2.7.43 - . No. 1



 Air Ministry No. 10761



 AIR MINISTRY COMMUNIQUE




 Yesterday MORNING Typhoon bombers escorted by fighters attacked

an
 enemy convoy off the Dutch coast. Three merchant vessels and four

minesweepers were danaged.


 Yesterday afternoon Spitfires destroyed four enemy fighters during
a sweep over Northern France. At the seme time Thunderbolts- of the
U.S.A. Eighth Air Force, one of which is missing, destroyed four enemy
fighters in the course of a
 sweep over Northern France and the Low
Countries.


 Four of our aircraft are missing.
 2/7/43 -
 No. 4


 TRANSPORT OF PLUMS



 Growers and the trade may wish to he informed that Directions
•will a pain be rude to control the transport of plums under a zoning
scheme. They are advised to avoid sending empty containers forward
until the Directions,which are now in preparation, are published.

 The Directions will follow the general lines of those in operation
last season, but it is intended to vary then in the following main

respects:-


 (a) Scotland will cease to he a destination
 area, for Area 11, and will he made a

 destination area for Area 12, instead.



 (b) South Wales will become an additional
 destination area for Area 11.


 (c) Northern Ireland will become a destination
 area for Areas 11 and 12.




NOTE. Area. 11 couprises Kent and the Administrative County of London,


 Area 12 comprises Worcest ershire, Herefordshire and
 Gloucestershire (except/county Borough of Bristol, the Urban
 Districts of Mangotsfield and Kingswood, and the Rural

 Districts of Warmley, Sodbury and Thornbury).




MINISTRY OF FOOD
 2,7.43 -
 No, 5




 MIDDLE EAST COMMUNIQUE

 HEADQUARTERS .
 ROYAL AIR FORCE,
 MIDDLE EAST,

 2nd JULY, 1 915.




 In daylight yesterday our aircraft attacked a medium sized transport
vessel entrance to the Levkas Channel. This
 at the
 ship, on which direct
hits were scored on June 27, was listing heavily to port and blocking the

Channel, Further damage' was inflicted by bombs.


 An-enemy schooner was attacked and damaged by cannon fire off the

west coast of Greece,


 From these and other operations all our aircraft returned safely*
 2/7/43 -


 N o. 6

Air Ministry nows Service Air Ministry Bulletin No. 10752


 R.A,F. STATION HELPS TO FEED AIRMEN


 Roast pork every Sunday for all ranks nearly 1,000 from their own pigs.. -




This is the achievement of an
 R.A.F, Technical Training command station in
Wales. production costs are non-existent, for the swill from the messes

and kitchens is sufficient to feed the pigs.

 This effort began in the autumn of 1941 with a purchase of stock costing
£305, The first pigs were killed in February, 1942, the dead weight of the
two of them being 422 lbs, since then, 115, totalling more than 21,000 lbs

dead weight, have been killed, and, the stock, how worth over £650, stands at

131, including eleven brood sows and a boar.


 The piggery, well away from the camp itself, has been constructed and
extended by airmen, two of whom, both pig experts, have charge of the animals.



 The slaughtering is done with a humane killer by a cook-and-butcher

serving on the station, and all three work under the direction of an officer'

who before the war farmed, in Canada and England, A big boiler has been

installed to deal with the kitchen waste, which is collected daily and properly
boiled before being fed to the pigs.


 In the past year, in addition to a considerable increase in the stock,
 of over £l,OOO was shorn. The profit back to the airmen’s
a profit goes

own funds.



 Not only is the piggery entirely self-supporting, but it also makes

were meat available for civilian consumption, for the pork eaten every Sunday
is in place of, not supplementary to, the normal rations.
 2.7.43 No. 8




 VETERAN OF THE SEA




 "I don't know what a shore job is, and with a grand old
ship like the WINSOR I'm not all that keen to find out".


 So says Chief Engine Room artificer Frederick E. Standing,
D.S.M., who looks back on 18 years service in
 Royal'Navy, and the
is proud that at 43 years of
 age he is the "grand old man" in
the destroyer H.M.S. WINSOR, and that the whole of his service,
 one day in barracks, has been in a ship.


 Standing has served throughout the war in the WINDSOR who

recently celebrated her 25th birthday, and he has seen her through
a host of successful actions. interesting souvenir of
 He has an

the memorable occasion when the WINDSOR was the last ship to leave

Boulogne after the collapse of France.

