16.10.44 -No. 19

EXTENSION OP POSTAL SERVICE TO FRANCE

The postmaster l General announces that non-illustrated postcarcis containing messages of a purely personal or family nature - postage 2d. - may new he sent to the departments of Gironde, Landes and Basses- Pyrenees in addition bo the departments already announced.

GENERAL POST OEFIOE 16/10/44 - No. 21

Air Ministry Nc;os Service Air Ministry Bulletin No, 159%

WGASTEH (%W*S mHgttSHAW !■■ *.IW» ■■! Ulltimi *■■l.l, .1 111, I r I. II ll»l C-» ■» 11118 ■ W ■■ ■ -■•■ir»n»r . I —mw—*——**■* •' *■ I*I»I»' - <•' !■*• Over Wilhelmshaven last night, ”Z for Zebra”, a Lancaster of R.A.F. Bomber Command, was stood on its nose by a burst of flak near the tail* The Lancaster wont into a vertical dive. With his feet braced against the instrument panels, the pilot, Flight Sergeant H. Young, of Dundee, tugged at the control column but the aircraft dropped 8,000 feet before he pulled it out of the dive. The Wireless operator, Sergeant F. Holroyd, bi' Harrogate, fell feet first through a hatch the cover had been blown off as the aircraft dived. With his legs outside the aircraft, he held himself in with his elbows pressed against the side of the hatch. ' His legs were bruised and his trousers tom but he was able to hoi" on and. was pulled back into the fuselage. The mid-upper gunner was thr '■wn upwards 'gainst the done of his turret and his seat collapsed. He also saved himself from falling by wedging his elbows against sides. The a munition belts for the rear-guns came to pieces, the bullets were thrown all over the interior and the belts wound themselves around the guns and put then out of action. The ammunition for the mid-upper guns was similarly afiacted and only one gun could still be worked. A parachute, on oxygen bottle, and two vacuum flasks went out of the open hatch. The navigator lost his astro-compass and other instruments. His maps on! other equipment finished up in the nose of the aircraft, The flight engineer lost all Iris tools, But all the crew escaped apart from bruises and, with only one gun, ”Z for Zebra” flew past fighter’ flares across the North Sea. and, after struggling through tense cloud, electrical storm and severe icing, reached base safely. There was not even a. scratch on the outside of the aircraft.

16/10/44 - No. 22

PRISONERS OF EAR IN TONCPEDOj© J/JVRTESE TRANSPORT

The Jar Office announces that 58 British and 86 Australian prisoners of war have been recovered from a Japanese transport torpedoed in the Pacific in September, 1944« They orc from the following Services British Array (other ranks) 58 Australian. Amy (other ranks) 81 Royal Australian Navy (ratings) 4 Royal Australian Air Force (aircraftsnen) 1 They are from. Hal ay a. end Sian. The United Kingdom party is being brought hone via. the United States as soon as possible. The Au.stra.lian party is already on its way to Melbourne, Next of kin of recovered survivors have been infomed* It is feared that a. number of prisoners of won lost their lives when the transport was torpedoed. demand has been made of the Japanese authorities for full lists of those who were on the transport and' of any survivors in their hands.

WAR 01TICE 16.10.44. No.25

AIR MINISTRY NEWS SERVICE Air Ministry Bulletin No 1 .15997

HAVOC IN DUISBURG

Very heavy damage across the whole industrial area occupied by Duisburg and its satellite towns was caused by R.A,F, Bomber Command’s attack, the heaviest yet of the war, on the day and night of October 14* From Hamborn in the north all the vray to Nanheimer Ort in the south, factories are smashed, craters block railway tracks, and warehouses, dockside and railside buildings are gutted or wrecked by high explosives. Smoke covers the greater part of the largest inland harbour in Europe and fires were still burning yesterday at many other points, with direct heavy smoke over most of the town. There have been at least four/nits on the main railway station. Three steel works of the Vereinigtc Stahlwerke Trust, including the huge Thyssen works at Hamborn, have been hit, together with the important Demag engineering -works and other priority factories > Reconnaissance also showed many fires burning and a heavy blanket of smoke over Brunswick after the attack by Lancasters of R,A.F. Bomber Command on the night of October 14th, The aircraft component works in the Neeupetritor have been hit.

16.10.44. No.26. AIR MINISTRY NEVS SERVICE

Air Ministry Builctin N 0.15998•

FORMATION OF R.A.F. EMPIRE SCHOOLS

Some months ago, the Central Flying School broadened its policy and, hy charter, became the Empire Central Flying School, The object is to ensure that pilot training throughout the British Commonwealth is kept at a high progressive standard. Following on the success of this School, it has now been decided to organise the Central Navigation and Air Armament Schools on similar worldembracing lines. The main objects of the Empire Central Navigation School are to ensure the quality of air-navigation instruction mod to train a limited number of specialist navi-gator officers so that they will be competent to act as links between practical aviation and scientific re sc arch. The Empire Air Armament School will adopt a similar policy which will include specialised work at the Centrad. Gunnery School. The three Empire Schools are in Flying Training Command of the Royal Air Force. It is anticipated that the new- policy, as now envisaged, will do much to cement still further the firm bonds of comradeship between the Royal Air Force and the sister services of Canada, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Southern Rhodesia and India.

