_27_/_5_/40 1\Jo~. ......___. GRCAT LXPLOIT BY CANADIAN DESTROYER. - --~-. Capture of Scuttlea:._Gerrnan Steamer. The most recent achievement of the C2nadia11 l'Tavy concerns the capture off the Dominican co~st of the GGrman steamer HANNOVER. The 01 ASSINIBOINE 11 , the l ctcst ac1c~ition to Canada's destroyer f'lotilla, was on J?atrol ri-ith c. British rmrship "somerrhere in the Caribbean11 , rrhen the qu2r1"y was sighted. The Gerraan vessel had been set on fire by the time the two British ships h2d got u~ to it. The :Problem now vra.E:: to keep the HAL·:rNOVER af'loab The larger vmrshi:1 took the c2~)tured vessel in tovr, vrhile the 11 ASSINIBOINE11 , keeping to v1indward, ran alongside with a -battery of hoses playing. For no fener thEm five days this st::bange convoy made its vmy through plunging seas to Kingston, Jamaice.• The seamanship which brought a badly disabled and unsteerable steruner to anchor without tugs was superb. But the job vve.s done. Not only he.d GGY'me.ny lost a ship but the Empire had &lso g2ined one. The Captnin of the cruiser, describing the exploit, wrote: "I should like to stress the value of the work done by H.:tvi.C.s. 11 ASSINIBOINE11 , without whose assistance it is most unlikely that the German ship HANNOVER would have been saved. 11Great credit is due to the Comr,1anding Officer, who showed initiative and ability and ho.ndled his ship with great skill throughout the o:perf'..tion. DOMINIONS & COLONIAL OFFICES P;LIBSS SECTION:--­ , 2115&0 -Na. 3, E.JLE S S N 0 T I Q_fil The Home Secretary has authorised the temporary internment throughout Great Britain of all German and Austrian women over the age of 16 and under the age of 6o whose pNsent .classification is B; that is to say, those who, though exem~Jted hitherto from interrunent, have been requirec1 to coE1ply with special restrictions. Arrangements have been made for the internrnent of' these women in the Isle of Man. They will be allowed, if they so desire, to t ake with them their children under the age of 16. HOME OFFICE 27/5/1+0 -NO. 4. PRESS NOTICE A week ago the ivlinistry of Home Security put five important questions to the public. Here are five more equally important:­ (l) Do you know that in air raids a high proportion of casualties are caused by flying spiinters of window glass and that you should keep away from windows? (2) Do you know that there is a 3d. Government booklet called 11Your Home as an Air Raid Shelter11 and that you can order it from any newsagent or bookseller? (3) Have you made a note to open your door in a.n a.ir raid to passers by who are looking for shelter? (4) Are you putting your motor car or motor van out of a.ction every night from dusk till d.uwn, so that nobody can drive it awayr? (5) If there should be an air raid warning at this pa.rticular moment, what \Yould you and your family do'? Have you made all the preparations you can, or would you find that you had nothing readyr? MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY MINISTRY OF LABOUR & NATIONAL SERVICE-Press Notice FOR MORJ.~ING P.AFERS ONLY NOT TO BE PUBLISHED ON THE CLUB T.A.FES OR --------------------::.:::..!-----------·---------------- -----·---------­ BY BROAIXJAST OR JN llJ.\fY OTHER WAY BEFOilli THE :rAORNJNG 01!1 28TH }iLl\.Y_, 1940. ------·-·- --.-..----~--------·· --·-------------...·-------·-. --·----·-----­ The 11inistr-J of Labour and Fational Service announces that further regis-crations of aen under t:ie national Service (Arr:1ed Forces) Act vv.ill take i)lace on 15th June, 1940, and 22nd. June, :1-940, res:9ecti vely. The men Yvho will be required to register on 15th June will be those who were born in t...1-1e year 1911. The nen who Yvill be required to register on 22na_ June, 1940, will ·be those not already registered by that da.te who were born 1Jetween 1st January, 1910, and ·che 22nd. June, 1920, both dates inclusive. The effect of these registrations on 15th and 22nd June, will be to register· the following new classes of men:­ (a) _15._:!:._h_ J1¥.