14/l2/41 - No.l Air Ministry No.5866 AIR MINISTRY AND MINISTRY OF HOME SECURITY COMMUNIQUE. There is nothing to report. 14/l2/41 - No.2 Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No.5867 AUSTRALIAN PILOT TAKES ON SIX JAPANESE When he was just about to land at his base aerodrome, with wheels and flaps lowered, an R. A. A. F. Buffalo pilot was attacked from behind by six Japanese fighters. He immediately took off again, engaged then, and shot two down within a few minutes. One crashed on a hill; the other spiraled to rth in flames. Neither enemy pilot had the slightest chance to bale out. Throughout the combat the Australian was flying on his emergency fuel supply, and, soon after "bagging his brace,” he found he had used up all his ammunition. Each time he tried to land the remaining four enemy aircraft attacked, but, because of his rapidly diminishing petrol supply, it finally became imperative to land. The Australian evaded the enemy by going down to sea level. Out of petrol, he crash-landed his piano, which was riddled with holes. The pilot was unhurt. 14/12/41 - No. 6. Speech to be delivered by Mr. Herbert Morrison. Secretary and Home Minister of Home Security, at the Civic Hall Wolverhampt on, at 3 p.m. on Sunday, 14th December, 1941. Mr. Morrison said that if anything had been needed to prove yet again that there was no room in the same world for the peace states and the war states, it would have been supplied by the manner of Japan’s attack on the two great English speaking democracies. While such dark and treacherous deeds are possible, while powers exist in the world capable of doing them, it is perfectly plain that decent men and decent nations can never count upon freedom from seme deadly unprovoked stab in the back. There is only one way to achieve safety from such brutal footpads and their devices - that is for the peaceful states to wipe them out, then stick together and police the world securely against any possibility of such or similar bandits reappearing. Many nations, wanting nothing but to be allowed to go their way and live in peace with their neighbours, have discovered how cruel is the cost of inaction against aggression. But righteousness triumph, however long the fight shall must last. While there yet may be big difficulties and big disappointments in front of us in the Pacific theatre of war as elsewhere - Britain and America have had their share this week - there is not one of us but knows what the end will be. The Japanese are possessed; they have gone berserk; like maniac a when he first gets loose with a knife, they may do great damage before they are pinioned and thrown; but be the end distant or near, they have rung their own knell and sealed their own doom. When this business is over the great Eastern world will breathe more freely than it has done for many a year. Meantime the news from Russia and Libya is good for us and bad for Germany - very bad. The setbacks for the Nazis are by no means conclusive, but they are significant and important. The war has taken on a new and even bigger character. It is now full World War in which the British Commonwealth, America, the Soviet Union and China stand together against Fascist aggression. The moral of all these events for the British industrial effort - management no less than workers - is, still more efficiency, still more drive, even yet more hard work. The slogan ’Go to It’ is emphasised more than ever. Mr. Morrison advised the civil defence services to maintain their vigilance. He said that while some of our coastal areas were being subjected to a very trying and troublesome series of nuisance raids, great part of the a country was free from air attack. ”How long will this last? I do not know, and it is not my business nor my wish to sound unnecessary alarms. I do not say that enemy raids on a heavy scale will start again in a week, a month, three months or six months, although they well may. I do say that it would be criminal folly not to prepare ourselves mentally and physically for their renewal in the comparatively near future. The enemy can do it if he wants to. He may at any time be able to set free for operation against our island a substantial bombing force. One thing is certain. If we were to relax our Civil Defence precautions, the chances of German attack would he vastly increased. I can assure you there will he no relaxation so far as the Government’s policy is concerned, and I appeal to men and women to give us, as good citizens, keen part-time, or even in suitable cases full-time, Civil Defence service. Come along in your tens and hundreds of thousands, proud and glad to he identified with the Force whose deeds in the blitz rang round the world and proved for the first time, to those with eyes to see, that Hitler could not win this war. Mr. Morrison said we must never let ourselves forget the power of Hitler's psychological weapon of treachery and social disruption. Our Fifth Column had never/ never deemed a very formidable force, because Quislingism did not thrive in the British climate, and partly, too because, warned by the example of tolerant, half-blind, misguided Governments elsewhere, we had dealt very firmly with this menace whilst at the same time maintaining a remarkably high degree off civil liberty. You cannot apply the rules of the game to people who have no intention themselves of abiding by those rules, who will use your tolerance as a weapon to overthrow you. Britain to-day is as free as any country in the world can possibly be in the midst of a life and death war, but we have not forgotten and I hope, we never will forget the great and tragic lessons of the drift and fall of the Weimar Republic. HOME OFFICE. 