16.10.44 - No, 29 FOOT .AND MOUTH DISEASE

Foot and mouth disease has been confirmed today among cattle at Huttington, Yorks, North Riding. .An area extending around the infected premises and around Maiton has been declared to be an infected area in conjunction with the infected area declared yesterday around LUND, Yorks, East Riding. z

MINISTRY OF .AGRICULTURE .AND FISHERIES 16.10.44 - No. 30

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

Foot and mouth disease has been, confirmed today among pigs at Grinshill, Shrewsbury, Salop. An area extending for approximately 15 miles around the infected premises has been declared to be an infected area*

MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FISHERIES 16.10.44. No.31.

NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST IN OVERSEAS -BULLETINS OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 2JJO B.S.T. ON 16.10.A4 (i.o. FOR TUESDAY MORNING PAPERS) not to be Broadcast in the midnight neus of 16/17.10.2+4. OVERSEAS MESSAGES SHOULD BE PREFACED WITH THIS EMBARGO.

AIR MINISTRY NEV'S SERVICE Air Ministry Bulletin No. 15600.

R.O.C' s PART IN THE INVASION OF FRANCE

The Commandant of the R.O.C. has received through the Air Council an expression of the Admiralty’s appreciation of the services rendered by seaborne volunteers of the Royal Observer Corps who served in the Royal Navy as aircraft identifiers during the invasion of France. In addition to the Admiralty's tribute to the seaborne volunteers of the R.O.C. the King has been graciously pleased to approve the wearing of the shoulder badge "Seaborne", as a permanent part of their uniform, by all who took part in this. operation. As a token of the good work of all those members of the R.O.C. who temporarily Fjoined the Royal Navy as aircraft identifiers, ten of them wore recently "Mentioned in Despatches." They were today (Monday) congratulated by Air Marshal Sir Roderic Hill, Air Marshal Commanding A.D.G.8., at an inspection. Behind these official recognitions of the R.O.C's work on seaborne invasion operations lies the story of one of the war's swiftest and most efficient pieces of organisation - the provision at very short notice of nearly 800 skilled aircraft identifiers for merchant ships carrying troops and vital stores to Normandy. A bare month before D-Day, when the Luftwaffe’s reaction against largo and comparatively vulnerable fleets of shipping was a matter for anxious speculation, it was decided that all merchant ships should, carry skilled observers who could give instant identification of approaching aircraft to enable the ship’s defensive gunners to go into action with a minimum of delay. The Royal Observer Corps was asked to undertake the provisi m of the necessary personnel as a matter of first priority. All personnel were to bo volunteers and the scheme had to be in operation within a matter of hours. ■> /The air

-2-

Tim Air Ministry flashed the call for volunteers to every post in land, and within five -days of the summons gain;; out, 500 applications had arrived at A.o*o. headquarters near London and were being sifted to select suitable personnel. m seaborne observer depot was opened at a- south coo-st resort, 'where more round-the-clock work wees done to ensure that rations, equipment and fina.l training facilities would be on the spot for the volunteers as they arrived to take up their stations with the invasion fleets. Nearly 14-00 men of the R.O.C* applied to go as seaborne observers before the application list was closed. They represented a.ll ggos and professions, anc_ camo from all corners of Britain. 800 were chosen - the average age wsrkin£ ntit at 48 to 50 - and within a. fortnight of the first call, the initial batch of volunteers -was installed at a. seaborne depot, fully operational and awaiting sailing orders. All the seaborne observers were entered into the Royal Navy on special short engagement, a.ll taking the rank of potty officer, and by June 1, five days before D-Day, everything was ready. Sone of the seaborne observers hod by this tine been embarked on their invasion vessels and had tasted the rigours of the an;ry Channel and the-North on cruises designed us a "blind” to the invasion pre parat ions. D-Day arrived, and the seaborne observers, all proudly wearing a shoulder flash ”seaborne” on their blue grey uniforms, put to sea with the Merchant Navy as the ” byes” of the vast invasion supply fleets. It is no'w known that Luftwaffe opposition to the crossing of the Channel was almost non-existent, But the seaborne observers did not sail in vain. Dad weather hampered operations, it 'will be recalled, and low cloud and mist made aircraft fly low in a manner liable to misinterpretation so far as friendly intentions wore concerned. How many pilots owe their lives to the split-second recognition of their machines as friendly, a.nd how many merchant gunners received the command ’’hold your firs’", to still itching trigger fingers as friendly fighters roared alarmingly out of cloud cover, will never be known. But every merchant skipper whose ships' company included seaborne observers has written to Corps headquarters to testify his appreciation of their services, and many ask whether the scheme could bo made a. permanency.