~_:i:_egistration. The 1911 class (i.e. men born during t he year 1911). --_________,_______ (b) 22nd June reo;is tration. (i) The 1910 class (i.e. men born during the year 1910) and (ii) :lvien reaching the age of twenty between 26th lliay, 1940, and 22nd June, 1940, both dates inclusive. Press Office, :Minis try of Labour and National Service, Montagu House, Vihitehall, S.W.1. Telei)hone: Whitehall 6200. H.Q.650-520 E.J. (.)562-1429) Wt. 850ush, a Flight Lieutenc.nt wo.s retu.rnin9: fl.fter enp:n~me enemy l)ombers, On his 'Vva.y bo.ck he vvas f.'..ttncked 1;y six fi,?:hters. He m['..:rw.r;ea. to e;et mvo.y, but his engine haa. been holed, nnd it becrnne evident tho.t he vvoulc1 not be o.ble to rec.ch home. He l o.na.ed in n field~ o.nc1, witb. the help of :peo.sfu"'1."'i;s who were working ner..r he i:>Ulleo. brnnches from trees to cover his nircrnft. He hnc1 ju.st time to hide in a c1itch when Gen &'l.11 bomlJers cnme over. 11I 11 thour,ht they had spotted my ai!'craft for certain, said the pilot. nThey kept cPuising P.rou.i.1cl for about ten minut~s comin.~ quite low, c1.nd ct.11 the time I e.-:::~9ected them to open up with mnchine e;un fire, but the cnmouf'le.p;e must ho.ve been quite good for they fino.lly flew c.way. 11 /The 2 The 1Jilot emerged froin tho ditch o.nd e.xc:.min0c1 tho engine. He found t \:'o small holes, but tho aircrG.ft uas otherwise unc1t:tmagec1. \11/D.lking to the nearest torm, he called o.t o. garac;e, obtained motor co.r ?)etrol D.na_ oil, o.nd i)ersundea. several men to act as beccrcrs. At a-grocer's he bou[£ht a }:1acl::ot of chevling gum. "I chewed tho gum. a bit to get it taclcy, [',11d then plugged the holes. It set vox·y v1oll. I got the petrol and oil ~9ut ii"l, and then took off, and so home". Another rcmr-lrkoblc story concerns a young fighter pilot, who, after he was shot down in Belgium, walked for a time until he met a Belgian civilian. The mo.n sc:i.id he vms in great dm1.ger as Germans were near, so he borrowed some clothes. He went on for a while with the civilian until presently they wore oaught up by a colurnn of enemy tanks. Th.ere was nothing for it but to put a bold face on the situation. The pilot strolled over to one of the tanks which had pulled up by the side of the road, and indioatec1 by signs _ that he was tired o.nd wanted o. lift. .. The Gcnmo.ns cheerfully assented, and the pilot travelled in an enemy tank for about twenty miles. Then he left the colm1m and rested in a small cstaminet. He wns sitting talking to the ovmcr, when there was a knock o.t the door. German soldiers· were outside. The ovmer :!_)UShod the :pilot into the back room c-.nc:. tolc1 hiin to get away while he kept the Gcrrno.ns in converso.tion in the front of the cafe. The 11ilot got through a window into a yo.rd, crept clown a lane and got bacl{ to the main road some miles further down, From then on it was o. question of 11 hitch hilcing11 his vmy homewa!'ds, always with the threat of trouble because he was in civilian clothes. Even when he reached the British nren he found hir,1self under sus11icion. Finally, he was take11. to the H. Q, Ait> Com:1oncnt where the A.o.c., Air Marsho.1 C.H.B. Blount, })ePson2lly vouched for him and sent him back to his sc::_uadron. AIR AFFAIRS 27/!U'40 _ -No. J.J±· The follor_ring statement is made to the I.rotor Indust:ry by Mr. William E. Rootos, President of the Society of Uotor Ifanu.facturers anc1 Traders. It is em~Jhasiscd tho.t there is no irnmec1iate cause for nlnrm. The President of the Bator Agents Assoc12.tion joins with Hr. Roote in this sto.tement. The Co.;-.1.rno.nder-in-Chicf of the Home Forces ho.s asked me to v-mrn the r,1otor inc1ustry' s re~.Jair shops and garages that, in the event of hostilities within Great Britain, their utmost services would be required imrnediately in the matter of servicing and r;1aintaining on the roads the vehicles of H. M. Forces. EspecL.1.lly v-1ould the motor indust1,y's personnel render invaluable aid by remaining at their posts so long as there is need ?or their services in any district. MINISTRY OF INFORMATION. 