2313/400 -No. 1. FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ( MORl\TJNG) The f'ollowing official communique wets issued from French G.Ho Qo this morning:­ PATROL ACTIVITY TO THE EAST OF THE SAAR. MINISTRY OF /l_GHIOFLTUP..E -·-------·---_,,_...........~ --·--..·---·-·-·­ BOW TO PRE:PAR f<} SEED BEDS . Garden soil as dug is not in a fit condition to receive seeds -o~ even seed potatoes! It first has to be fined down. 'rhe following :.)I'ocess is r>ecornmended: With t he garden fork prick over the grou..~d to a depth of three or four inches, the tines of the fork also being used to crumble up any lumps that may be found. Then t ake the rake and work it vigorously through the soil, aiming not only to reduce the lumps to still smaller proportions but also to level and even off the surface . Work backwards when raking so that the foot-marks made are removed. On the allotment whe~e winter wor k has proceeded according to plan and the ground is all ready for seeding9 enthusiasm may lead the gar dener to t ake time by the forelock and, over Easter, sow all of the crops he intends to grow. Alas! you c am1ot tal\:e time by the f'orelock in gardening; you cannot, by intensified effort, crowd a month's worl{ into a weekend so that t he other weekends will be f'ree. ~rhere is a regulation period for sowing each vegetable and nothing but harm comes f'rom anticipating that period• . The vegetables which it will be safe to sow in the next week or so are broad beans, STuTJmer cabbage~ early stump-root carrots, caulif'lower, cos and cabbage lettuce, cmions, parc.ley, 12arsnip, early peas, radish, summer spinach and summer turnip. All of the other vegetables normally grovm on the allotment are not due to be sown till April or later. l. ~ . 1 ; r\ 'Uni'<<-r.,_ty of Tex. ~ustin, Te~ The most urgent sowings those of broad oeans1 o:nion.s and parsnips for tbey ought really to have been in in Febr•uary. J.Jettuce~ radishes and spinach might well occupy just a small pctch of ground e.piece som.ew11e·re on the plot; there is no need to waste a whole row on eacho These c rops matur>e very quickly -you v.rill be gathering spinach twelve weeks after sowing; ~ and when they are Peady they must be used u;i quickly. So the custom is to sow just a pinch of seed at, say , fortnightly intervals.. Por the other vegetsbles~ make drills of the fol1oYving distances apart, using a ~iece of string, tightly str~tched, to keep them Q.'Ji te :::it:"ai ght, for nothing gives a garden an untidier look. than crooked rows of plants: Veg~tQb}_~ ~ls!~n~~ apart of Drill. Broad bean 2 ft . Carrots 9 -14 i.l1cheS Lettuce 12 inches Onion 12 Parsnip 15 It Early pea 2 i't. . 6 ins. Turnip 12 inches Grow parsley as an edging round the outside of the plot. The surmner c abbege and c a.ul iflower should be sown on a spare piece of ground, th~ seeds just being s::!attered thir:.ly over the surface and covered with a sprinkling of sifted soil. These two vegetable·s have to be grown on a 11 three-phase" plan. They are so~n in a seed bed, planted out i n the seedling stage into a nursery bed, grovm on there for a while and finally transfe:;."red to the main plot where they are to finish. This method must be adopted with all the cabbage frnnily. 2. -z 7 Evening No.10. NOT TO Ba: PUBLISHED BEFORE THE EVENING NEWSPAPERS OF WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27rH~ 1940. AIR MINISTRY WEEKLY NEWS LETTER. (Evening Papers). Note: The information aontained in this News Letter may be used by the Press without acknowledgement. If it is desired .to refer to the Air Ministry as the source of' the inf'ormation9 the expression "The Air Ministry Announces:-fl is NOT to be used. CONTENTS 100,000 Miles Over Germany. The Air Defence of London. High Flier's Oxygen Supply. V.C's. of the Air. First B.A.F. Golf Course. Questionnaire :for Caterpillars. The Air Force Digs f~r Victory. Press and Publicity Branch, .t'..ir Ministry, King Charles Street, Whitehall, s.w.1. · 27th Mar~, 1940.. .,, 2 .