MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE 55, WHITEHALL, LONDON, S.W.I 13t h August, 1945. PRESS NOTICE M • .n.F . 1456 · F.ARM FIRES The Mi nistry of .Agriculture again appeal s to everyone living or worki ng i n the country to take all possible pr ecautions t o prevent t he destruction by fire of f.ann property and prod.uce, which are of vital importance to the uatio~ in the present food shortage. -· Smoking near ricks, carel essness with bonfi res, dropped cigarette ends, pi pe ashes and lighted matches have been responsible for heavy losses • .At this time of year there are rruJ..ny visitors t o t he countryside . Volunteers working at agricultural camps, boys and girls at school agricultural camps, and holiday maker s are all asked to be particularl y car eful . Every scrap of food i s needed this year. I • -No. 1 NOT FOR PUBLICJ{rION,BRO~'DC./ST, OR USE ON CLUB TlPES BEFORE 0830 B.S.T. (i.e. FOR EVENING PEPERS) ON }1iONDLY, .AUGUS'l' 13. THIS EMBJRGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSE.JJS.. BY PREFl.CING JNY MESSLGES FILED -;IITH THE 1!MB1RGO HE SLVED HUNGER.FORD BRIDGE In the London Go.zet te of June 9, 1942, v10.s o.nnounced. the ::wn.rc1 of the George Cross to Lieut. Commo.nderErnest Oliver Giel.den, G, C. , O. B. E,, G. M., R. N. V, 1(,,.of , Ne['_th, South \7cles, for 11 greut gDllontry c.nc1 und.D.unted devotion to c1utyu. Now, f or ihe first time cn.n be told. the full story which lo.y behind thD.t br ief seven-word cito.tion. During the height of the London blitz on unexploded p:::.rD.Chute mine dropped on­Hungerford r2-ilwcy bridge, Cho.ring Cross. J~t the time the mine foll, some trnins Hotel 1 mid mn.ny sleepers ·uere on fire o.nd the Chn.ring Cross/vrns burning in the bo.ckground. Underground trD.ins ho.d t o be stopped D.nd ·many buildings, including the Wm: Off:ic e were ovo.cuo.tea... Lieut• Cornm,__"ll•der ( then Lieutenn.nt) Gidden arrived on the br idge shortly ~ter d.::rm D.nd found. tho mine lying ncross the live el ectric wire at the foot of the mnin signal grntry Hith the bomb fuse ::md primer release mechanism facing clowmrnrds. The electric current from the rail had melted some of the metal around the bomb fuse and primer r el e nse mechnnism to such en extent tho.t if the fuse wns to be removed at fill, it could only be cl.one by drilling. But, before any atterapt could be macle to arrest the operation of the fuse by tho insertion of a 11 gag", a lump of mol ton metal had to be prised fron the surface of tho fuse itself. Before oper ations cf ruiy kind coulu be begun, the nine ho.U. to be turned to get 'O.t the bomb fuse. Turning tho nine wns in itself likel y 'co C..otono.te it with disnstrous results to rd.lw cy corm:n.micn.tions l1.nd importon t builc1ings. In or der to be in n position to this operation with nccurc.cy, .. control Lieut . Conun,-mcler Gid.d.m stood o.t n distmice of onJ_y 50 yards from the mine while the necesso.ry pull vrns being exertecl from n distn.nce. To Lq?precio.te the dDnger it should be understoocl tho.t the fuses· in this r:1ine nre clockwork mid lio:ble t o be actuated by the slightest vibrntion. Lieut. Commonder Gidden he.cl to stop fire:r.i.cn from plD,Ying vrnter on the sleq;i ers mi.a. trains vrhile he got t o work. The burni ng wood, however, kept giving off l oucl cracks during the whole of this delicate operntion, thus rooking it difficult t o listen for the clockwork in the fuse running which is essentiru to safety. / At l ength ... 