 "I standing on the deck as the ship was slowly pulling
 was

away from jetty with a contingent of "Welsh Guards aboard, when
 the
I noticed that a British bayonet had been left abandoned on the

jetty, and I nipped over the side, grabbed it and reboarded. The
bayonet now reposes in my cabin, a souvenir which I'm net likely
to part with."


 Standing has another souvenir from that operation a pair of -




braces. This is his explanation, "With the troops we also took
on board an old French lady and. her ’son'. But it was a
 young
woman who accompanied the old lady off the ship when we get to this
side. The mystery was solved when we discovered a suit of men's
 had
clothes, complete with braces, hidden on board. The girl
escaped from the disguised
 Germans as a man and the braces were
 my
share of the abandoned disguise."


 Just before the Boulogne episode the WINDSOR had completed
seven trips to Dunkirk and evacuated a total of 5,600 troops.

 Standing got his D.S.M. for devotion to duty when the ship
was damaged by enemy action. ,




NAVAL AFFAIRS
 2.7*43 No.l0




 JOINT INDIA WAR COMMUNIQUE NO, 171


 The following communique from India was received in London this morning: -




 Yesterday, July 1 the R*A»F* continued their harassing attacks on
 ,

Japanese monsoon quarters in Arak


 Bombers hit storage buildings in Akyab and array hutments elsewhere on


Akyab island. Fighters machine gunned various targets on the island and

supply craft along the Arakan coast.

 In those attacks ever twenty sampans, including some'large ones containing
oil .drums, were sunk or damaged.

 Further south Blenheims attacked enemy communications by dropping bombs

of the Prome-Taungup Road,



 Beauf ighters on offensive patrols found a variety of targets along the
Irrawaddy. They damaged two river steamers, larges, a motor lorry, a
 two

number of
 sampans, and shot up about 165 railway trucks*

 From the day's operations none of our aircraft missing*




WAR office
 2/7/43 -
 No. 11




 NORTH AFRICACOMUNIQE; NO, 238.


 Allied Force Headquarters
 July 2, 1943

 On the night of June 30/July 1, our bombers attacked the
barracks and railway station at Cagliari, in Southern Sardinia.


 Yesterday, air activity was confined to patrolling, during
which four enemy aircraft were shot down.


 None of our aircraft is missing.




War office
 2,7.43. NO.12.


Not for Publication before DeliverY



 Following is speech of Rt Hon«R.A. ßutler, President of Board

 of Education, at, Felsted School Speech Day today*



 the Rt,Hon, R.-A.Butler,
 Speaking at Felsted School Speech Day at 3,p,m. .today,
President of the Board of Education, said he hoped that the general situation and a


 would enable progress to be made with the
proper assessment of financial possibilities
 with the least possible
first stage of educational reform, namely public discussion,
delay.


 private discussion, . Now there must time
 be for
 "There has been a
 long period of

public consideration, More education about Education is necessary", ■


 nature and meaning of plans
 "I have faith and confidence that the more the our

are understood the more they will be seen to provide an effective and equitable solvent
of the difficulties and shortcomings, which are inherent in our present educational
system",

 "The Secondary schools claim that they should continue to enjoy reasonable inde-
 without which they true education is impossible. Let me say that in
pendence, urge
 -
 -




 will reinforce
any plans for the future we propose to include provisions which we hope
good relations between Local Education Authorities and schools, and will secure to

Governing Bodies a reasonable measure of responsibility.

 "This leads me to say a word on two natters* First, what is the real meaning of
 what is the real nature of the organisation of Secondary
independence; and, second,
education which we have in mind. '




 "Schools are
 very different from individuals,
 not Weall of us -

 you and I -
 like

to run our own individual lives in our own
 way. We resent official regulation very much.
But we cannot ignore the fact that we are
 part of a wider
 society, we owe something to

 and village; to full part citizens of country,.
our town, our we have
 play our as our .And
when -as sometimes is bound to happen - there is a conflict of loyalties, goodwill and

mutual understanding are better solvents than rules or formularies.

 "So it is with schools. Governors and Headmasters naturally want to look after
their own domestic affairs. But they must remember that they have a responsibility to
the locality of which they ore a part and which often supplies the very means of their
existence. In the future I want to see the link which bridges schools of all kinds with
their
 country or local area strengthened and extended.


