A.lKJtm.lS.TRY NEVf,$_J?}.:RYJ:_QE. 
JJ1§.E~9TION BY TH~. KING. 
In a hangar at a Royal Air Force Bomber Cozrirnand station in East Anglia the King .clecoratecl five officers, t wo ser;;t::ant observers and an aircraftman air gunner for ~allantry in action aGainst the enemy• 
. Officers received the D~F.C. and the men the D.F. M. The awards were made for a variety of deec'.l.s. Of one officer it was stated i n the citation read out on parade: "He has done magnificent work since the outbreak of the war, and his leadership and courage have always been of the hihhest orc1er~" Of another it was said " He has at all tir.1es shown exce~0tional skill and coolness in the face of the enemy".. Or>erations over Sylt and Norv-,ray anc1 in the Heligoland Bight were mentioned in the citations. The air gunner who was decorated wa s in the rear turr et of an aircraft which was attacked by a number of enemy fi ghters, but by cool, deliberate and accurate firing 1 he shot dovm one Messerschmitt 109 in flames, and. severely damaged a Messerschmitt 1t0. 
The King had Cl.riven from London, anc. was met by Air Vice­Marshal J .E .A. Baldwin, the Air Office;" Commanding the Bomber Group of which the s~ation forms 2)art. Squacl.rbns ancl W,A.A,F. o.etachments, drawn U:i? in a hollow sq_uare in the hangar, gave the royal salute U:Qon the arriva 1 of the King , Man~.' of the officers and men on :parade had only twelve hours earlier been bombing enemy road and rail communications. 
The parade was taken by the Station Cc.':mnand.er. As the reciJ?ients came forward in turn to be 0.ecornted, the King askect questions abo-u.t o:ierations in which they had. talrnn :c.iart. He shook hands warmly as he congratula;ted ea.ch officer and man. After the march past 1 His Mat'esty ins~)ected a bomber which had been severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire in previous operations and '1as being re;:)airecl., 
In the Mess ante-room after>wards, the King chatted with young pilots about raids in which they hac1 taken TJa rt. As he drove away 1 after having had tea in the r.1ess, he was loudly cheerea. by the officers 1 led by the station commander, and ar;ain at the main ~;ate, where many of the men had gathered~ Eis Majesty was .~·;iven another rousing cheer. 
(Note to Art Editors: a :photograph of the King's arrival at a Bomber Command station is bein2; made available t hrongh Snort and General Press A;;ency Ltcl,, 2, Gough Square, E,C.4. central 1161). 
A. M. BULLETIN 775. 
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN ANY COUNTRY BEFORE THE MORNING PAPERS OF WEDNESDAY, !V!:[1-Y 29TH, f9IjOOR BROADCAST B])E.Q.R.E.L]__A. M. ~ ON THA'l' DA.1!.:._ 

ROYAL AIR FORC~ A1IIARDS 36 
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the undermentioned awards in recognition of gallantry displayed in flying operations against the enemy:­
AWARDED THE DISTUTGQ;!;.slH8D FLYING CROSS. 
Squadron Leader James Horatio Gratwick SARLL 
Acting Flight Lieutenant Herbert Douglas Haig COOP3R 
During a n_ight in May, 1940, Squadron Leader Sarll, as captain of an aircraft; displayed skill and tenacity in pressing home a bombing attack on the bridges at Maastricht. A direct hit was scored on a bridge, and it was subsequently confirmed that the bridge had been destroyed. This officer has taken a leading part in several recent operations of his unit and has consistently shown determination. 
Flight Li.eutenant Cooper led a formati.on of alrcraft ordered to und..:o-rtake bombing operations against Iv1 aastricht, In spite of heavy gun-fire, the attack was pressed home successfully, the road and railway bridges being heavily bomb0d. Valuable photographs were also obtained.. 
AWARDED 1rH;s DIS'11 INGUISH6D FLYING M3DAL. 
Sergeant John Stewart ROBERTSON~ 
Sergeant Robertson was the observer in one of a formation of aircraft that undertook bombing operatlons against Maastricht. Displaying great coolness in the face of heavy anti---aircraft fire 5 he obtained most valuable ph~tographs that showed the destruction of two bridges, and also indicated clearly the route being taken by the enemy through the town and the points at which they were crossing the river by pontoon bridges. 
NOTES ON CAREERS 
Squadron Leader Sarll who is aged 28VIB.s born in London, educated at Malakar House School, Oxford and on the Training Ship "Mercuryn. He was granted a short service commission as pilot officer in September; 1932, promoted Flying Officer in June, l935y Flight Lieutenant two years later and Squadron Leader last · 
~7anuary. 
Acting Flight Lieutenant Cooper was born in March, 1917, at Strabane, Co. Tyrone, Ireland and was educated at Portera Royal School, Enniskillen~ He became a Puoil Pilot in 1936, was 
granted a short service ccmm:i ssion in f.iiarch, 1937, promoted 1nying Officer in 1939 and acti.ng Plight Lieutenant last September. 
Sergeant Robertson, a native of Old Kilpatrick1 DalmuiF, Dumb13.1-,tonshire, joined the R -A .. F. as an aircraft apprentice at the age of 16 in 1929. 
Press and Publicity Branch} Air Ministry, King Charles Street, Vihi t ehal1, 8. VI. 1. 
23.5.40 No 3 
SAVJJ TAH.~;' 3 FOR S:C: ;D 
Looking ahead to the autumn, the Ministry of A[iriculture foresees a shorto.c;e of 'YVinter tares for sowin~. Last year's crop suffered_ bao.ly in the winter, but where farmers in the Southern Countr>ies still hen.re s tandine:; cro:i;>s of winter tnrr;s they are strongly advised to SJ.Ve them for seed rather than feed them off to sheep. 
MINISTRY OF AC-RICULTU:i.1E 

