DEAD AIRMAN HONOURED
D.F.C. TO FLIGHT-LIEUTENANT TRACEY
WESTERN DESERT RESCUE
(P.A.) WELLINGTON, October 7. Recognition of one of the most spectacular feats of the air war is given in the announcement of the award of the Distinguished Flying Cross to the late Acting Flight-lieutenant Owen Vincent Tracey, R.A.F., formerly of Dunedin. He was the officer who saw a comrade parachute from his aircraft while in combat with enemy fighters over the Western Desert. At great risk to himself Flight-lieutenant Tracey followed the parachuting airman to the ground, landed, picked him up, and brought him back to base in his fighter aircraft.
The D.F.C. is not awarded posthumously, and the decision to make the award was made before Flight-lieutenant Tracey’s death was officially presumed by the Air Ministry a short time ago. His widow resides at Harrow, Middlesex, England, and his mother is Mrs M E. Tracey, of Dunedin.
The citation accompanying the award describes the incident recorded above, and adds: Flight-lieutenant Tracey took part in a long-range fight during the Crete evacuation. In addition he led his flight in practically every operational flight his squadron carried out during the present campaign in the Western Desert. It is known that he actually destroyed six enemy aircraft, but it is thought that he accounted for many more than those officially recorded.
Flight-lieutenant Tracey, by virtue of his outstanding, keenness, proved an inspiration to all who came in contact with him. Flight-lieutenant Tracey was born in Dunedin in March, 1915, and educated at Onehunga and Oamaru. He gained his pilot's A license as a member of the Otago Aero Club early in 1937, and after being selected for a short-service commission with the R.A.F. sailed for England in June, 1939, to commence training. -Evening Star, 8/10/1942.
Owen Tracey's story is a larger one than the above, of course, and I cannot do better than the writer of this story, with photo, on the Battle of Britain London Memorial page.
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