2J/.5/40 -NO. 15. PRODUCTION OF LIRCPJJ!'T EQUIP.UENT Lard Beaverbrook, t~1e Hini-o tcr of J\irc:m1ft Production, announces tho.t he has appointed an :clnergency Conunittee to deal with the production of aircraft equipment. Mr. C.J. StewD..rt is Cho.irmn.n, o..ro. Sir Alo..n Gordon Smith c..nd Mr, F.J.E. Brake are members. This Conmtlttee has full authority. AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION DEPlillTMENT. 27/5/40. -No. 16. WAR-TIME PRODUCTION IN TECHNICAL INSTITUTIONS. A memorandum issued to-day (Monday) by the Board of Education urges Technical Schools and Colleges to assist in the war effort by concentrating on the production of gauges and jigs which are used with vast numbers of machine tools in the armament industry. Without a sufficient supply many machine tools would stand idle. The Board are satisfied that many of the parts required could be manufactured in the workshops of technical instititions, either as exercises for trainees and students, or directly by the college staff, assisted by recruited labour, male or femalec Institutions less well equipped could fashion the paJ:>ts roughly to size, then passing them on to better equipped colleges for finishing. I\Iuch of the preliminary work could be done by junior technical students or by semi­skilled trainees. Schools are asked to consider keeping their workshops open after the school work is over for as many hours out of the twenty-four as can be organised. Shifts of workers or evening shifts might be arranged and the workshops run during these periods a$ a factory. The usual commercial rates will be paid by the Ministry of Supply or other Government department concerned, for all that is produced. BOARD OF EDUCATION. 27/5/40 No. 17. The following official cormm..mique has been issued by British G.H. 8 : Today the enemy violently attackecl the French and Belgian forces on the flanks of the B.E.F. BPitisll inf'antry counter-attacked successfully in co-operation with French tanlrn. In Belgium,British forces have fought side by side with the Belgian army~ meeting attacks of strong enemy forces. The British front remains intact. There has been heavy bombing of rear areas. Anti-·aircraft 8.l"'tillery and unit light autonl8. tics have shot a.own a nur!lber of enemy planes. +++++-!-+++++ 27/5/li-O _-:__ No.18. Only for Horning Po.pars of 28th £,i~i.y. Not to be issued on club tQpes or for publico.tion in any form or broarlco.st before thc..t d.n.te. Not to be cabled abroad before 10 p.m. 27th J..lay, 1940. ~SS NOT.+..Ql!. Import~ of..~otto_g. The Board of Trade o.nnounce t:x,t they have hiade mi Order o.clrling raw cotton, cotton linters a.ill. YJaste, ya.rns and thread, wholly or a'l.inly of cotton, to the list of goods subject to :il.1port licensing. The object of t:1e OrG.er is to ensure the most arlvantageous use of the freight s::_Ja.ce and foreign exchange available. The Order operates from the 30th May but goods which are :provec1 to t he satisfaction of H.l:i. Custoa s to l.r.ve been despatched. to the United. Kh~c1om befo::.~e that date -rlill not require a licence. In considering applications for licences preference will, for the time being, he [3i ven to raw cotton for the purchase of i7hich f'irH contracts have already been placed. The Board also announce that they }mve issued an Open General Licence for imports of the r;oods covered by the Ord.er ( exce) t ya:cns and thread) froa any part of the British Empire, France and French possessions, Egy-pt and the imglo-E~tian Sudan. A}_)plicutions for licences to :L·,1po:.."t ro:.7 cotton, linters anc1 1mste should be ac1....'