g,_8/5/40 No. !2• 
~l11'_9_<:t}11n I]..Vi~.GPJ.J..I..9If. 
NAVAL EYE-1 .'VITlf;""::iSS STORY
-·""·-.--...~-·---.......,,,_._~..,·-~._.,.....~------...._-­
The story of tr1e evacuation of Bl1itish trooJ:>S from Boulogne has been told by a Naval I:ye-\7itness who had. 1,een sent to the port on an inde1,?endent mission. He described in glowina words the truly wonderful behaviour of the troo:QS in the f'ace of a.n attack by greatly superior forces ot: the enemy who were assisted ·by entmiy aircraft, ·canks ana. field guns, ancl. the no less admirable courage of the Royal Navy, particularly of the destroyers who evacuated the troops in circumstances of great clifficult~r anc1 21eril. 
Where so much happenecl in less than twenty-four hours, and event follovrn<l event in rapict success;i:on~ it is impossible to tell the story in chronological sequence. Indeed, when one asked the Naval Eye-Witness ·w'hat time such-and-such a thing ha:i;r.;ened, he could give no definite reply. uT}1ings '.·vere so hectic;' he said, "and there was so much going on, t~l.at we had no time to look at our watches. 11 
Anyho·:r, a o.ernolition party rm s detailed .to be reacly to move at tvvo hours 1 notice. It consisted of seamen~ Royal L:arines, and a small detachrnent of the Royal ~.ingineers, with tl'ie necessary officers. All the ex::_Jlosives ancl other 0.emolition gear had to be provided. 
Embarking in lorries, the corabinecl. party vrere tal~en by road to another port, where they embarked in a destroyer and were rushed across the Channel, reachinc the iaain jetty at Boulogne in the forenoon. On the way into the ha1"bour t:J.ey had seen some French and British destroyers shelling the high land to the north, over which enemy tn.nks s.nd mechani sec1 troo)s wei->e advancing on the tmm. Inside the harbour, hovrnver, there was 11 comparative peace" for the time being 9 thou:;h not for very long. 
The naval part~r was landed to hold the railws.y station, to fit the demolition charges, anc.l.. to earrnarJc all the bridges, c ranee, lock-gates, etc. 9 which sho1JJ.d be clestroyed \Yhen the tirae came. This v10rk ·rras to be undertaken at the request of the French authorities. 
Certain details of ti-•oor)s were in the railway station vvhen it came . i.mder high-e.xplosive shell fire from ene1,zy field guns. The seamen were there too , i'itting the cletonators ·to their explosive charges, ".Some of them we1,e q_uite young r,1en w'ho1 a. never been u.ndac-fire" our Eye-Witness said. "They just ca1"ried calmly on with their jobs with bits of the roof flying around and casualties occurrin,g. They never tu..rned a hair." 
The officer in chal:'ge went off to l'Iilitary Headquarters to repol:'t his arrival to the Brigaclie'.i'~ finding all t he roads on the way barricaded with lorries and ~rotected ·by machine guns. 
The Gerra ns were grac1.ually closin8' in on the town with light mechanised vehicles followed by tanl<s ancl.. motorised field guns. Ge!'man aircraft we1"e also busy using bonbs and machine-guns. Their attacks were intermittent throughout the day, and at one time there were 60 machines in t~e air overhead. On one occasion a greatly superior number made themselves scaroe on an attack by R. A. F. fighters. 
Owing to the :position of the Germans all round the town it had. been impossible to send field Guns or other assistance, consequently the troops coulo. not hold out inclefinitely against the enemy armoured vehicles. Small ·;:ia1,ties of Ge1"ma.ns were already coming dovm the streets on the outslcirts of the ftown. 
~ 2 ­
Accordingly, it was decio.ed t o shorten the defended perimeter by a slight British vii thdravml. This would avoid the flank being 
turned, and ~ould accelerate the evacuation when the time came, 
as come it mus to 
The destroyer bringing the naval demolition party had already left under orders. She was relieved by another, and the second was relieved by a third$ The naval and military officers conferred, and soon came to the conclusion that the tovm could not be held. The Gerrnans already held the higher ground command­ing the to'\lvn and harbour, and were massing more troops and guns. Alread~r our troops had been in a ction, and had sustained casualtieso 
Demoliti..:'n of all t he bridr;es and im;)ortant points was decided upon, and s mall parties of seamen went out with their parcels of explosivesQ The enemy was closing in. Already the swing bridges giving access t o the inner part of the harbour were under the fire of machine-guns at a r ange of a few hundreds of yards. The ex:plos i ves were "!)l a ced by the bridces, thc:ugh they could not be destroyed until the l ast of our troops had withdrawn. 
Meanwhile, in aD.other :!;)art of the harbour was a large crane, vl'ith a wet dock beside it cont ai ning a naval trav1ler. Both might be captured by the enemy, so the officer in charge decided to destroy them, with the povmr--house and pmnping station for the dock, without ·waiting for fu1'ther or6.ers. He did so, though the crane did not collapse as was e={~Jectedo It was eventually brought crashing do,rm 1Jy a few rounds f r oE1 the destroyer alongside the jetty. While all this was going on the enemy were all round the docks at a range of about 400 yards ? and snipers were within fifty yards of the cra..~e. 
Another small naval party ·were searching the docks for any ships which mie;ht assist in the f i:nal evacuati0n. They found one small vessel of t he d:cifter t ype i n v1hich some stokers raised steam in record time ·oy using bi ts of padcing cases and anything combustible they could lay their hands upon. 
The fire from field and machine-guns continued. So did the bombing. Then came the long-expected orders -11 Com9lete demolition." 
The floating dock was sunk9 ancl machinery, power-houses and the like blown. upc 'l'he hinges of some dock-gates were demolished, another trawler$ another crane -anything and every­thinc; that r.:1ight be of use to the enemyo The work was necessarily hurried, anc1 in the midst of it the demolition ~;arties were harassed by a dive bombing and machine-gun attack by fifteen enemy aircraft. These were the ones put to flight by R.A.F. fighters. 
Further charges were })l aced to make certain of the sluice gates and bridge. The Germans were very close, and coming nearer all the timeo At t hi s period -the time cannot be stated­a considerable nwnber of our troops were sheltering in the sheds rounC: the railway station1 and more vvere arriving every minute. 
:':!:vacuation having been de cicled. upon$ two d~stroyers came into the harbour and alongside, and steamed stern f .Lrst again out of the narrow entrance with all the troops they could cram on board. 
Then three Elore de8 tro~rers came i n and alongside, to be fired upon furiously by ene;ny field guns concealed on a wooded hill to the north of the harb our and overlooking it, and a number of pom-poms and machine..-guns i i1 t he second. s t orey wi ndows of a hotel. The range was no more than 800 yar·c1s,, 'i1hen several enemy heavy tanks came· down t he hill anc1 0~1 t (l t:-1e f oreshore0 
The/ 
-3 ­
The troops, meanwhile, were on the jetty and embarking in the destroyer alongside. Their courage and bearing were magnificent, e.ven under a: tornado of fire with casualties occurring every second. They were as steady as though on parade. 
But the destroyers had not been idle. Their 4.7's, 4­inch, porn-porns and machine-guns were in hot action, plastering the hillsides and the German field-guns in them at point-blank range; blasting the hotel opposite until the pom-poms and machine-guns were silenced in showers of hurtling E1.a.sonry and shell fragments. The first shot fired at .the tanks missed. The second was a direct hit which caused one of them to capsize and 11go spinning over and over like a child doing a cart-wheel," as said an onlooker. A third was knocked out with a direct hit. The others retired with celerity. 
If it had not been for the rapid and accurate fire of those destroyers, and the bravery of the men manning their guns in the open, the retiring troops must have sustained far heavier casualties. Indeed, the evacuation might never have been possible. 
"By God:" said one of the more senior military officers, voicing his admiration, "they were absolu·~ely magnificent." What the Army tho~ght of the Navy, the sailors also thought of the soldiers. 11They stood there like rocks and without giving a damn for anything," sa~d one naval of'ficer. 
Those three destroyers cast off with full loads of soldiers on board and went stern-first out to sea through the narrow entrance. One of them was slightly on fire, all of them were li~ting over heavily with the nwnber of men on board. Getting them safely away and out to sea in such conditions involved a fine display of seamanship, particularly as the tide had fallen and there was a danger of them grounding. There was very little water under their bottoms. 
It was now evening, and there were still many troops ashore, and more still coming over the bridges under heavy fire. Still more were under the doubtful cover of the station buildings. The firing and the bomb.ing continued. 
The troops seemed never to end, and the enemy was still advancing. !'lost of the naval demolition party had gone in the destroyers, leaving the officer in charge, a sub-lieutenant, a petty officer and one rating. They blew up the bridge when the last soldier had passed over it. 
Darkness came, and at ten o'clock the railway station was · still crammed with men, with the Germans very close, and advancing. But word had gone forth to the Navy that the evacuation was not com­plete, and at about eleven o'clock another destroyer nosed into the darkened harbour and alongside, being bombed and fired upon as she came. 
She also was in danger of grounding; but moved stern-first out to sea with her quota and a list of fifteen degrees. 
Then two more destroyers arrived, and evacuated the troopsthat remained, with their many wounded. 
It was a miracle that all of these destroyers were _not sunk. 
This, in brief, is the tale of the evacuation of Boulognein the face of an attack by vastly superior forces ~f the enemy. If' the withdrawal was a misfortune, it is a story of truly · magnificent discipline, and of courage, determination and devotion to duty o:n the part of c01:1paratively small forces of the Army, the Navy and the Royal Marines which should be remembered long after we have passed into oblivion. 
+++++++++ JJl\VU., Ali'PAIRS. 
28/5/40. -No. 6. 
PRESS NOTICE 
Me~eantile losses, due to enemy action, for week ending Sundny/Monde.y, midnight 19th/20th May, 1940, were:­
No. Tonnage 
British ... 1 629 
Allied ••• 3 29,552 
Neutral • • • 4 16 2 120 
8 
46,301
-
GERMAN SHIPS CAPTURED, SUNK, ETC._ 
It has been reportec1 that the German tanker KATTEGAT, 6,031 tons, and the ~.s. ROSARIO, 6,079 tons, have been sunk by the Norwegians. This brings the total losses of German mercantile shipping up to midnight 19th/20th Eay, due to Allied action, to about 830,000 tons, which is now substantially in excess of the total British losses by enemy action. 
CONVOYS 
Up to Wednesday, 22nd May; 21,511 British, Allied and Neutral ships had been convoyed in British convoys with a loss of only 31 ships, being a loss ratio of one in 694. Neutral ships eonvoyed totalled 3,100 vith a loss of only 3, representing a loss ratio of one in 1,033. 
The total tonnage of ships convoyed safely to their destination is over 75 million tons, representing a carrying capacity of over 112 million tons of' cargo. 
ADMIRALTY; WHITEHALL, 
s. w.1. 
+++ +++++ 
28.5.':1:0 No.7. 
P.23. 1IIHISTiff OF SUPPLY 
Fl~ESS NOTICE 
.PAP'n:'~ CCNIROL -WAS'I'E F1-1.FER. 
Under the Control of Paper (No.15) Order, 1940, ree:,ulating the acquisition of' waste paper by producers of paper, the Tuiinister of Supply has issued a GoneraJ. Lirection authorising produqers of paper to continue to a.cy_uire waste paper under tne conditions set out in tr1e Control of Paper (No.9) Orcier, 1940, until tne 1st June . Thereafter it will be r.ecessary for any producer of paper wno wishes to acquire waste paper other than those grades set out in the First Schedule to the Order to obtain a licence under tne Control of Pu.per (I\o.15) Order, and forms of application ma.y be obtained from the Controller of Paper without delay. 
In Section 2 of Schedule C to the Control of Paper (No.15) Order, 19±0, the additional allowance 1)ayable to Local Authorities for newspapers press-packed in bales and delivered in minimum l ots of four tons, should be ls.lO~d. per cwt. and not ls.O-~-d. per cwt. as snown in the printed copies of tne Order. 
1linistry of Supply, The Adelphi, London, W. C. 2. 
28th Ma;z1 19·:i:O. 