The value/ -5-

The value of the seaborne observers was not confined to their services at sea. Spasmodic air attacks were made on’the ports -where the invasion fleets 'were assembling, and in a number of authenticated cases the seaborne observers, working extremely under/ difficult conditions, prevented fire being opened on friendly night fighters, and directed ack ack attacks on German planes coned for brief moments by searchlights, or silhouetted fleetingly against the sky. Rough weather, with al], its attendant discomfort, did not deter the observers, who, in the majority of cases, had their.- stations in exposed and dangerous portions of the ships, and. many of whom had never beenat sea in their lives before. One volunteer -who did valuable 'work proudly bore among the decorations on his breast the Boer War Med.nl. .Another, white haired but alert and unfailingly cheerful, was 62 years of age. This, then -was the work of the 800 observers. The award of “Mentions” to the following ten is taken by the Royal Observer Corps to be a tribute to the whole g alla nt number;- Scottish .Area-. Leading Observer J,D. ’Witham, % Whaup Hill, Forth, Lanarkshire* Observer Gw Me. .Allan, Mincriesse Lodge, Bridge of Ern, Perthshire. Midland .Area. Observer T.H. Bodill, 117) Longhill Rise) Hucknall, Notts. Observer J*W* Reynolds, 22, Telford .Avenue, Leamington Spa. Warwickshire. Southern Area, Observer Lieutenant G, A* Bourne, 35$ Grimsdyke Crescent, Barnet. Observer A.W.P.Dearden, “The Galleon”, Sea View Road, jAngmering-on-Sea,Sussex. North Western Area Observer J.Hughes, “Grairnsa”, Glanyden, Mostyn, North Wales* Observer E. Jones, 3, Derwen Terrace, Council ..Houses, Bodfari, Denby* Western Area Observer D.N-* James, of "The paddock”, Lansdo-wn Road, Gloucester. Observer A.E* Llewellyn, of High Street, Hirwaun, Aberdare, Glamorgan.

16.10.44. No.32.

ALLIED CONTROL COMMISSION IN FINLAND

The Foreign Office and War Office announce that Mr. F.M. SHEPHERD has been appointed British Political Representative in Finland, and will be proceeding there shortly with a small staff and accompanied by the British element of the Allied Control Commission in Finland under Captain Howie, R.N. Mr. Shepherd's position is analagous to that of Mr. Le Rougotcl, British Political Representative in Roumania. His function will be to maintain direct contact on all political matters between His Majesty's Government and the Finnish Government.

FOREIGN OFFICE NEWS DEPARTMENT. 16/10/44

No. 33 Air Ministry No. 1560,3

AIR MINISTRY AND MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY COMMLTOJJE During last night, the enemy directed flying bombs against Southern England, including the London area. Damage and casualties were caused.

16.10.44 - No. 35 2nd T.A.F./F.8./Air Inf:

NOT FOR PUBLICATION OR BROADCAST OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 00J0 B.S.T. ON OCTOBER 17, 1944* Not to be transmitted before that time, except to the countries and in accordance with the conditions set out hereunder. May be transmitted forthwith to the Dominions, India, the U.S.A, -and Egypt by cable only and endorsed: "UNPUBLISHABLE, UNBROADCASTABLE, AND UNTRANSMISSIBLE (EX COUNTRY ADDRESSED) before 2J30 G.N.T., OCTOBER 16.

THE KING VISITS. R.A.F. IN HOLLAND

Watching from a specially equipped tank, the King gained a first hand impression of how R.A.F. Control Posts function, when he visited a Group Control Contra of 2nd T.A.F. during his visit to HOLLAND. While two rocket carrying Typhoons circled overhead, His Majesty heard Squadron-Leader R.H. ASSHETON radio them to attack a windmill near the tank* A moment later the leading Typhoon dived followed by a second, zooming low to pull out at ground level* They climbed and came in for a second "dummy” attack, as the controller ordered another run*. The- King showed great interest in this form of close support to ground forces which has been so successfully used by 2nd T.A.F. against the German army* With the King were Field Marshal MONTGOMERY, Air Marshal Sir Arthur CONINGHAM, A.O.C. of 2nd T.A.F., and Air Vice Marshal Harry BROADHURST, A. 0.0. of the fight er-bomber .group to which the Typhoons belonged,. The unit was one- stopping point for the King, who arrived by air at a Dutch airfield now used by 2nd T.A.F. During the -late afternoon he had tea at a R.A.F. mess, where many of the commanding officers of the airfields, and their wing leaders, were presented to him.•