..resseo. to the Cotton Centroller, Blackfriars H.ouse, Parsonage, Mc.'Ulohester 3, and should be macle on a s:?ecial form to be obtained from the Cotton Controller, the Import Licensin.r; Department or froii1 the Offices of Collectors of H.H. Custor,15 an.cl Excise. Applic~~tions for licences to import yarns and tl1reac1 should be rna.a.e on the ordinary forra u!O. arJ/'.ressec1. to the Import J.Jicensing Department. The forms are obtt:dnable from the I :cr.rort I.,icen:Jing De:!_x1rtment am the Offices of Collectors of H.:M. Customs an.cl Excis e. BOI\I'J) Oli1 TRADE, 27th May, 1940. Since the outbreclc of Ymr, imports of r aw cotton, particUlnrly from the United States of .America, have been very heavy. Duri~ the present season (i.e., from 1st Lucsust to t he :midclle of 1-iiay) exports from the United Sta t es to this country 11£.ve been nearly 1 1 900 ,OOO bales, a figure very c onsic1.erably in excess of t he export3 <:':.urine the whole of any recent season. Existinc; stocks u:..~e abnorHal l y large Dn c.1 lts it is urc;ently necess&.ry to conserve foreio;n exchange and to S2.Ve ship:?inc; space, we shall be com:pellecl. to reduce next se£'_son' s imports to a level which will be in line wi th requirements. The pro::;i~o.mme of future imports will be rliscussed with tl1e United States authorities. The forei [in coui1tr ies covered by t:1e Oyen General Licence are all allied to us and t heir cotton does not, broarlly S~')eaking, compete with .A.merican cotton , ':ihile exchEm~e c1ifficul ties do not arise. ++++++++++++++++++ 2U5/40 -No, 19 l:_RCSS NOTICE The Hinister of' Labour and National Service hae appointed Mr. Arthur .Creech Jones, M. P. , (Member for Shipley) to be Parliamentary Private Secretary. · -----000----­ MH: ISTRY OF ..BOUR NATIONAL SERVICE ld1.AND 27. '5.L!.0 No 20 IV1ACHIK~ TOOI,8 FROM U.S ,A, GOV :RmE :NT COH11ROL OF IITPORTS The Controller of Machine Tools, Ministry of Supply, in a Circular sent to all Government Deixirtments and importers of machine tools to-clay 9 :::;ives a.etails of ne·.:v al"rangements designet'I. to co-orcl.inate United Kingdom demands upon United States machine tool builders. The object of the arrangements, the Controller states, is to obtain the maximum possible <1.eliveries of machine tools -v-,1. th the minimum possible u};set of prices and clelivery dates. The arrangements come into effect on Monday 9 June 17th. It -orovides that all iJUrchaees of nev: machine tools in the United States of ."..merica for British neecls will be macle by the British Supply Board in Canacla anQ the United States. Purchases in the Unitecl. States are to be made on behalf of the Board by the British Purchasin[::; Cormnission, who~e office is 15 Broad.-strcrnt, New York City. The Eritish Purchasing Commission operates und.er the instruction of the British Sup:;>ly Boarc1. Purchasers of machine tools will follow· normal comrnerica.1 practice in so far as contracts with agents are concernecl.. Agents are importers who have been registered uncl.er the neH scheme at the Machine Tool Control, Ministry of SUJ)ply. The agents will provide purchasers vvi th all necessary o.ovice incluc1.ing tnf'ormation as to prices, nnd .:'l.elivery dates nna. all customary pre-sale and post-sale serYice. On receipt of an order from a :!