2 ­ l.t lcnsth, tho ai.rf<'..co of the fuse wc.s successfully clec.rea. ond n 11 gag" inserted, but tho nclting hL'.d drunn.ged the part in question nnc1 the gag would not • I fit securely, a fact of' Vlh:ich Lieut,. Co;·.11xmc1or Gic1c'!en WM o..wr:.ro. Ho then o.ttonpted tc rooove the rcrc.ains Gf' the ring which hqlds the fuse in plD.ce Ytith D. hru;1ner n.nc1 chisel. At the first bl ow1 tho cilCchtcrk in tho fuse started t o rw1. Lieut. oar. Gidc1en, who hD.c1. kept his hencl. close to the fuse, hem'd. tho ticldns o.ncl mD.de off us best he could but, n.s i t wo.s nccess.:iry tc junp frcn sleeper tc sleeper with n 10-foot drop below, there ·,u.i.s 1 ittlo cho.nco of cscn,pc. By sheer .e;uod luck, tho 11 gl'..g" held. Lieut.oar. Gidden l~eturned with o. drj.ll o.ncl. succeeded. in rer:1oving the ring, but even then he fou.11.d it nocoss o.ry t o prise the fuse out with o. chisel. Normclly these ore rcnoved from a distc.nce for fc[l.t' of soBe enti-hancUing ci..ovice. This oxhibi tion of cCl!;ld.-bloodec1 courage continuec1 for six: hours until Lt.oar. Gidden had cor.r_pl eted successfully the operD.tion· of rendering the nine har:ciless. +++++++++++++++ , 13.8.45. No.2. POST OFFICE S'TI.AFF REW.ARDED FOR D~TECTIVE WORK Cou11ter clerks -,.-ho sto12 So_ving:s Ba!'.k frouds Although the Post Office hos its ownlspeciDl section for dealing vvi.th otter.1pts by the plibli? to defr·aud the. G.P.O. stoffed by detectives and . investigati.r.g experts, ma1iy of the offe nders who are c ought o-fr·c their • orrest to the ordinary men and i"iomen behind the Post Office counters ond to the telepho11is ts "'t their s·,-ritchboards • This yecir hef.lrly 180 of the st.off have been corrunended by the Postmos"Ger General ona rcw·ordcd by gifts of money. Included in the number nre 125 women. :B'rciuds ogoinst the Scivings Bank ond cittcm.pts to cosh forged· sovings stamps hove been among the cases detected by the counter st~ff r ecently , + + + + + GENER.AL POST OFFICE NOT FOR FUBLIC.ATION, BRO.ADCliST OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 0830 B. S, T. ( i.c • FOR EVfillTNG FjiPERS) ON .MQJID-4Y AUGUST 13th,1945. THIS E;;IBJIRGO SHODLD BE RESPJiX!'l'ED OVERSE,~S J3Y PREF.t~CING J.Iff 1JESS.AGES Fil.,ED WITH THE EMBARGO . BRITISH F.t~CJFIC FLEET FORMS DR.llIIIA'rIC SOCIETY Shor e-based ·per sonnel of the Britieh pocific Fleet ore forming their mv11 Royol Naval Drcimatic Society at their Syd11ey Headqua.r ters, One.of tho most enthusiostic supporters of the scheme is Lieut. Robert Qu~ntin R,N. V.R., of TW.1bridge Wells, formerly a l eciding member of' the Oxford univers{ty I)rsmatic Society ond no·,1 ottoched to the Comnwnder..in-Chiefts staff in the pacific. He hGs taken over D Sydney theatre w·hcre he plons to produce a successio11 of shows by naval actors ond 8ctresses • The iden is for the Navy per so1111el to entertain civilinl.1 audiences and for the present only 11straight" plays will be given. The venture will be self-suppor t ing • .Alt hough it will n~turally not be possible for the men of the B.P.F. to t.::ike par t in the pr oductions , Lieut . quentin plans to m::ike r ecor dings of the plays f or distribution to the ships to be reproduced over the internal ·broodcasting system. + + + + + N.AV.AL .AFFiiIRS •. LAND: .,. Bur mr1: J.::iponcso rcsist.::incc crintinuod in tho Lower Sitt.::ing sector North-o.::ist of Pcgu. Enemy. snipers -Nore .::ictivo ogoinst our patrols in tho orco of 1'Iyitkyo North-EDst of Pomvcgon on tho 1x;nks of the Sitta.ng river our troops encount er ed mochinc i_;un fire ond sniping. AgGrcssivo potrolling .::ind omlmshos inflicted o number of cosuol tics on tho enemy in this ore[l. On tho Touri..goo-ffo·;,chi ro8c1 the odvDnce continued. I n direct suppo:ct of our ground forc es , Thundcrbolts 011d Spi+,fircs ' of .Air Cor1K1.'lnd on August 11th E1ttE1ckc:l Jop[lnoso troops E[lst of tho Sittong river , bct-nccn Ky0ukkyi ond Boy8gyi. Other 3pitfiros hit o gun obsorvotion post nnd stl\rtcd o l cirgc fire vvhcn boitibing nnd strofing troop cor;oontrotions 8 t Pningkyon, North-E0st of Moulmci n. Mosquitos bomboc1 troop c0nc cntrotions Eost of Mudon (3outh of ~.Ioulmcin) , ond North of Poinnogy1:iung, on the Bilin-P0pun rood. A Sunc1urlond on Drmcd rcconn8iSsE1ncc between Koh Srunei l\hd~ I3flndcin-Bny, in tho Gulf og Sio:;n,I scor ed two direct hits on 8 co8st c:c .: