21/10/39 -NOo l~ TELL THE POLICE The Air Ministry announces: w• The public are reminded that any civilian who sees an enemy aircraft land in this country, whether it is damaged or noty is asked immediately to inform the police. Enemy aircraft which fall into our hands may, when examined by technical experts, provide valuable information. It is important, therefore, that they should not be interfered with, that parts should under no circumstances be taken away as souvenirs, and that everything should be left for expert investigation precisely as found after the aircraft landed or crashed. FROM AIR AFFAIRS. 21/10/39, No. 2. PRESS NOTICE. In the Ministry of Shi:'.;)ping Announcement made yester•day (Oct.20th) dealing with Sir John Gilmour's meeting with representatives of' the officers and men of the Merchant Service, the reference to the 11 Ministry of Shipping Admiralty Council" should have been 11Ministry of Shipping Advisory Council". MINISTRY OF SHIPPING. 21/10/39 -No. 4. El·1PIRE SECTION. CARNIJGE~ FUND GIFT TO CEYLON. 'A6. 500 FOR EDUCATIONiuJ CII'r.CM.A. & RADIO. A .repor t just received from the Governor of Ceylon gives an account of the latest benefit to flow from the Carnegie Corporation of New York~ who have made a grant of $6,500 for the provision of radio and cinema facilities in the rural schools of the Island. Among the technical equipment made available by their generosity is a travelling cinema van, which since last March has shown five educational films a week to adult classes in the village schools up and down the country. Many thousands of peoplej most of whom were seeing a cinema for the first time, had an "eye-opener" and gave the pictures an awed and enthusiastic reception. This gift from the Carnegie Fund has made the popularity of the rural classes for adults immensely popular.. Since the trave.lling cinema van was received, these classes have increased by 50 per cent. The work of the Carnegie Corporation was first extended to the British Colonies in 1917, when a capital fund of 10 million dollars was set aside for educational purposes. ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. 21/10/39 -No. 5 MINISTRY OF SHIPPING ANNOUNCEMENT The Minister of Shipping, Sir John Gilmour, has appointed Sir Douglas Thomson, M.P., to be his Parliamentary Private Secretary, and Mr. F.H. Keenlyside of the Ministry of Shipping to be his Private Secretary. The Director-General of the Ministry of Shipping, Sir Cyril Hurcomb, has appointed Mr. S.R. Walton of the Ministry of Shipping to be his Private Secretary. MINISTRY OF SHIPPING 21/10/39.-No. 6. PRESS NOTICE. The following is communicated to the Press at the r equest of the survivors of H. M. s. "Hoyf:'.l 02k11 .: i!The survivors of H. tL S. "Royal Oak" wish to :tho.nk the people of Thurso who have so magnificently comG to our 2ssistance. ' 1The outstanding hospitality shewn to us Rll will never be forgotten and our stQy with you has been made exceptionally pleasrmt. ;iWe would especially like to thank those kind people who could ill afford the extra burden. "For all this we wish to sny how tr,:i.ly grnteful we are to you all. ;rMo.y we all meet nga.in under more pleasant circumstnnces. 11 Admirnlty, Whitehall, s. w. 1. 21st. October~ 1939· 21.10.39 -No. 7~ EMPIRE SECTION MERCHANT SHIPvS BATTLE: WITH U-BOAT HOLED AND LEFT FOR DESTROYER TO FINISH The first story of a fight between o. German U-Boat and o. British armed merchant ship has the right ending --the sinking of the submarine. An account of this sea duel has reached Malta House in London from I"r.tonio Cuto.jar, a Maltese seaman V!ho sailed as firemo.n of a British trader bound fpom the Bristol Channel to South J.imerica. The ship was attacked by R U-Boo.t and at once brought her gun into action. She defended herself so well in the hot exchange that the subm8.rine was holed. Before long the merchant ship had a reinforcement that quickly decided the b~ttle. A British destroyer came over the horizon at full speed and the U-Boat, unable to submerge with a a_amaged hull, was at the warship's mercy. The destroyer says Antonio Cutajarj who returned to Cardiff after his short and exciting voyage, 11 had no difficulty in finishing the U-Boat off". ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. 21.10.39 -No. 8. EMPIRE SECTION THE WOMEN OF MALTA UNSTINTED VOLUNTARY SERVICE. Malta, thnt vitally important island, situated midway between the shores of Sicily and North Africa, may well be proud of its war effort, and the part that the women of Malta are playing. The visitor to Malta jrn familiar with the shy Maltese lady, screening herself behind the umbrella-like hood of her native dress. But, despite the sheltered l.ives they lead in days of peace, the women of Malta have been quick to respond to the call for National service first made to them during the anxious days of September 1938. ' They ar e ready and eager to help the Empire's cause, under the leadership of Lady Bonham Carter and Lady Jackson. During the September crises of last year, a National Register for voluntary service was started at the Governer's Palace, and women enrolled for nursing, child welfare, needlework, canteen, secretarial and general domestic work. Now the Women's Auxiliary Reserve has come into being; 328 Maltese women have passed their First Aid Course, 453 the Home Nursing Course, and 650 have volunteered to help in Hospitals. Apart from this, 198 women Air Wardens have attended Air instructional courses, 300 V.A.D. 's have joined up and 1259 have volunteered as secretaries, interpreters, canteen workers etc. Every day these numbers are increasing. Many qualified women have already t aken positions at the Dockyard for cyphering and decodL1g uork, and thus released men for more active duties. ISSUED THROUGH THE PRESS BUREAU. ------·----...... 21/10/39. -No. 9. :CHPIRE SECTION. SIEHRA Lnom~ RAIS:SS ITS orm DEFENCE GORPS. Sir Douglas Jardine 9 Governor of Sierra Leone, has found ready proof of the loyalty of the native population under his rule. They are eagerly enlisting in a Sierra Leone Defence Corps. This has been founded to assist the standing military forces in time of war by carrying out the essential duties of guards, signallers, transpor t drivers and coast watchers; and is ready~ moreover, to act as an au:x:iliary force for "active service11 should the need arise. More than half the population of Sierra Leone is descended from Africans liberated in the days of slavery. Over 150 years ago Sierra Leone , which can claim, in Freetown, West Africa's finest harbour, was ceded to the British Crown by the native chiefs who believed that under the British flag a safe asylum would be found for their fellow-Africans, escaping from the horrors of the slave-shi~s, or returning from European or American shores to the country of their origin. ISSUED THROUGH THl~ PRCSS BUREAU. - 21,10.39 -No. 10. I:T1PIRE S!:i.:CTION. Ci lliA.DA lND RIVERD.hLE MISSION. Interest in the Air Training Scheme in Canada has been renewed by the arrival of the Riverdale Mission. The attitude may be summed up by a comment of the Ottawa Journal, "a tremendous contribution to the success of the war e.nd to Canc.da' s own industries and employment." .. . . . . ... . .. . . ISSUED THROUGH THI: PRI:SS BUREJ,U • . .. -~-­ \) T}'JE FROG~~ss or Ttlli ~-0\R ./ An e.ck1ress to be broac1cnst by 'che 3t. Lon. L::oslie Hore-Belis:b..a, Secreta.ry of Sta te for ·,-:o_r, at ~.15 p.m. on Satu1~aay, Cctober 21st, 1939. (i1Tot to be publishcc1 before t[l..at time) ·.:::onight marks the close of the seventh week ef the war. Hitler had fixed in e.dvance the c1ay o:i:, his assault and Poland, endeavouring to resist the devastation of her homes, was he.1~.cied. Her army was destroyed, but the memory of i-~s valour is indestructible. Th' aggressor calculated tha t such swift and ruthless action in the East would intimidate the friends of Poland in the riest. But it was not in the character of either ?ranee or Britain to desert an ally. Tomorrow Yiill be the seven.th Sunday since our Prime Liinister, who had exhausted every means of conciliation, announceo. that Gernr.ey had rejected our ultirna.tum to withc1raw her troops from Poland, and that our task thence-forwara.. h..ad become nothing less than this -11 to recleem Europe from the perpetual anc1 recurring fear of German aggression anc1 to enable the peoples of Eu.rope to prcs~rve their independence and their liberties". That is a great task -a supreme task -and the vrar will not end until it is completed. ':ie have settled dovrn -each one of us -to play our appropriate part and the virtue rrost required of all is the virtue of patience. Everybody is a participant in this 1-var. Our confidence anc1 our faith in the rrotive which inspires us are our arm:>ur on the Home ;;ront. Three courses are open to Nazi Gennany:­ To try_and srm..sh through by l and, sea and air; to remain quiescent in the hope that we will ~.c,,,,.c, ~u_._'ely take up the oftensive . t ~ 1 ~ agains or to ure ua into the discussion ox s9ecious terms of peace. I will examine these course8 one by one. :2ecent/ Recent military experience shons tbat an offensive against prepared positions is unprofitable. Poland had no lviaginot Line on which to vrithstand the heavy onslat:.ght made against her. On the Western Front there are strong defences and they become stronger every day. The enell\Y will pay dearly for any massed attack upon them. Our Comr1iu1ders are not likely, in advance of the time that suits them, to risk unnecessarily the lives of those who compose our Armies. Consequently up to the present this vrar has differed from .our preconceptions. \Te thought, perhaps, that more vrould happen -decisive ba.tt~es ·by land, sea and airo On the Home Front we expected to be brought nearer and more quickly to a grim reality. There have been many night and day ready for action. It is, however, no:t a disadvantage that seven weeks have passed without the need for implementing the purpose of our comprehen;sive preparations. Despite the apparent inactivity decisive developments have in fact occur:;.~ed which should not escape our notice. The constant cry of Nazi Gerrrany has been since its inception : 1Cive us a free hand in the East! 11 ';;here was a long agenda of conq_uests to be made in that direction. Poland was but an i tern. The Baltic States were to be dominated, but from these Gennan na tionals are now in retreat. Russia has claimed this sphere of influence. The cornfields of the Ukraine were coveted. Russia has ire.de/ rll8.c1e sure of this har vest. '.l'hrough Poland Fazi Gerrmny ·v;as to have an entrance to Roumania. This entrance bas been 'barred -by Russia. "Berlin -Baghdad ! 11 • 'l'urkey alone could be the avenue to this am.bition. l'uricey a b1~ave ::mc1 :;.~espectec1 friend, stands firmly in the path. Iraq is our loyal and unshakeable ally. Nazi Ger:r.i.any can assess her ee,stern balance sheet after e.even weeks of war. 'furning now to the riest, the ex-pulsion of Nazi German conunerce from the sea is incontrovertible. \·e have lost a fraction of our toru1.a.ge -less than lr°0• ·.·: e still have 21 million tons of shipping of our O\vn. ;·;e have lost two important ships of the Fleet. Valiant lives have been forfeited in the sea as in the air. 1Te do not underestimate this sac_·ifice. Our Auxiliary Air J!orce, as one of the pilots, I hear, Plt . it, lost its amateur s tatus at ::-Cosyth this week, and on its first opportunittJ, assisted by the A.A.guns, giving their baptism of fire, accounted for one in four of the invaders. ·.!"ith the help of the Mercantile Marine, the British Expeditionary i?orce has been safely an:1 silently carried to France. It is the vanguard of the Great P,,xmy mw training in Britain. This/ This in its turn will be increased by Militiamen in their age groups -another 250,000 r egistered today -and by volunteers of all ages fit for military service. Of these we have already ta.ken 50,000. I may add that our armies will be officered in the future almost entirely by promotions from the ranks. The final .m8£nitude of our effort will depend on the extent to which factories can supply equipment and munitions for our men. I appeal to them -to their workmen and directors -to intens:ify their part. The Dominions are maki ng ready their contingents to stand beside our own. They never fail to emphasize our solidarity. Their Ministers are even now on their way to London-to discuss the best means of consolidating the Imperial effort. Indian troops are in position at several strategic points. India and all other parts of the Bmpire are anxious to take an increasing share. As the days pass, Nazi Gennany must watch this gathering momentum and r ealise that time i s on the side of 1'1rance, of Britain and the Empire. I will now speak of the third course by which the enemy may try to escape from the venture on which he started. It is the one against which we must be most carefully on our guard. No peace proposals, which rely for their sanction on a broken word can be considered. ~-L.~.J.~ Nothing but t~Fblislrn":nT:f a new order, from whioh the menace of Nazi oppression is removed, can justify us in laying down our arms. There is somethint:, more, something greater, in this war than a combat b0tween opposing armies; something more eternal than a grapple in the skies between the Spitfires of Britain and the Heinkels of Nazi Germany; something more desperate than a death strugble between the U Boats and the Destroyers. There/ The::;re is a conflict between the forces of good and the forces of evil, and what has to be determined is which shall possess the soul of countries and of man. We did not enter the fight merely to reconstitute Czecho-Slovakia. Nor do we fii:,ht merely to reconstitute a Polish State. Our a.irns are not defined by geographical frontiers. Vie are concerned with the frontiers of the human spirit. This is no war about a rr.ap , Jt is a war to re-establish the conditions in which nations and individual s -~_ncluding (may I say?) the German nation anci. in~:ivicluals ··· can live or live again. There can be no question of our wavering in any degree. This tyranny, whose challenge we have accepted, must and will be abased. Those who take up the sword arc said to p0rish by the sword. Yet there have been those, usin1.;. this wea)on, who have been entitled to respect. Al exander t he Gr uc;.t, was a conqueror, but he spread the · riches of Greek civilisation to the Urient. Caesar was a conqueror, but he extended the justice of Roman Law. Napoleon was a conqueroj:, ·out he carried some principles of enlightenment with his standards. What boon does the leader of Na.zi Gennany bring? Yihat iota of happiness has he branted even to Austria, a German speaking people? l<'or what will he be rerner11ber ed? l<'or his tortures, for his concentration camps, for his secret police, for his ignoble: effort to spin Europe into a web of racie.1 llc...tred. and relibious persecution. Only the defeat of Nazi Germany can lit,hten the darkness which now shrouds our citie::s and lit.hten the: horizon for all Europe and the world. 21LlQL_39____ _-::_.___l!Q,.!J1.• THE AIR liINISTRY Ai\fD IHHISTHY OF HOME SECURITYJlJJIOUNCE : -. Two unidentified aircraft 17ere observed approaching the east coast soon alter 2 p.m. Fighter· aircrni't v\rere sent up to intercept and air raid warnings were sounded in the Hull ancl Grimsby areas about 2. 30. The all clear signal was given in both areas about half an hotw later. MINISTRY OF SUPPLY. PRESS NOTICE. \~!OOL CONTROL. 1. Under the Defence Regulations, 1939, the Minister of Supply has made two further Orders in regard to the control of supplies and prices of raw wool, tops, broken tops, noils and combing laps. 2. The first of these Orders (the Control or Wool (No.4) Order, 1939) has effect from 22nd October, 1939, and brings into force as from that date a new schedule of maximum wool prices. The maximum price schedule does not apply to any wool sold for delivery outside the United Kingdom. Wool processed in the Orkney Islands, the Shetland Islands or the Outer Hebrides is now excluded from Control. 3. The second Order (the Control of Wool (No.5) Order, 1939) relates to the requisitioning of imported merino and crossbred wool and tops, broken tops, noils or combing laps produced from such wool, and directs that all materials of the above descriptions which are in the United Kingdom on the 22nd October, 1939, or which shall arrive in the United Kingdom on or after the 23rd October,19391 shall not be sold except to the Minister of Supply, and shall be held at the disposal of the Minister. The Order also provides that a return shall at once be made to the Controller, the Wool Control, Bradford, of the descri::!tion~ quantities, q_ualities and condition of these wools which are in the United Kingdom on 22nd October, and of such wools which shall arrive on or after 23rd October. Owners of wool subject to the Order are r equired to comply with any directions issued as to the remov2l, transport, keeping, storage, disposal, or delivery of such wool. /MatePials Materials which on the 22nd October are in the possession of a manufacturer in the United Kingdom, or of anyone in the United Kingdom on his behalf, for conversion by him in the United Kingdom, or by anyone in the United Kingdom on his behalf, into yarn or fabric, are excluded from the scope of the order. 4. Firms concerned should receive on :Monday, 23rd October, full particulars of the above matters from the \Vool Controller, including a schedule showing the prices at which wool will be i ssued to the trade. 5. Copies of these Orders will shortly be on sale and may be obtained through H. M. Stationery Office or any bookseller at the usual published price. 6. All enquiries should be ada_ressed to the Wool Control, Bradford.. Issued throu~~h The Presr-> and Censorship Bur eau, 21st October, 1939. Ministry of Supj:ily, Adelphi, \'!. c. 2. •. B.522. 21/10/39 No 14 MEifISTRY OF FOOD ANNOUNCEMENT Licensinp of Bacon Factories, Under an Order recently made by the Ministry of Food i the production of bacon and hams, after an aDpointed day, may only be carried on by nersons licensed by the Ministry and in premises specified in the licence. The appointed day, which will coincide approximately with the commencement of rationing of bacon, will be announced in due courseo The Ministry of Food does not intend to grant licences in respect of any pr emises unless, on September 1st, 1939, they were covere~ by a licence issued by the Bacon Development Board under the Bacon Industry Act, 1938, and inthe case of premises which were so licensed, unless the aver age quantity ofbacon and hams (excluding pickled pork) produced on the premises during 1938 exceeded 15 cwt. per weeko 'l>. b · 1-. :::J.. .