Air I·~inistry Bulletin No~ (8~. 
)?LEET AIR ARM AND R.A_.~-!___OP_-J.W.TIO!TS. 
The Air Ministry announces : 
Units of the Fleet Air Arm, vvhich are operating with the Coastal Command of the R.A.F. made a series of -heavy and effective attaclrn during ~resterday on enemy positions on the FI•ench and Belgian coasts. :~atteJ:'ies and transport were destroyed by bombs and troops scattered b;)r machine gun :fire. None of our aircraft was lost in these operations. 
Royal Air Poree Iledium :2.ornbeI'S continued their attacks on enemy concentrations in North-East Prance during the evening. Two of these bombers a;:e missing . 
':'..'hroughout last night ILA.P. heavy bombers, again without loss tothemselves, deliver•ed fuj'.'ther attacks on enemy communications in the T1.hineland and in the Low Countries. 
In the course of yesterday, our f i c;htej'.'S destroyed 50 enemy air•cT•aft and seriously damas;ed 29 others. Fourteen of our fightej:s are mis sinG. 
AIH AF~AIRS . 
· AIR MINISTRY BULL:GT1Ji. NQ.1?,3,, 
28/5/40 No Q 
AIR RAID WARNINQ: IN EAST KENT 
The Air Finistry announces:..:. An air raid vmrning wn s som1.dea_ in tho East Kont area. shc~tly before noon today. 
AIR AFFAIRS 