 "Now
 for my second point* We have in this country a splendid heritage of Secondary
Education, which in the post has bred and nurtured generations of Englishmen for service
at hone and abroad* Our system has
 grown up by stages; sometimes in a haphazard way, but
it is none the worse for that. In some
 ways we are bound to overhaul this system, to make
it more complete and more orderly* But we do not want all our schools to be uniform in

type or control. On the contrary, we want schools to fit the needs of all kinds of boys
and girls, with a wide variety of schools of different grades and types. The principle
underlying it all must be to see that
 every child gets his full opportunity of the best
education he can
 profit by.

 "We in Felstead have a great part to play in both these ways* We prize our

independence and we prise our traditions; but we should not forget too, that we owe a

debt to the local society in which the citizens
 we were founded, and to of the future,
whatever their class or circumstances*




BOARD OF EDUCTION
 2/7/43 - No. 13



Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin NO 10764




 FOUR JUNKERS 88 ATTACK A LIBERATOR



 A Liberator of Coastal Command was attacked by four Junkers 88s
over the Bay of Biscay yesterday in a running battle lasting over
three quarters of an hour.

 The Junkers made their first attack on the starboard side in line

astern, opening fire when 700 yards away.


 Taking successful evasive action, the Liberator returned the fire*
Towards the end of the combat one of the enemy aircraft had closed to
within 200 yards when one of the Liberator’s gunners got in a burst.
The enemy then broke away with black smoke pouring from the port engine.


 During a final attack made by another Ju, 88 at a
 range of 150 yards
the Liberator’s gunners succeeded in getting in two bursts.

 Snake was again seen coning from the port engine of the energy air-
craft, which climbed steeply as though out of control, and then flew
away,


 No casualties were suffered by the crew of the Liberator, which
returned safely to its base.
 2/7/43 -
 No. 14


 Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No, 10765

 ON PINE IN THE AIR


 ADVENTURES
 *

 A STIRLING- CREW'S


 A Stirling which took part in a recent raid on a target in destern Germany
probably destroyed a Ju. 88, bombed the target, was set on fire by flak, was forced
to cone down in the sea off the East Coast of England owing to petrol shortage, and

finally the crew were picked up in less than two hours by an Air/Sea Rescue launch.


 after crossing the Dutch coast, a Ju. 88 approached the Stirling, apparently
 Soon
without seeing it, until near enough for the pilot, Sgt. U. Towse, of Cardiff, to
distinguish the black crosses. It then broke away, in a. climb. The front
 gunner -




bomb aimer F/Sgt, D. J. Martin, of Upper Hutt, Hew Zealand, immediately opened fire,

raking the fighter from stem to stern. It turned over on one wing tip, and plunged
vertically out of sight.


 The Stirling bombed the target, and as it was continuing on its run to get a


photograph was hit by flak* The petrol tanks were holed, and the petrol ignited.
The
 rear-gunner Sgt. J, A. Baldwin, of Immingham, Grimsby, saw the flames streaming out
from the wing a second before the flight engineer, Sgt. H.F. Brodie, of Willingdon-
on-Tyne, called out the warning: "Starboard wing on fire’


 The pilot gave the order, "Prepare to bade out," and told Plight Sergeant Martin
to see that the escape hatch was open. He then dived at the steepest possible angle
for seven thousand feet until the flames were extinguished, but as he began to regain

height the crew saw that a large hole had been-burnt in the wing.



 They set course for hone with petrol for only seventy minutes’ flying. Over

Belgium, the starboard inner engine came tostop owing to severed pipe lines, and
 a


shortly afterwords the pilot told the wireless operator, Sgt. N. J. Pawley, of Fowey,

 Cornwall, to send outas it was doubtful if they could reach the
 the first S.O.S,
English coast on During the remainder of the flight, Sgt. Pawley
 three engines.
continuously obtained wireless fixes and this undoubtedly led to a quick rescue when
the tine came.



 Over the
 sea., the starboard outer engine cut, and when petrol began to run short
in the port engines, the pilot put the aircraft’s nose down, and prepared to come

down in the sea. At 5,000 feet, the crew rehearsed their positions for "ditching".
At 2,000 feet, the port outer engine began to falter, and so the
 pilot pressed the

feathering switch. The sea, was rough, and as the aircraft hit the water it broke
in halves, sinking in ten seconds.



 Owing damage sustained,
 to the the dinghy did not release automatically, but the
rear-gunner managed t o operate the manual release. The navigator, Sergeant J. Berrass,
of Hull, was washed up through the astrodome, end hauled into the dinghy. The pilot
 compelled to tear his harness free before he could get out of the front
 escape
hatch, and he only succeeded just before the aircraft sank. The remainder of the

crew reached the dinghy more easily.



 A Spitfire found the crew only eighty minutes later. It dropped a second dinghy,
and after half an hour an Air/Sea Rescue launch picked then up. They were all safely
in hospital by 8 a.m.
 2/7/43 - No* 21



 PRICES OP Strawberries


 The Ministry of Food reminds the public and traders that the maximum
retail price of strawberries will be reduced from July 5 to ls 4 3pd. per lb*
in the following areas; Scotland, Northern Ireland, Northumberland,
Cumberland, Durhaja, Westmorland and the Sedbergh District of Yorkshire* In all
other areas of the United Kingdom, the maximum 'retail' price will remain at

 per lb*.


 The maximum retail price includes all costs of no extra

charge may be made for then.


Ministry oF Food
 2/7/43 - No. 22




 NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE
 0030 D.B,S.T, (i.e. FOR MORNING PAPERS) ON
 SATURDAY JULY 3, 1943
 THIS EMBARGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING ANY
 MESSAGES FILED WTTH THE EMBARGO




 PACKING OF SUGAR


 The Ministry of Food announces that, with a view to economy in
 and packing material, it has been with
man power agreed representatives
of the retail trade that sugar should normally be . packed only in bags
containing 1 lb, or a multiple of 1 lb,


 Quantities other than 1 lb, or multiples of 1 lb* will be supplied,
if required, to persons holding Temporary Ration Documents or Weekly
yeomen's Ration Books (R,B»6) to old age and to those who for
any reason have an odd number of weekly coupons available in their ration
books.


 The public are asked to assist in effecting this economy by buying
their sugar as far as possible in quantities of 1lb* ..or. multiples of
a lb.




MINISTRY OF FOOD
 2/7/43-No. 2,




 NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES
 BEFORE 00*30 HOURS D.B.S.T. ON SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1 943

 (i* e. FOR MORNING PAPERS ON JULY 3). THIS EMBARGO SHOULD
 BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING ANY MESSAGES FILED
 WITH THE EMBARGO




 MAXIMUM PRICES OF HOME PRODUCED CANNED APPLES (SOLID PMK)
 IN 410 CANS




 The Minister of Food has made an Order amending the Fruit (Canning,
Bottling and Freezing) (Control and Maximum Prices) Order, 1943,
increasing the prices of Home Produced Canned Apples (Solid Pack) in
410 cans.




 The new maximum prices, which come into effect on July 4, are as


follows. (The old prices are in brackets)

 On a sale to a wholesaler 525. 6d. per dozen cans (475. 0d,
 On a sale to a retailer 56 s, 0d.
 ” 11 t?
 (50s, 6d,
 On a sale by retail 5s* 5 1/2d. per can ( 5s. Od.



MINISTRY OF FOOD
 2/7/43 - No. 29




 NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES

 BEFORE 0030 D.B.S.T. (i.e FOR MORNING PAPERS) ON

 SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1943
 THIS EMBARGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING

 ANY MESSAGES FILED WITH THE EMBARGO




 CONTROLLER FOR PRIORY COLLIERY GLANTYRE.


 The Minister of Fuel and lower, with the concurrence of the owners,
Messrs* Bairds & Scottish Steel Limited has taken ever the management
of Priory Colliery Ltd., Glantyre,

 The output from this Colliery has been
 very unsatisfactory for some


time. Certain steps deemed necessary by the Company to remedy the

position were not acceptable to the Regional Controller, who suggested
the alternative course of a reorganisation of the labour force which was

carried out by the Company on the lines agreed with the Control and the
Miners Union. Despite this, the position has not improved, but indeed

has further deteriorated.


 In these circumstances the Minister has appointed* an authorised
Controller for the Colliery.




MINISTRY OP FUEL AND POWER
 2/7/43 -
 No. 31




 NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE
 0030 HOURS ON SATURDAY 3rd JULY 1943.
 THIS EMBARGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING ANY
 MESSAGES wITH THIS EMBARGO




Air MINISTRY News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No *10766


 B RAVERY A WARDS FOR TWO A.T.C. CADETS


 Two 16 years-old A,T*C* cadets, Derrick Hassell and William Parker, both
of No. 1267 (Deva) Squadron, Chester have been awarded commendations, approved
 by the King, for their bravery in attempting to rescue the pilot of a burning
aircraft -which crashed in February in Flintshire.


 These are the second and third awards made to serving cadets of the Air

Training Corps. The first was to a cadet who helped save a Spitfire pilot last
November.