-,J_-~ ·-(Jn:-.1 .i..!~~:.:·:::ri :":~;lios of SOli1G corarnodi ties ·-rhich come from overseas such as 111eat and bacon ancl butter'. :every endeavour is beinG made with the 8.Ssistance of the trading organization to distri1Jute su:iplies f&irly throuJhou.t the couI1try, and the system of 11rice control ensures the ::-_:rnblic against any avoid~ble rise of prices. Distribution of the foods to be r ationed Fill be eo.siei-when the rationing scheme is introduced. It is no\7 in an advanced state of pre1Jaration. The pttblic are ei.sl:ecl t o meet temporary inconveniences by tu1'ning to alterrw.tivt: su~1-..;lies. 21/10/=-9 -No. 16• .AMERICAN VI8ITORS .AT R. /1. • F. TRAINING SCHOOL . DURING .A VISIT RO AN R.A.F. FLYING TRAINING SCHOOL. A party of visitors from the United States were interested to see n number of .American aircraft being assembled. These aircraft had been delivered before the war and are being assembled under .American supervision. They nre of a high-speed, single-engined type suitable for advanced flying training. The party, which included General Miles . United States Military Attache: Colonel Scanlon, United States .Air Attache and Major MacDonald, Assistant Air .Attache, had the R. A.F. training system explained to them by the .Air Officer Commanding­-in-chief, Training Command. They saw the training school at ordinary routine work and inspected the link trniner, which originated in the United Stateso This device consists of a model fuselage complete with small wings E'nd control services mounted on bellows contnined within a small turntable in such a way as it can be mnde to climb9 dive9 bank 8.nd turn exactly in the srune mrmner as a normal aeroplane. In the trainer is a pilot's cockpit containing the normal controls, throttle, rudder and control column, together with a panel of the full range of modern instruments. The trainer is equipped with a hood so that when a pupil is i~side he has to control the machine by reference to the instruments according to the directions given by the instructor who·, seated at a desk a few feet away, is in telephonic communication with hi.rn. AIR MINISTRY. 21/10/39 -No.17 AIR MINISTRY ANNOUNCEf!!IGNT Air Attack on Convo~ Enemy aircraft were sighted this morning by a convoy in the North Sea. In response to a signal fighter aircraft were despatched and the enemy made off. This afternoon an actual attack was made on the convoy by enemy aircraft. The escort vessels opened fire and our fighters inflicted casualties on the enemy. Further information will be issued as soon as possible. AIR MINISTR~. 21'/10/39. -No. 18. ADMIRALTY AND AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN. CONVOY ATTACKED. The Admiralty and Air Ministry announce: It has now been as.certained that twelve enemy aircraft took part in the attack on the convoy in the North Sea reported earlier this evening by the Air Ministry. They were engaged by fighters and escort vessels. At least three enemy aircraft were brought down by our fighters. A fourth raider, after receiving intensive fire from our aircraft, was f orced to land on the sea. All reports arc not yet received. Our aircraft sustained no casualti es. No ship .of the convoy or escort was damaged. o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o 21(10/39 No 19 The following Communiqu~ was issued this evening from French G.H.Q.;­ To-day has merely been marked by certain artillery activity on both sides. 21,/10/39. -No, 20. The Ministry of Labour and National Service makes the following announcement:­ The provisional figures of those who registered under the National Service ( Armed Forces) Act ~~oday, Saturday, at local offices of the Ministry of Labour follows:­ and National Service we re as ENGLAND SCOTLAND HALES 1,79590. 2'3090. 12551. 1rOTAL 2'15231 . Of these the numbers provisiona lly registered as conscientious objectors were:­ ENGLAND 3728. SCOTLAND 435. WALES 393. TOTAL 4556. This is 2·1 per cent of total regis tered. Young men already in armed for ces were not required to register. Allowing f or the other exempted classes and f or persons who, because of the dist ance of their homes from the local offices, are registering by post, for seamen and fishermen, who ;~·ogistered at Mercantile Marine offices, and for persons unavoidably prevented from registering , such as, t hose nt sea, sick, or in hospital, it is clear that there has been pr actically a complete response. The reports from all the divisi ons of the Ministry of Labour and National Service indicate that the r egistrati ons passed off without inci(lent and that arrangements worked quite smoothly, largely due to the co-operation of the men. 0----------------0