}urchaser, the agent will forward the orcl.er in duplicate to the British Purchasing Commission. Where a purchaser clesires to i1lace an order for machine tools for which there is no r egistered. agent in the United Kin~dom, he will proceed in the manner pre~cribed for the plncinG of an order by an agent ll except that such an era.er will in the first instance be transmittecl by the intena.ins lJUrchnser to the Controller of Mo.chine Tools, Ministry of Su:9~9ly o.na. not direct to the British 9 Purchasin6 Commission•. All orcier must be sponsoreo. by a Government Department,. Public Utility Company or Loco. l Authority. Any agent c1esiring to be registered. una.er the Scheme must without 0.elay submit to the Controller of Machine Tools, Ministry of Supply, 35 Old Queen street, London, s.;r,1., two certified statements of the agency held by him together with a!l:'.l necessary explanatory notes. The certifiec. statement must in0.ic3.te whether the agencies mentioned are sole agencies or otherwise,. M-.I...N;;;;,Is,...T.... _____ s;..;u.;;.P~P=L.... R"'"'Y oF"-·.... Y 27/.5LJ~o _-NO. 21 Here is a message for parents living in the places on the east and south-east coast from which, as announced last night, sc~ool children are to be evacuated on Sunday next. The Governrnent have been o.skect two questions,. The first is:-Will the schools remain open after Sunday? The answer is No -the schools in these o.reo.s will be shut. The second question is:-Oo.n po.rents recister for 1 evacuation childlen of three an& four yeo.rs of nge, who are not attending school, if they have an elder brother or sister registered? The answer is Yes; it hns been decided that these children ccm be registered in cases where they have an elder brother or sister at school who is also beina r egistered. This recistration must be completed by 1 o'clock on \iJea.neso.ay.. This decision about child.11 en under school etge o.:p:-i?lies only to the limitocl number of places to be evacuatoo. on Sund[.W next, and .£9.1 to other evacuation o.reas~ MINISTRY OF HEf.LTH 27/5/40 No. 22. MILITARY APPOINTNIENTS. The rrar Office announces that on the recommendation of the Secretary of State for War, His Majesty The King has been graciously pleased to approve the following appointments:­ Lt.-Gen. R.H.Hain~n,_g, C.B., D.S.O., Col. Comdt.;, R.A., from G. o. err. -in-CIT;. Western <1omd'I , to be V. C. I. G. S. .r Eontreuil on Tuosdc..y, nn enemy machine was seen to break away from a foJ:mc. tion of aircraft in order t o nttc.ck c. smo..11 pnrty of r efugees vvi th bombs and raachino-gun fire, MILITARY L.FFAIRS 27/2/J±Q______...._N_.o,.._2_..4. The Netherlands Government hereby announces that all Netherlands subjects born in the years 1904 to 1920 inclusive, at ~;resent in the United Kingdom, are to report as soon ~s possible, in person or by letter to the nearest Netherlands consul. The following details must be supplied: Surname and Christian name, Year and date of birth, Previous service (if any) in the Army or Navy, giving former military unit or nnval br•anch, period of service, and rank. The Consuls will transr.iit these reports as soon as possible to the Netherlands Ministry of Defence, c/o Netherl ands Legation, 21A Portman Square, London W.1. +++++++++ ,\IR MINIS'.l.'RY 3ULI.Z~ 777. 27/5/40 ii.IR iUNIS':i:RY NZFS SEHVICj;. NIGH'r Rl'JD3 ON :]ill!.'.lY Bj .SES. , Enemy air bases in Hqllnnd and Bole;iurn v:ere heavily bombed, and road_, rail and river traffic a.isorgnnised over a vride area fror:1 the Rhineland to the lrench frontier in the course of last (Sundny) nic;ht 1s activities ':Jy aircraft of the R.A.F. Bomber Command. Typical of the scoyc and effectiveness of the night's achievements was the record of ope heavy bomber which, ...