A sailor of the Merchant Navy, John Thomas,
 who came to the help of the

cadets. also received a letter of appreciation.



 The cadets, who were not on duty at the time, were talking across a field

when they hoard an aircraft crash behind thorn. They raced to the spot, and

saw the pilot unconscious in the burning aircraft, with his clothing on fire.

With complete disregard for their own personal safety, the cadets climbed on to

 pilot's hatch, and endeavoured to
the aircraft, kicked array the pull out tho
 the time and who
pilot* The sailor, who was on leave at rejoined his ship the
same day, came to their aid, and together they got the pilot away from the
 arcraft. Unfortunately, th pilot died of his injuries later.



 The Air Council record that those two cadets in their "brave and determined

efforts to save the -pilot's life are worthy of high praise.


 Both the cadets live at Scott Road. Mancot, Chester,
 2/7/43 -
 nO. 33



 Air Ministry Bulletin No, 10767
Air Ministry News Service




 MORE ATTACKS ON ENEMY A TRANSPORT




 Boston and Typhoon fighters continued the attack
 bombers on


enemy transport in Northern France and Belgium today.

 Here are some of the incidents of the day's operations:-

 A Czech S/Ldr, flying a Typhoon, who saw a
 passenger train near

St. Omer, know that he by strict rule from -attacking
 was barred

civilian.passenger trains. But he had a feeling that this was no
ordinary train. So he fired a burst into a field alongside the train
and watched what happened.



 . The train stopped with a jerk, the doors were flung open, and out

poured German soldiers, who scattered into ditches and hedgerows,

 Two Typhoons then turned their guns on the locomotive and left it

"steaming well".


 pair of Typhoon pilots in 22 minutes over the Bruges-Ghent
 Another
area damaged four locomotives, scattered two parties of workers,
 severely
loading goods trains, and sprayed flak cars.' with bullets. One

 locomotive was attacked a second time on the return, trip, "The driver
seemed to take a
 poor view of this", said one of the pilots afterwards,
"because, he baled out".


 Planes 100 feet high and a column of dense black smoke were
reported by ether pilots after a Typhoon cannon attack on an oil
storage tank near Ijmuiden* A ground defence battery which tried to

interfere was silenced by the pilot's return fire.



 The Bostons had three railway targets. This is what they did
all from ’zero’ feet:-



 GHENT: -
 Bombs on • the lines entering, the station and near a train'

at Thielt.


 LILLE: - Bombs near an engine shed and on a railway junction.


 COURTRAI: Engine shed, straddled with bombs and .» second junction
damaged.
 2/7/43 - No. 56


 AIRCRAFT LOSSES -



 1939 - JUNE 30, 1943
 Axis R. A. F,
 Over Great Britain 1939 23
 1940 3,038 847
 1941 631 40
 1942 296 10.
 first six months 1943 323 3


 totals 4,201, 900

 Over Europe 1939 26 27
 1940 73 385
 1941 880 1,517
 1942 555 1,976
 first six months 1943 323 1,452


 totals 1,857 5,357

 Middle East 1940 347 76
 1941 1,112 635
 1942 1,784 1,163
 first six months 1943 257 103


 totals 3,500 1,977

 Tunisia 1942 290 124
 first six months 1943 1,941 671


 2,231 795 X


 Far East, India & 1942 2,863 89
 Burma 1943 1,179 60

 totals 4,042 • 149

 Western Front 1939 14 5
 1940 943 374


 totals 957 379

 Scandinavia 1940 56 55
 Russia (R. A. F. Wing) 1941 15 1


 U.S.A.A.F. in 1942 182 33
 Europe 1943 990 260


 1,172
 *

 293


 Aggregate 18,031 9,906


 5 The Tunisian figures are for the North West African Air Forces
 and not the R.A.F. alone.

 The Middle East figures include Malta's successes against the

 Axis, as follow: 1940 44
 1941 238
 1942 915
 1943 74

 1,271



 In addition to all these losses by the Axis are 985 announced as

 destroyed by the Royal Navy, but this figure is incomplete, and the
 German losses to the French on the Western front and to the Russians

 on the Eastern front.

 American losses in the Far East are not known.



 AIR AFFAIRS




.
 2.7.43. No.




 CORRECTION




 In the Statistical table of aircraft losses issued this

 evening, please correct total of Axis losses over Great Britain
 for first six months of 1943 to read 213 not 323. The grand
 total for the war under this heading remains at 4201. -




 AIR AFFAIRS




a
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