=28=/-5..._/_...4_0__,.. No~ 10. 

Air Mini~~P.Z News Service. 
R.A.F. FIGHTERS J;N . ACTION. 
Royal Air Force fighters yesterday hnd their best day since the invasion of the Low Countries. They destroyed or seriously damaged seventy-nine German raiders. Fifty were seen to crash, and the other twenty-nine flerr off disabled. 
Fourteen of our Hurrican:ts and Spitfires are missing,though some of the pilots are believed to be safe. 
For sixteen hours the fighter pilots patrolled the sky over the battlefields and the French and Belgian ports. 
The first Messersch.mitt 109 vvas destroyed by Spitfiresbefore 6 a. m. The last Dornier 215 bomber uns shot down by · Hurricanes just before 9 p.m. 
It was a bad day for the Gc~man Messcrschmitt fighters. Twenty two of them were destroyed, and another nine ~-?Ut out of action• 
.An attempt was made by Messerschrnitt 109's to surprise a Spitfire Squadron in the morning. The Messerschmitts were escorting Dornier ~7 bombers. When they sighted the Spitfiresthey hid among cu1nulus cloud nnd made surprise · dives. Four Messerschmitts dived on one Spitfire pilot. He shot dovm two of them. The rest of the Squadron destroyed five more Messerschmitts as well as one of the Dorniers. In the afternoon the Spitfire Squadron added four Dorniers 17 to its day's bag. Three of these Dorn1ers hurst into f'lrunes. 
The new R.A•F. Defiant fightGrs in two-short fights accounted for two . Messerschraitts 109 and five Heinkels 111.. 
One fighter pilot tells the story of a combnt with a Heinkel 111 ih four sentences: 11 'We followed the Heinkel through several layers of cloud. I could see the pilot and navigator duck at each 
burst. Then the Heinkel's engine caught fire and stopped. The aircraft burst into flames on l anding." 
AIR .AFFAIRfL 
A,M, Bulletin No. 785. 28/5/40 -NO: 11e RAIDERS PASSED. The Air Ministry announces:­The "raiders passed" signal was sounded in the East Kent area about half an hour after the air raid warning had been giveno 
AIR AFFAIRS. 
28.5.40 No 12 
His Highness the Maha raja of Nepal has informed His Majesty's Government and the Government of Incl.ia that at this time, when he feels that the British Empire is temporarily in grave danger, though ultimately its victory over the po1ver•s of ag;_,ression is secure, he wishes to associate his country with the prayers offered on SunaBy in all churches of the British Empire for victory to the Allies. !tis Highness has therefore, orc.ered that on Wednesday, May 29th worshirl shall take place in the tem~;les of Nepal, prayino; for victory to the Allies. 
(Nepal is an indeperident Hindu kinGdom on the Himalayan frontiers of India. At the outbreak of war His Hi:::;hness offered 8,000 of the Gurkha troops for service in India, an offer which wa s gratefully acceptH!.) . 
FOREIGN OFFICE NEVVS DEPARTMENT 
28/5/40 -NO. 13 
CONTROL OF COAS'rGUA@ 
The Admiralty has made an order under Section 2 of the Coast Guard Act, 1925, transferring from the Ministry of Shipping to the Admiralty the management and control of His Majesty's Coast Guarc1o The Order came into operation on Tuesda~r, 28th Hay, 1940" 
MINISTRY OP. SHIPPING 
. 28/5/40 -NO. J.4 
PRESS NOTICE 
The Postmaster-General alUlounces that firms working throughout the weekend on munition or aircraft production, can obtain letters on hand for them on Sunday mornings by calling for them at their local Post Office. 
Special arrangements can also be made for accepting these firms' outward correspondence for posting on Sunday afternoons. 
Application for either facility should be made to the local head postmaster. 
GENERAL POST OFFICE 
28th MP.y, 1940 
28/5/40 -:ro.15. 
bore. Jsvacuated Children to be Transferred. 
The Government have decided to remove evacuated children from areas, Phether rural or urban, within approximately ten miles of the coasts of Suffolk, Essex and Kent, and part of Norfolk, and no more children will be evacuated to these a1"eas., 
This decision follows the removal of evacuated children ten days ago from certain urban areas on this part of the coast. 
The chi ldren, who were evacuated from London districts and number about 8,ooo, will be moved to the Midlands and South Wales. The t r ansfer will beein on Sun.day -the same day on which, as already announced, evacuation will start from 18 towns on the Ea.st and South-Baat ,coasts. 
Parents in these 18 towns are urgently reminded that regis tration of school children will close at 1 p.mo to-morrow (Wednesday) o The tovms involved ar•e ·· 
Great Yarmouthj Lowestofty Felixstowe, Harwich, Clacton, Frint on and ~alton, Southend, Margate, Ramsgate, Broadstairss Sandwich, Dover, Deal, Folkestone, Chatham, Gillingham,Rochester and Sheernesso 
Parents in these towns should register their children before 1 o'clock to-morrow at t he school Which the children usually attend. 

28/5/40 -No. 16. 