-..r:i.thin less than 30 E1inutes, scored. direct hits on a mechanised column on a main road near Brussels, extinguished one searchlight by !Jombing it, put out another by machine-gun fire, ureckeo. a railway line and a bridge, and, finally, demolisheCl. a EJ.n.chine-gun post on top of a hill by a direct hit vl'ith a salvo of three bombs. The aerodrome raids began shortly after midnight, when almost simultaneous a ttacla:1 were lawiched on the enierny1s air bases at Flushing, 3russels1 1".ntwerp, Venlo and Charleroi. A salvo of heavy bombs, falling close to the main hangars a·i; F'lushing, started several fires that vrere still blazing when the raiders left. Other salvos landed in the centre of the aerodrome and on the a0rodrame boundary, near a canal, another overshot the aerodrome and exploded on a railway running along the eastern edge of· the landing ground. At Jmtwe!1.J, in the course of a dive-bombing attack carried out 1Jy tv:ro aircraft, a line of high ex:;?los:i.ve i)ombs was laid across one encl of the aerodrome at Deurne, and in a second bom·bardment a few minutes later a petrol dump is believed to have iJeen hit and set alight. Nearly 150 high explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped on the Evere aerodrom@ at :3russels, and at Charleroi. The landin.'.',; c;round vras first illuminated by parachute flares, and then sysMmatically 1Jom1Jed, numerous hits heing registered on the arrodrome and on a railway to ·the north of the ma.in target. Venlo, on the Dutch-German border, was attacked from a heiGht of only 1,500 feet; buildings on the aerodrome were wrecked by direct hits, and fires were started 'by incendiary bombs. Other objectives successfully located and attacked during the night's 01;erations were railway junctions and main line tracks in Belgiurn and Hestern Germany. A railway bridse over a Belgian main road is believed to have been completely destroyed by two direct hits with high ex2losive bombs of heavy calibre. A direc-t hit Yras scored on the railway track south of Aachen, and at one town in Belgiu;.i.,where the railway juncti-on ·was v~reckea., bombs vrhich fell in a nearby wood caused exoeptionally heavy explosions, as an amnunition store was hit. ?>'loving c~lurnns of troops and SU_;_)j_)ly lorries wer0 also attaoked behind the enemy1s lines. A convoy of a~Jout 24 vehi cles / detected by the lisht of a 1)arachute flare, was struck by two heavy oom1)s, whose t)ursts Yrere follm;ed lJy three violent explosions, and a blindin~ flash lit up the surroundin~ country for several mi~es ~d. One of our bombers was attacked 1)y an 1mio.entified enemy aircraft over Belgium, and after the bor.1!)er had replied w:i.'t;h both front and r'ear guns, and t.racer bullets hacl been obse::cvec1 to hit it, the enemy aircraft was not seen again. +++++++++++++ AIR 1\FFAIRS. -----...-....---... f\JR MINISTRY BULLL:TIN 77 8 ~tIDESPR.£p.D BOVBING BY R.A.F. The Air Ministry announces: ­ Last niCTht bomber aircraft of the R. A.F. attacked aerodromes in the h.ancls of' the enemy, incluc1ing those o. t FlusM.nr:'., Brussels and Antwerp. O:::-ierations vmre also continued 2gainst the enemy's lines of communication in Belguim and v~estern Germany. Hits were ma:le on railway juctions, sidings ancl convoys of armourect vehicleso An anti-aircraft battery Has put out of action. Earlier in the evenin.; much damage rms clone by medium bombers to a concentration of enemy mechanised vehicles near Boulogne. Today bombing operations have been carried out against various objectives in Flanders. So far, all ou~ Rircraft have returned safely. Preliminary reports shm7 that hmnty-eight enemy aircraft have been destroyed or seriously c1-arriaged b;tl our fighters today, One :oa trol of Defiants shot a.own five enemy bombers. Five of our fighters are reyorted missing. ------AIR AFFAIRS ------.-.....-.............. 