calgary Aviator Is Hero of Attack William Martyn Commended For Leading Attack on Nazi Air Base

Recent reports from England told of an heroic action carried out by a division of the Fleet Air Arm led by a young Canadian officer. The action consisted of the bombing of an aerial base and gun emplacements established by the Nazis at Calais.

Leader of the action who, according to dispatches, flew over the scene photographing the wreckage after dropping his load of bombs, has been established as a Calgary youth, Lieutenant William H. Martyn, Royal Navy (Air Arm), 24-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. M. Martyn, of 1608 Thirteenth avenue west.

Mrs. Martyn today said, “We heard over the B.B.C. news broadcasts from London of the daring action of the young Canadian, and of course, we hoped it was our son. Just wishful thinking on our part, it seemed at the time, but today we received a bundle of English newspapers telling the whole story, which proves our suspicions were true.”

MORE IN PAPERS

Because it seems that the English newspapers can print more than the boys are allowed to say, or try to say, in their letters, Mrs. Martyn said her son's last letter, dated June 23, gave only a suggestion of the engagement. It said, “Admiral Davies flew over to congratulate us, and everybody is very pleased.”

The English newspapers reveal that the facts were these: the actual gun emplacement was first discovered by Lieut. Martyn as he flew over the area at less than 1,000 feet, taking photographs. On that occasion he was fired upon by the Nazi ground defences which tore holes in the wings, ripped the fusilage and injured his navigator when a small shell exploded inside the plane.

In spite of the damage to his plane Lieut. Martyn piloted it safely back to the English seacoast. There the holes were patched up and swastikas painted over them to mark the place where German bullets had torn through. After five days' leave Lieut. Martyn was ready to take off again, and this time, as the papers describe it, “he got his revenge”.

LEADS ATTACK

Leading the attack in which planes from the Fleet Air Arm and Royal Air Force took part he swung over the gun emplacement, in the face of heavy defence fire, dropped his load of bombs and then circled over the scene of the wreckage taking photographs. One of the planes that was with him failed to return.

Lieut. Martyn joined the Royal Air Force in 1936 and in the summer of '38 was transferred to the Fleet Air Arm. He has since spent a year and a half in the Mediterranean, helped in the evacuation of Dunkirk and has taken part in engagements ranging from the Arctic Circle almost to the equator. He received his schooling at Sunalta and Central High schools, Calgary, and took a course in aeronautics at the Provincial Institute of Technology and Art.

Headline is in three parts, joined here: kicker 'He Got His Revenge', main head 'Calgary Aviator Is Hero of Attack', sub-head 'William Martyn Commended For Leading Attack on Nazi Air Base'. Printed middle initial is 'H.' ('William H. Martyn'). 'fusilage' is the printed spelling. 'MORE IN PAPERS' and 'LEADS ATTACK' are bold sub-headings, given as their own paragraphs. The adjoining article in the right-hand columns ('Blue Yank Tops Thoroughbred Entries At Fair', horse show results) is not part of this cutting and is left out. The photo/first paragraph block of the article is in the left column only.