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE HORNING PAPERS OF WEDNESDAY,
-----------.-·-·­
MAY 29. NOT TO BE ISSUED ON CLUB TAPES1_. OR BROADCAST 
_....___BEFORE 7 a.m. ON THAT DAY. 
P R E S S N 0 T I C E 
The Minister of Supply has appointed Sir Walter 
Layton, C.H., C.B.E., to be Director-General of Programmes 
in the Ministry of Supply, and to be a member of the 
SUpply Council. 
Sir Walter Layton was a membe~ of the Munitions . 
Council in the Ministry of Munitions during the last war. 
M!NISTRY OF SUPPLY. 

Weekly No., 21. 
IT IS REQPESTED THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE PUB~ISHED BEFORE T,HE MORNING OF FRlDAY 2 lST MAY,1940, 
AIR MINISTRY WEEKLY NEWS LETTER, 
NOTE: 	The inf'ormntion contained in this News Letter may be used by the Press without acknowledgm!Qnt~. If it is desired to refer to the Air Ministr;y;: ns the source of the information2 the expressiO!)11The Air Minis t!l._ announces:-" is N(5'T'"'"to be used. 
a 0 N T E N rr-s, 
PROGRESS 	OF T BE AIR WAR,, 
GERM.ii.NS BOMB THEIR OWN BOMBER. 
A GOOD AFTERNOON'S WORK~ 
SAVING LIVES -IN THEIR SPARE TIME. 
FIGHTEH PILOTS JUMP FOR IT 
COMBAT DECLINED 1 VIITH REGRET~ 

Press nnd Publicity Branch, Air Ministry,King Charles Street,
s.w.1. 	31st May,1940. 
2Gi 
PROGRESS. OF THE /I.Ill W_.AR • 
Outstanding events of the air war during the past week 
can best be shown by the following extracts from Air Ministry 
bulletins.; 
May 19th. none pat;rol of five Hurrico.nc aircraft shot 
down at least three and probably six German He.lll's near Brussels. 
Between them four patrols destroyed not less than 14 enemy air­
craft,." 
May 20th. "Reports so far received confirm that 30 
enemy aircraft were destroyed by the R.A,,F. yesterday and many 
others heavily damaged. 11 
May 20th. "Objectives of an R~.F. night !-aid included large oil storage tanks at Misburg-a few miles from the town of Hanover ... and important roads and bridges behind the enemy's lines at Gemble;ax, Givet, Dinant and Namur." 
May 20th. "Po.trols of one R.A.F. group a.lone have brought down over 50 Heinkels, Dorniers, Junkers and Messerschmitts during Saturday and Sunday with less than half that number of casualties to themselves. 0 
May 21st. "R.A.F. aircraft bombed the oil refinery mid many of the tanks at Rotte:c•dam. 11 May 22nd. "One R~A.F. pilot attacked 20 Heinkel bombers aingle handed yQsterday evening." 
May 22nd, "The R,A.F. carried out a series of wide­ep;read. raids over an area extending from Rhenish Pruss.ia and $OU.them Belgium"• 
May 23:rd. ''R.A.F. pilots continued their patrol of the s~~es over the battlefields of North France and Belgium. At the end of the day one group had shot down 27 enemy raiders. A...~other ten, r:i,.ddled with machL.1e gun bul.lets, were probably put out of aQt~on. During t~e week-end tha same pilots destroyed at least 
50 enemy airc:raft,. 11 May 23-r-~ . ''Enemy tank colum..."ls and motorised units were attaeked and maey "divect hits made on the~·t' 
• 

3. 
May 23rdC) 1tAt Geldern, a German town near the Dutch 
frontie~; four heavy bombs from an R.A.F. aircraft scored direct 
hits on an ammunition train which immediately blew up~" 
May 24th. "A single R.A.F. patrol shot down eight 
Me.110 two-seater fighters, and probably fourteen in all, in 
addition to three German bomberp.u 
May 24th. "At least 500 aircraft have been lost by 
the enemy in France and Belgiu.~ during the last week, making 
a total of over 1500 enemy aircraft lost since the invasion 
of the Low countries." 
May 24th. nWhilo on patrol over the Mrenell .(l-Oas~ th:iiia afternoon, eleven of our aircraft encountered a much larger f'orce of the enemy. \tYithout loss to themselves they attn.eked and shot down eleven Mosserschmitts and seriously damaged three others." 
May 25tho "R.A.F. again raided the oil storage tanks now in German hands at Rotterdarno Several bombs were dropped on the tanks,which were set on fire." 
May 25th. "R6 A.Ft aircraft maintained continuous patrols over the battle areas and the coast of Northern France. The morning's reports indicated that they had already shot down or seriously damaged 12 enemy aircraft, with the loss of only one Hurricane." 
May 25th. uR.A.F:o pilots are putting out of action more than forty German raiders a dayn,. May 26th. "At least eight enemy fighters and two bombers are known to have been shot down,. 11 
G;ERM.ANS BOMB THEIR .OWN BO§R• 
One R.A.F. Squadron in France is enjoying a hearty laugh as the result of a German raid."' ;Enemy bombers attacked their aerodrome, dropped a few bombs and went ofr~ 
Later in ihe day, the Germ.an radio announced that u successful raid had been carried. out, and made fantastic claims, as usual, to the effect tlmt a vast number oJ: .machines had been 
/destroyed 
4. 

destroyed. 
The truth is even more remarkable than the German 
propaganda. On the aerodrome was the gaunt skeleton of a 
dismantl~d German bomber that our fighters had shot down some 
time ae:,..::,• 