27/5/40 -NO. 27 TELfilRl\MS JJ'JD LETTERS TO THE B.E.F. The War Office announces tho.t in vicvr of the hcn.vy military tro.ffic, it has boon found necesso.r'y to Cml.ccl temporarily the telegraph service to the B.E.:F1., Frn.nce, nnd to mD.ke certo..in curtail­ments in the postc..l s ervice. The p tblic o.re therefore notified th.". t no telcgrru:1S may be sent to B.E.F. n.nd thn.t the post offices have instructions to refuse parcels packets and registered letters and all letters over two ounces in weight. Letters under two ounces vr.ill be n.cccptcd as us1.1D..l. WAR OFFICE [R MllHSTRX BULLETIN No. 712• 27/5/40 -No.. 28. ER MINISTRY NEWS SERVICE ;g_ESCUED BY THEIR FR,IENDS. After their aircraft had made a forced landing on the ea, the crew of an R.A.F. coastal command bomber were saved by lother of their squadron. The aircraft were patrolling off the Dutch coast when ~ey sighted two German motor torpedo boats. They dived down on h.e enemy craft and, after dropping their bombs, raked them with achine gun fire, much of which got home. The motor torpedo boats were putting up a heavy barrage r anti-aircraft fire, and one Of our aircraft wes struck in the ort engine. Still under control, it disappear~d into mist close to .he sea. Another aircraft of the patrol followed and saw it land n the sea.. The crew clambered out and. stood on top of the fuselageefore launching their dinghy. The second aircraft flew away and found a destroyer. I!),'y amp signals the position was explained, and the destroyer came to he rescue and followed the aircraft as it led the ship to the wrecked achine. The aircraft flew round over head while the crew were taken n board,. Then, with a cheerful ':rave, they set course for home. ----000---­ IR AFFAIRS AIR LiINISTRY BULLETIN No. 7.§.Q, 27/S/4.0 No,_ 30 * Below is the script of ~'­ t ::cllc ln1 2.oc1c2.st n.fter the 9 o 1clock news toni[Sht (ifoncky) by a Flight-Lieutc::iant, Tiill WLR IN TI:n .iJ:R Up to the rln.y Y.-hen the Ger, :ans invaded 1Iollo.nc1 o.ru.i. Belgiun, no-one in uy squaclron lk"lc1 0ven seen a Gcruru.1 L'.irc:c'fil't, uuch less bl3en in nction <-i.e:;~nst one~ •:ie1 c1. hn.c!. plenty of flying, but it m1sn1 t i.iuch different froc1 :._?eacetir.ie 1 t.lying. Like a lot of othc:..':.:;, vve 1re1e just w[;...iti_ng to get our chance. "Ile didn't have to wv.it much 1011o;3r • .Te were on patrol over the Dutc:1 a11Cl. I3elr:;ian coo.st, -Sunday, a week ago, -·,;;i1en we ran sla;? into c. bunch of IIesscrsc~u:d.tt 109 fi~hters. Tl1ey were convoyinc; Gerr.12..n boubers. \Te n:ctncker: the Lessc1'cl1;.litts an<..~~ aot six definitely, anl :1edw.~:is another three. I W<'-S just looki:n:::; r·ound -one is 2.lmcys lookinc rounc1 on these ~.,at:i:ols ­when I savr a rough-anc1-tu:.1bl.u ~:>t:<.rtin__: u~"J bet-::re.::;n other Der.1bers of t-'iie squ..'1.c1ron and. the Hesserschr.-i:Ltts. ;,_s I turned to Join in, I sn.w f our j;[esserschnitt 109's, one of them fle·w riGht across ay sic;ht. I just bfo.zed 2.way for a ~l)lit second, saw bits fc.11 from his t~'.il, anD. then he 'a~·.s lost to si[;ht. That's the one I wo.sn' t sure about. Then, as I was about to follow hiD c101;n anc1 iik:.ke sure, I · SD.W out of the corner of my eye ~mother ;:fosserschmitt tryin.:_; to ~:;et on r11y tail. I :i_1ulloc1 the stick b .. ck ;._ lit~cle, Emel. SYrept up anrl rm.ma. towards hilll. He was only about 200 feet above r.1e '.::1en I op0necl fire. Ii;u,,~ately I saYr petr'ol.. s treo.n fron his tv10 t:..nks, one unc1er each vvinr;, I swept unD.er J.1h1, turned anci. then savr hin going dovm 1.·tlth :;_'.)etrol strenm:i.ng out, t :1en black snake, and fin.:::.lly burst into fl.::.nes before re.:,c:1ing the ground. But vr.ithout that extra bit of luck it might have been Lie. I didn1 t get s. chance to << tt2.ck the bmabers bene.'.'.th. One of our sergeant ;_:>ilots did. He went c1ovm ancl. rsot one. It wc.s a do, 1 Then another pilot, uho broke awny f1on the main action because he thought he was short of ad:1Unition, lost sight of the rest of the s c1uadron al"..d. mad!:e a bee-line for home. lit least, that1s 'rhat he neu.nt to c:1..o. .\cturJ.ly, he ritust l1ave Elisread his map1 for after about twenty r,unutes 1 flyin[.; lie found }ri.r,1self over s tr8.nee well-·wooded country, Obviously, it vms Gerrl