• l,.00.cQOO••M6~§ ..OV:ER GE&Wll• Aircraft of the Royal Air Force Bomber Corrnnand have flown mor e than 1001 000 mi les on reconnaissance over Germany, Austria, Czechoslovakia and Poland since the outbreak of war. Several times our bombers have flown over Berlin. They, have been over Vienna and over Prague. They have visited Stuttgart and Mannheim and have made detailed daylight, photographic reconnaissances of nearly all the important towns of North West Germo.ny. The longest flight was made by night to Poland and back recently. Most of ,the long flights to Eastern Germany and Poland are made by night ~ to Berlin, Vienna, Prague, Munich and Poznan. The aircraft used have included Armstrong-Whitworth Whitleys and Handley-Page Hampdens, and Vickers Wellingt ons. But Bristol-Blenheims have been used extensively on dayli ght reconnaissanceo in Western Germany and over the Frisi an Islands. These are reputed to be specially suited to low~flying attack. Some of the longer :flights have been made, at altitudes above normal operational height subjecting the crews to severe cold -more than 30 degrees below zero _, and reduced atmospheric ~rcssure> and necessitating the use of oxygen masks. Here is a statement by a member of an air crew engaged on a long distance flight over Germany: 11 I began to feol coldt Just before midnight it grew worse. I lost the use of all my fingers. As I bent down, a draught . of cold air suddenly struck my face• One of my eyes was closed tightly and for some time I could not open it. Later I recovered t!'le use of my left hand, but my right hand remained numb. When I landed I. found that it was frozen stiff." One of the crew of another bomber flying hi gh over Brunswick became unconscious through the intense cold. To bring him I'ound the pilot descended to a warmer level. / To To counteract the intense cold as far as possible all aircraft are fitted with heating eQuipment but in addition the crew carries rations o~ chocolate, boiled sweets, sultanas and nuts, flasks of hot drinks and chewing gum. The crew use the chewing gum to freshen and moisten the mouth before donning their oxygen masks, The night flights have their lighter side. Recently the crew of an aircraft saw what they thought was a large fire blazing on the horizon. It was the moon about to rise. THE AIR DEFENCE OF LONDON. Even with many important Gove.rnment Departments and big ~o~lriercial houses evacuated, with schools shut and children sent to the country, Greater London has a war-time population of more than 7~000,000. London remains Britain's most vital centre. Elaborate measures have been taken for the defence against air attack of this densely populated 400 sQuare miles of Englando The London air defence system operates in four phases under the unified control of the Air Of~icer Commanding-in-Chief, Fighter Cornrnml.d• Firstly the Observer Corps,. the eyes and ears of the defence, keeps a ceaseless watch on the skies for enemy raiders. As soon as they report the approach of German aircraft the defence enters its second stage. Fighter SQuadrons of the Ro;yal Air Force go up to engage the enemy. If the attack takes plac~ at n:l.ght the th;Lrd section of the defences comes into jmmediate operation: the searchlights in the deep searchlight zone which surrounds London. It is in this zone that the Spitfires and Hurricanes seek to engage the raiders. If the r&iders elude the fig~tev patrols -an exceedingly difficult operation in daylight -the deTence enters its foUl:'th /phase. phase. Tho close defences come into action -the heavy anti­aircraft guns; the light anti-aircraft artillery, and the menacing balloon barrage. All these units of the London defence, :inter-connected through Fighter Command by an intricate radio and telegraphic system, have been in constant operation day and night for seven months, manned by volunteer forces through the coldest winter in four decades. They have not been fully tested in war. Their very preparedness has been a deterrent -their efficiency will be proved if the raiders venture. HIGH FLYER'S OXYGEN SUPPLY. !t is weii~known that an artificial supply of oxygen is necessary for airmen flying at heights above 151 000 ft. for any considerable time. nie ~easures taken by the R.A.F. to ensure this vital oxy-gen supply are not so wo11....known. The b.Xygeh is stored in metal cylinders or 11bottles11 placed in a rnck inside the aircraft before the take•off. Each ''bottle't contains compressed oxygen which would occupy under normal atmospheric pressure, a space of 750 litres (about 36 cubic feet). The number of 11bottlesH varies from one to five aocot>ding to tho num-ber of the crew, but more may be ·carried. on long-range flights. Several factors influence the rate of consumption of the oxygen supply ... duration of the flight at high altitude and the Drecise altitude flovm, as well as the indi'Widual physical needs of tho r.ieno Roughly speaking, an oxygen 11bottle" lasts two hours at a height of· 251 000 ft. to 301 000 ft., and about 20 minutes longer between 20g000 rt. and 25,000 ft. ! ') •. r; UniY"tT:o.ty of Te). ~ustin, Te , The life of the 