The raid totally demolished the GeY'ITlan bomber, 
A GOOD AFTERNOON'S V"/OE.',.. Two Fighter pilots were due to return to England, the other day, after a spell of service in France. They spent a profitable afternoon. Pilot No. L encountered a section of three Me.109 Fighters while out on patrol between tea and dinner. He shot down two, either shot down or disabled a third, and himself returned unscathed to his base. "I got the first one 9 11 he so.id, ii as he came at me head-on, and then half-rolled awayj I put a burst into his belly and the Mc.went down in flames, The other two then made attacks, climbed up, and headed for Germany in formation but I caught them and sent one of the two down in flames. The other had smoke o.nd fuel pouring from him." filot No.2. went out on a ~ow strafing expedition along a road of which the enemy Were suspected to be making heavy use. "There were fo rrnations of troops, lorries, armoured cars, tanks and fuel supply vehicles," he said, 11 0.bout every 20 yards as far as the eye could see. One field to the south of the road was completely full of vehicles and troops. I attacked all along the road. 11 During the whole of this time, Pilot No,2 was under heavy fire from porn-porns. But he still had some amr.1unition left, and decided to use it on the field -which he had not spotted until his second flight down the road. By this time, the neighbourhood of the road had become too unhealthy ~or an inunediate return to be possible. He therefore flew off in the opposite direction, and took cover in the smoke. clouds rising/from 
:rrom an urea which had been heavily bombed earlier in the day. 
Then he came back. 
11All my nmmunition, 11 he said, "was expended in the 
lnst attack." 

SAVING LIVES -IN THEIR SPl..RE TIME• 
Life-saving is among the unexpected jobs successfully 
carried throuch by men of the R.A.F. Observer Corps who watch 
the skies for Nazi raiders. 
Blasts on a ship's siren -three short, •• three long, •• 
three short -were heard one night during the winter by the men 
manning two Observer Corps posts on a lonely part of the Yorkshire 
coast. Five minutes later they saw a distress rocket flash across 
the black sky. 
The coast watchers immediately reported this s.o,s. to their centre. \":ithin n short time n life-boat was on its way to the rescue. It was found tho. t a;1.ship had struck a submerged wreck. 
Once again, prompt action by the Observer Corps had helped to snve lives at sen. 
Just after midnight recently a post heard shouts coming from the sea. A few minutes later a man, nearly cxhnusted, was seen swirrnning. He wc..s thrown a life-belt and hauled ashore., 
He turned out to be n member of ..n ship's crew who had walked off a pier in the dark. 
FIGHTER PILOTS JUMP FOR IT• 
TW.O pilots from a famous British fighter squo.dron which has been playing havoc amongst Goering's bombers this week, saved their lives by quick jumps following even quicker thoughts, 
The first, one of the squadron's two holders of the D,F.C., wns approaching to mc;.lce a landing in a bndly shot-up c..ircraft when he realised that he was on fire. 
Only 500 :feet from the csround he scrnmblcd quickly from the cockpit as the flames were beginning to envelop it, His po.rnchute opened just in time. He hit the ground rather heavily 
/and 
6. 

and injured his shoulder. He is now being treated in hospital 
and is recovering from his injuries, which include scorched hands and fo.ce. 
The other pilot ho.d an even narrower shave. H.e was coming down in an aircraft tho.t had been dnmnged in a desperate air fight, o.nd was in danger of catching fire. 
"I didn't realise it wo.s actually on fire", he said, "until I hnd lnndedo Then I jumped out of the cockpit and ran like a stag. I was about 50 yards away when the tonk exploded." 
QmIBAT rn:;cLINED 2 WITH REGRET. 
Three pilots from o. FiGhter Squ:::dron stationed in 
England  so.w  an  enemy raider o.nd,  regretfully,  had to  refuse ....  
~·  
a  "dog-fight".  

Tho c.o. of the Squadron, one tho.t has scored great success a.go.inst coastal raiders, and his two flight commanders were paying o. visit to o. squ~dron in Fro.nee to discuss tactics. Just as they reo.ched the 'French coo.st they saw, high overhead, a Heinkcl being engaged by two French fighters. 
The ti.-vo flight commo..nders immedio.tely s ignnl1.od for permission to join in. The c.o. decline<t,For one thing they had only sufficient fuel to get them to their destination and, as he explained to his respectfully irate colleagues when they landed: 11 We arc only visitors; we mustn't poach on other people's preserves". 
In any case tho French pilots successful]iy dealt with the German aircraft,which the British airmen saw go down in flrunes,. 
.AIR FORCE NEWS IN BRII;P. 
Still more men o.ro wanted for the Balloon Barrage. Men of intelligence and good physique, between the ages of 30 and 45~ will be trained in rigging, fabric work and winch 
.....______
driving -and to.u~ht to _____
driv~ 
c.o.s of w.A.A.F. Units arc instructed to ensure that the badges of airwomen's caps are fitted inn central position above the peak of the cap~ the base of the crown being in line 
/with 
1. 
_________...__

with tho upper edge of the mohair band. 
An indication of the importance of Auetl'nlia's contribution tq the Empire's air effort is seen in the recent promotion of the Royal hustralian Air Force liaison officer with the R.A.F. -Group Captain F.H.McNamaru, v.c., C.B.E., to o.ir rank. Ho now becanes an Air Commodore. 
Besides strengthening her own defences, .Australia is makinc crcat progress with her share of the Dominion's ~·-..1r Tro.ininc Scheme -planned to produce 50,000 pilots and nir crews a yeo.r when in f'ull operation. 
...\ustralio. has, in o.ddition, a complete Squadron ­~ rl: :i."·~·in;: 17ith the Coastal Connna.nd of the R.A.F. in Britain. 
28/5,(40 -No.18. 
PR~~ss NOTICE. 
The Uinister of Health and the Secretary of State for Scotland issue the following announcement to midwives. 
It applies to all q_ualified midvil'ives under 55 years of age who have done midwifery within the last ten years and who are not at present in full-time employment. 
If you would be willing, if called upon, to accept a salaried residential post at short notice in a maternity home in a reception area in England or Wales, you should at once get into touch with the Central Midwives Board, 73, Great Peter Street, Westminster, S. W.l. (Tel. Abbey 2414)0 
Similar offers of service in Scotland should be made to the Central Midwives Board for Scotland, Royal College of Surgeons,l8 Nicholson Street, Edinburgh. 
You should provide the following particulars: 
Full name and address and telephone number, if any. 
Age and experience, saying whether you are a general 
trained nurse. 
Number of your Central Liidwives Board certificate. 
Counties in which you would be willing to work. 
Length of notice you would need before taking up duty. 
+++++++++ 
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND DEPT. OF IGALTH FOR SCOTLAND.o 

28. 5.40 No 21 
NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE MORNING PAPERS OF '.'lEDNESDAY MAY 2 l 0 NOT TO BE ISSUED ON CLUB TAPES OR BROADCAST 
BEFORE a.m. ON THAT DAY 

PRESS NOTICE 
The Treasury have issued the Emport Duties (Exemptions) (NTo. 3.) Order, 1940, which exempts. from import duty for a• period of one year certain aqueous dispersions of rubber used in the hermetic sealing of cans. 
The Ord.er .comes into operation on Thursday, May 30, 1940, and is published by H.M. Stationer;~{ Office today as Statutory Rules and Orders, 1~40, No 755. 
TREASURY 
s w
........:.-..L 

f_.8/5/L~O No,. 22 

'.Uhe Secretary of the Admiralty regret4i' to announce the loss of R.H. Trawlers "I,1elbourne" (Lieutenant-Com:,mnder A.J.C-Pomeroy, H.N. V.R.) and "Ca2.Je Passaro" (Lieutenant-Commanc1er• M. B. Sherwood, R.N.) as a resu1t of born.bing attaclcs by enemy aircraft. 
Four ratings from the "Cape Passaro" lost their lives and the ne:ct of ldn have been informed. There were no casualties in the "Melbourne"~ 
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28/5/J±.Q__:_ o._23.._
_.._N..... ....... 

The areas in the East Coast belt from which evacuated London children are to be moved on Sunday (see announcement nurnber 15 today, May 28) are as follows: 

Colchester, 1.1alclon ~ Brightlj..ngsea Urban District9 Burnhan-on-Crouch u. D. Wivenhoe u. D. Lexden and \Vinstree Rural District, Malden R. D. Rochford R.Dn Tendring R.D. ~est Mersea U.D~ 

Bridge Blean R.D. Dover R.D. East Ashford R.D. :C;astry R. D. Elham R. D. Strood .R. D. Swale R. D. 
Norfolk. Cromer Ue D.. North V'la lshmn U. D. Sheringham U. D. Blofiela. and Flegz R. D. Er·pington R. D. Loddon R •. D. Srnallburgh R.. D~ 
Suffolk. Aldeb'urgh, Beccles, Southwold9 Halesvvorth u. D.·--Leiston curu Sizewell U. D. Saxrnundham U. D. Blyth Ro D* Deben R. D. Lothingland R. D. Samford R. D. 
+-:-+;--r-i-+-:--:-~--:--:--:-~--;­


!'r9~T. '.ID BE PUBJ;,ISHED BEFORE Tl~ 1iO~fHlG ·PI~PERS OF VFEDNBSDAY , l:LJl.Y._?9~ 1940 NO'l TO BE ISSUED ON CLUB TJ'.PES, OR BROlwCAST BEFORE 7a.m. Oi THAT'D 

BO!v.IBS ON llLLiill HOSPIT!J:.. IN NORWLY NURSING STJJ.i'FS COOLNESS FRO:M 11EYE-\VITNESS11 WIT'rl 'll-IE i1.LLIED TRQOPS IN NORWAY SOlllil'lllERE IN NORWAY 
During one of the very frequent air r e.ids on the Allied bases in NorNay, heavy bombs fell in the garden of a base hospital, and an extensive wooden frame building was completely vr.reckec1. 
While ceilings v1ere falling, uindows crashing and further salvoes of bombs bursting in the vicinity the Torritorial sisters and orderlies, mostly from Liverpool, continued calnly to evacuate the pD.tients to the shelters• 
.Among the patients were 36 YTOl.mded Gerr.1o.n o.iruen who were reraoved with the rest. 
Miraculously enough, with the exception of those suffering from glass.. and splinter vrounds, fo.ere v-ras only one c::isual ty -o.n orderly killed. Not one sister was hit. 
So impressive was the behavious of the stn.ff that they earned the approbation of the general officer cor:1i:u nding. 
MINISTRY OF INFORMATION 
28/5/Li.0 -No. 25. 
SAFETY ,OF ur.sTER 
Hnr.m DEFlZi\l" CE FORCE J..TO BE FORMED. 

Plans for the local defence of Northern Ireland were announced by Lord Craigavon, the Prime Minister to-day (Tuesday) in the following statement: 
"Arrangements have been completed vvi th the military authorities under which the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the Ulster Special Constabulary have undertaken the dut;y of Home Defence in add.ition to their normal constabulary duties. 
"An adcl.i tional section of the SiJecial Constabulary, to be called the Ulster Defence Volunteers, is also to be formed whose duties will be confined to Home Defence. 
"The new section will consist of male British subjects resident in Northern Ireland who voluntarily undertake to serve therein without pay and are accepted for such service. 
"Members will not be required (a) to give whole-time sel"'Vice; (b) to move avrny from their homes or ( c) to enrol for a :!,!eriod e:;::cept the period of the present emergency. 
11Becruitment will be undertaken by the Count;>r Cormnandant of each c.ounty, who will make local arrangements for enrolment of volunteers through the Sub-Divisional cr:ommandants. 11 · 
__.,.... ,_:.,o.... :::>Oo.,.,;-...-­

The ".:'a1" Office, 


28th May, i940. 

The \'Jal" Office announces that H:~s Majesty The King has been pleased to approve of the appointment of Major-General 
R.J. Collins, C. B., C. M. G., D.s.o., retired pay, as Colonel, The Royal BeI•lcsbire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of \iales 1s), with effect from the 6th April i 91.i.O, in succession to General Sir Felix F. Ready, G.B. E., K.C.B., c.s.r., C.M.G., D.s.o., retired pay, deceased. 
The Vlo.r Off'ice, 
·.-; (' '·' 19.
··~ · ~1 . l\!Q. ·­
London, s.'1j.1. 28th May, 1940. 