11bottle11 could be prolonged by equipping the oxygen mask with a 11re-breather"• This device enables exhaled air partly exhaust0a of oxygen to be breathed again to use up the oxygen that remainso After careful tests, however, R.A.F. experts have pronounced the re-breather unsafe, and it is not used by the Air Force. v.c,ts OF THE AIR. Group Captain L.W.B. Rees. It was by taking advantage of his own mistake that Group Captain Lionel Wilmot Brabazon Rees of the Royal Flying Corps won the Victoria Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty." It was in the sunnner of 1916 that he won his v.c. While flying over enemy territory, he sighted what he thought was an allied bombing patrol returning home. He approached to e;ecort them back to the base. But they proved to be a patrol of ten enemy aircraft. Rees engaged ohe machine immediately. .After a short encounter it disappeared damaged, behind the lines. Five other onerny aircraft then attacked him at long range, But Rees dispersed thorn by coming to close quarters. Two enemy aircraft were seriously damaged. The British pilot then pursued two more of the enemy westward, but was wounded in the thigh while approaching them. The injury causod him temporarily to lose control of his aircraft. He soon righted himself, closed with the enemy and continued the combat at a range of only a few yards until his ammunition was exhausted. ~hen he returned to make a safe landing at his base. Born in 18841 son of a Camarvon solicitor, he was educated at Colwall, Eastbourne College and the Royal Military /Aaademy; - Acadenw; took a commibsion in the Royo.1 Gar•ri son Ar tillery at the age of 19; ~nd was seconded to t he Roya1 Fly ing Corps six days a fter the outbreak of war in 1914. H0 became a Flight Oommana.eI' and inst ructo:r• at the · CeL1tral Flying School in 1915il but later that year went to the Fronte He was awarded the M.. c. f or a daring photographi.c reconnaissanc e under heavJ f i :rc. :i f ollowed by the shooting dovm of a tvvi n-engined enemy ai rcraft,, By the end o:f the year, Reos wa s a Squadron Commander•. He became a Wing Commander in the R~F~c. in May 1917, and r ecei ved the same r ank in the RoA~F. on the day of its formation lst April, 1918 ). He retired in 1931 w~th the r-ar!k of FIRST lb..4.. F. GOLF COURSE ,. A squadron l eader of t he B.A~F.. in France who, as Oonmnnding Officer of his unit was faced a few months ago with innumerable problems in housing hi s men, has now found time to lay out a nj.ne-hole golf course in the gr>ounds of' a dis-used chalet "" Henry Cotton might t alce a poor view o:f the 11 fairwa;srs11 and 11 greons'' but that woFld not damp the enthusiasm of the squadron leader"' He ha::, sunk empt.y jam tins at spots where the gr ass is comparativcl;y-short and. is very lJ;;.."oUd of' having "holed out in two at the third.. tt The chalet, which has not been i nhabitea. for yoars 1 is now the officers Mess, so the "ni neteenth11 1.s convenientl;y­nc'3.r the ninth n gr•_.en"" The squariron :leade:r.> 5.s a. good gol:fero He has no need -i_;o r;arl"Y many clubs"' Tvvo or th ree a.l'e s ufficicnt if one is a EU1)stantial niblick because the 11rov.gh~1 is fo·~-midable. /QUESTIONNAIRE 9,'!L§~TlQNNAIRE FOR CATERPILLA.R~e Airmen of the R~A.F~ who qualify for the Caterpillar Club by making a...11 emergency parE>.chute jump, have now another ordeal to face after they have made their jump. According to an Air Ministry o·rder recently promulgated ira questionnaire is to be answered by all personnel who have ce.rried out an emergency jump". The questionnaire is as follows:­ (1) Date of jump. (2) Number, rariJc and name of jumper. (3) Type of aircraft from which jurap was made. .(4) Type of parachute and harness used. (5) Duty on which jumper was engaged~ (6) Weather conditions at tho time. (7) General circumstances. (8) Events prior to jumping. (9) Action prior to jumping. (10) Air speed at the time of jumping. (11) Altitude of aircraft, e.g. level, spiru.1.ing, out of control.• •• • inverted out of control4·~•P (12) Altitude from which jump was made~ (13) Method of aband.oning aircraft and any diff'iculties. (14) Time taken to pull rip-cord. (15) Sensa'"l'iions when descending. (16) Description of landing. (17) Injury attributable to parachute descent. (18) Drunage to parachute and/or harness. There is space for other questions. THC AIR FORCE DIG§ FOR VICTO]X., Gardening is encouraged in the R.A.F. and has the blessing of' an Ai:r-Ministry Order Which says that every effort should be made to arrange for the cultivation of any suitable surplus areas of land at stations and establishments. In addition to a number of aircraftmon vvith the Advanced Ai1· Dtr::.:dng Force in France who are "digging for victory" on allot~ents provided for them in the villages Where they are b•llettedp airmen and civilians attached to R.A.F. stations at home arv being given allotments rent free. /One a • . One Air Force Station of the Bomber Command is to hold a show later in the year "if conditions allow". There will be prizes for the best-kept allotment and the best vegetables. 