The '.)ar Office announces tl1at His iJiajesty The King has been graciously pleased to a::;~Jrove of the undermentioned award for gallant and distins uished services in action in connection with recent operations:­
TIE MILITARY MEDAL No. 3446183 Lance..-Corporal Jacl;: Gallagher•, · The Lancashire Pusiliers. 
On the night of the 13th/'i4th March~ 1940, a section post in the British Sector was engaged by an enemy patrol. In the action one of our men who was on the point of throwing a grenade, strucl~ the bac1;: of the r)os,t v1ith lrnnd and dragg0d the grans.de f'rom which the pin had been 'vil'ithdravm. Lance-Corporal Gallagh..:.r and another soldier tried to f'ind the grenade which had fallen into the muddy water underneath a duel:: board, ultimately, Lance-Corporal Gallagher felt the grenade Yri th his foot and rea:_lising there was now no time to get the g11 ez1ade out and throw it clear of the post, pushed his right foot through the duclc board and pressed tho e:;r·enade as dee;) into the i11Ud as possible. The grenade went off and wounded Lance-Corporal Gallagher in the leg but this quiclc a);;reciation of tho situation, presence of mind and personal bravery undoubtedly saved other men of the section from injury or death. 
28/5f!:t0 ·-____...;;N.....o.....-.Z_9•. 

Service casualties from France anc1-Belgium are being received in increasing numbers in Emergency Medical Service hospitals, which must also be prepared for air raid casualties in this country. 
The nursing staff of these hospitals is at present adequate but a much larger number of nurses is required in the imrnediate future. The Uinister of Health and the Secretary of Sta.te for Scotland therefore ap:?enl earnestly for all trained nurses who are not alreE§.;y_ nur:sing ~F-ho_s.J21._t§}~.s_Q£_~Jl..s:.a.K~cL.l-n. .£.Ubli c health ~or at first aid 1)osts to come forvrnrd at once. 
They are required for whole-time work in any hospital in Great Britain to which they i~my be sent.. 
The rate of pay is £90 a year for trained nurses, £55 for assistant nurses, plus board, lodcing and laundry (charge sisters have an extra allowance). 
Those vvho enrol now are gunranteed at least twelve months employment. 
Applicants in London should write, telephone or come in yerson with full particulars of their qualifications, age, earliest date of availability and part of country in which, if ~ossible, theyprefer to ser•ve, to the Ministry of Health, Rompey House, Marsham Street, London, S.. ·vlo 1. Telephone Abbey 2595. 
In other "[)arts of England o.nd ':Vales they should apply to the Medical Officer of Henlth of their County_ or Count~. Borough, or if they 11refer, to the Ministry at the adclress just given. 
Apylicants in Scotland should apply to the Civil Nursing Reserve, 40 Melville Street, Edinburgh 3. 
Those who have already joined the Reserve but have not hitherto been able to offer v!hole-time service wherever they are sent, are asked to reconsider their decision and let their Medical Officer of Health, or in Scotland, the Civil Nursing Reserve, register them for this form of service now. 
++++++++++-:-++ . 

28/~/40 -No. 30 
PRESS NOTICE 
The Minister of Labour and National service wishes once more to urge upon all workers and :partioularly skilled wqrkers desiring to help with urgent work, that they can best do so by re­porting the ;t'act vdth f'ull particulars of their qualifications to the nearest Employment E:;;:change, and then remaining in their present jobs until they hear further from the Exchange. They should not throw up their present jobs until asked to do so by the Exchange. 
---000--­
.. MJ:l~ISTRY GF ,LABOUR..,.WD NATION.AL SERVICE 
28/5/40 -No.31. 
REC~PTION 1ThTIT CANDIDAT~S. 
The War Office announces that Reception Unit candidates :ro:r all arms of the sePvice between the age of 18 and 19~ who wish to volunteer for the new Home Defence battalions: should report to the nearest recruiting centre so that they may be posted at once. 
They~ state that they are Reception Unit Candidates and have already been attested, and must produce their Army Forr11S E.531. The age limit must be strictly adhered to, 
+++++++ 
WAR OFFICE, s.w.1. 
28/5/40__,_-__N_o_.....3_2. 
ffil!_§.LNOTICE 
Mr.. J.R. Hobhouse, M.C., who has been part time Deputy Cor1nnissioner North West Civil Defence Region, has resigned the appointment in order to devote his ~hole time to the shipping industry. 
++++++++++ 

28/5/40 -NO• 34 
PRESS NOTICE 
Lord Ben.verbrook, Minis t er of J,ircraft Production, announces th.D..t he has a.ppointed J.dniral Sir Ed.-m.rd Evn.ns, K.C.B., D.s.o., Ll.D,, to take charge of the local prot ection n.nd security of the organisation of o.11 f actories engo..ged on aeronautico..l uor k n.nd the o.erodromes attached to·tltcu, 
Adr.U.rn.l Evor,&' headquarter s Yvill be at the Ministry of Lircraft Production, Millbo.nk, S,W. 1., and he \vill o.t once be visiting various centres. 
He ho.s the full authority of the Hinistry. 
l1UNISTRY OF LIRQRL'.FT PRODUCTION 
AIR MINISTRY BULLETIN NO. 787_. 28/5/l-1-0 ,_.___llo., 350 
R. A. F. RBLI:CYY, ENELIY PRESSURE. 
The Air Ministry announces: ... 
R.A.Fo fighters, bombers and reconnaissance aircraft have been doing thei1~ utmost to relieve enerny pressure on the Allied armies in the grim strugc;le nov1 tal<ing place in north­e:astern France., 
Yesterday (Mon) waves of R. ~F., medium bombers repeatedly attacked road and rail cormnunications in the areas immediately behind the German armiesa 
Last night (Mon-Tues) heavy borr:bers attacked military objectives at Dusseldorf, Duisberg, Dortmund, Hamburg, Bremen and Cologne., 
All our aircraft returned, one shooting down an enemy scout over Holland.. 
R.AcF. fighters carried out continuous patrols over north­eastern France today (Tues) under adverse weather conditionso Reports so far indicate that 22 of the enemy have been destroyed or damaged. 
Yesterday morning (Mon) the aerodrome at Stavanger (Norway) was again bombed and aircraft on the aerodrome subjected to heav;}r machine-gun fireo 
In the Narvik areat eight enemy aircraft have been destroyed or damaged by R. A. F. fighters,. From all these operations, thirteen of our aircraft have failed to return.. +++++++++++++ AIR AFFAJ_E$.