23/3/40. -No. 4. The following is issued by Naval Affairs for such use as the Press may like to malce of it. -···· -·---­ S.S. CHARKOW RAFT FOUND BY WARSHIP It was stated yesterday that 9 in addition to the five Danish ships and one Norwegian ship sunk without warning by German U-boats, the Danish s.s.GHARKOW (1026 tons) had disappeared and was thought to have fallen victim to the same U-boat that sunk the Danish s.s.MINSK (1229 tons). Further evidence of this has now come to light. A raft belonging to the CHARKOW has been found by a British warship. On the raft there was one dead body. This mute evidence of the murderous methods of the Germans in attacking defenceless neutrals 9 steaming independently upon their lawful occasions 9 deepens the universal horror caused by the continual German crimes against law and humanity. NAVAL AFFAIRS. 'rHE RAJN WAS RIGHT -SO 'fEA IS BETTER The Government this year have bought the whole crops of India and Ceylon tea and are importing no more of the ,Java OJ'.' "common11 China grades. These were the cheapest types used in the blends -common China tea costing maybe 6d. a pound less than the cheapest kinds of Indian tea sold at auction. Eo;'.'eover 9 the moderate rains in India and. Ceylon ' have produced a most satisfactory crop (heavy rain -ten inches or so in a night -makes the tea coarse) . l3ut there is more than this to the s .tory c You are e:;cpected to make thi.s better blend of tea go further and last longer. TheY.'e are various methods of doing this 9 such as '. 1. Using a small size of teapot when making for one or two peopl6 only. 2. Using boiling water (it is :not reo.lly boiling unless the kettle puffs out a j et of steam about 1~ feet long). 3. Warmi;.1g the teapot with really hot water·. 4. Using freshly boiled wateJ'.'. Co.1tinuous boiling drives the aiJ'.' out of the v ater so that the resulting tea ta.stes flat. Many people, dissatisfied with this kind of brew9 try to put things right by using more tea than is necessary. How far should a pound of tea g.o? ·when testing tea at the tea sales9 buyers use a weight just about as heavy as a 6d. on the scales. This amount of t ea is s.upposed to be enough for a really strong cup. Nmv there are roughly t en sixpences to the ounce, so the buyers get 160 tests out of thE:ir 1 lb. But buyers can afford to be extI·avagant. Foj'.' ordinar;y· holisehold use 9 you should be able to get more like two-hund1'.'ed cups of tea to the pound. MINIST11Y OP FOOD. ~-M~ -----·--­ ILIPORT LICEirnIUG DEPARTLI:CITS:O NOTICE TO IMPORTERS N0.;21 1. The Board of ·rrade announce that until further notice 1 no applications will be considered for licences authorising the importation of the following commodities from foreign countries other than France:- Accurnulators and parts thereof. Baths, iron and steel. Bell apparatus, electrical. Bell domes and bell gongs. Blast furnace slag. Enlargers, photographic, and parts thereof (other than lenses) and accessories therefor. Lanterns, optical, including epidiascopes and episcopes, and parts thereof, other than lenses. Latches, hasps, bolts, hinges, locks and keys, parts thereof and blanks therefor. Mechanical lighters and parts thereof, other than flints. Wireless receivers, complete, and complete chassis. 2. Until further notice, no licences will be issued for the importation of the follov1ing goods from any countrys British or foreign:-Manufactures wholly or mainly of linen or flax except (a) tissues of a weight of 12 ounces or more a square yard (b) nets and netting. 3. The foregoing announcements do not apply to goods to be imported for re-export or for use in the export trade. Im-port Licensing Department, Board of Trade, 25, Southrunpton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, '..'! . C . 2. 23rd March, 1940. 23/3/40 -No.L_ FRENCH OFFICIAL COMMUNIQUE ( Ev;nTING) • Paris. Saturday, March 23 t. 1940. The following official communiQue was issued from F!'ench headQuarters this evening:­A QF~et day on the whole of the front. Local artillery actionse