14.12.41. - No.7. POINTS RATIONING: CHANGES IN POINT VALUES OF CERTAIN FOODS On Monday, December 15, a now ’points’ rationing period begins, and during the four weeks December 15 to January 11 the ”A”, ”B”, and ”C” coupons in the Pink Book will be available for use. ”A" and "B" coupons are worth one point 16 points for each, ”C” coupons two points each - a total of the period. On Monday changes in the ’points’ value of two of the foods covered by the scheme come into effect. U.S. Canned Pork Sausage Meat and Pork Sausage Bulk will be reduced from 16 points per pound net to 8 points per pound net. The point value of Canned Salmon of all Grades will be increased. The increase in the ’points’ value of the usual sizes of containers will be:- 1's tall .... fron 16 points to 24 points 1's flat .... from 16 points to 24 points 1/2’s flat .... from 8 points to 12 points 1/4' s flat .... from 4 points to 6 points Salmon in any other size of container is increased from 16 points to 24 points per pound net. Canned Pork Sausage Meat is a novel product on the British market and the decrease of the point value will, it is hoped, encourage the housewife to make more use of a valuable foodstuff. object of raising the point value The of Canned Salmon, which has been the subject of widespread demand in the last fortnight, is to ensure an even distribution of the limited supplies available. MINISTRY OF FOOD 14/12/41 - No. 7 EAST AFRICA’S WAR EFFORT TROOPS, FOOD SUPPLIES AND SERVICE Figures are now available of the number of Africans serving in the East African Forces. At the virtual conclusion of the campaign in East Africa last June, Kenya had (in round figures) 39,000 Africans, Uganda 18,000, Tanganyika 18,000, Northern Rhodesia 7,000, Nyasaland 9,000 and Zanzibar 500 - total for the six territories 91,500. In addition these territories have contributed to the Forces 5,000 British personnel and 2,200 Indians. The majority of both British and Indians came from Kenya and Uganda. During the first eight months of this year, the Kenya and Uganda Railways and Harbours carried 133,000 military passengers in special trains, apart from the many thousand carried in ordinary trains and have handled 500,000 tons of military freight at the Port and on the Railway. This achievement was over above the getting away of the heavy Uganda and cotton crop and all ordinary commercial traffic, by a staff which has given 60 of its European members to military service. During this period also engineering and constructional work to the value of £l88,OOO was done by the Railway for the War Department. During 1940 and 1941 the Railway has given as rebate £600,000 to the military and lent £500,000 free of interest to His Majesty’s Government. Food supplies produced by Kenya, Uganda and Tanganyika for local military consumption since the outbreak of war have been worth several million pounds. These supplies include tea, sugar, coffee, maize, wheat, rice, bacon, butter, jam, honey, eggs, meat, potatoes, vegetables, salt and other things. Hundreds of thousands of articles of clothing and equipment, moreover, have been made in the East African territories, including boots, leather equipment and blankets. COLONIAL OFFICE PRESS SECTION 14/l2/41 - No.11 RUBLE EAST WAR COMMUNIQUE The following official communique was issued at British G.H.Q.,Cairo today :- Yesterday our main forces again made progress in the face of determined resistance by German and Italian troops holding rearguard positions south-west of Gazala. Our troops are also closing in on the defensive positions covering Gazala itself. Reports still incomplete show that yesterday a few Italian tanks were destroyed while 18 guns and about 500 German and Italian prisoners were captured north-west of Bir Hakeim. In addition, small batches of prisoners are still being rounded up in areas over which the tide of the main battle has now passed. Our air forces continue tobomb enemy motor transport columns with special success on the roads west and north-west of Gazala and west of Derna. WAR OFFICE 14/12/41 - No. 12. AUSTRALIA’S PAR EFFORT Following is the text of tonight’s Postscript (9.15 to 9.30 p.m.) by Sir Keith Murdoch. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE DELIVERY WITH WHICH IT MUST BE CHECKED It is a privilege tonight to speak to the people of the home lands. I came from Australia three weeks ago. It took ten flying days, a series of 10,000 feet high leaps over oceans and a continent, 1300 to 2300 miles at a time. But it was an orderly and pleasant journey. I travelled in beautiful American flying machines, one with as many as thirteen men in the crew to make things safe and pleasant. I came to see your war effort and our own people and I have been shown, what I have asked to be shown, met those whom I have asked to meet, and been frankly answered, I have been in many parts of the country, I tell you this because I want to give you what is a perfectly free and candid opinion. I think your effort great, thorough, and brave. is very It is outstanding an of fighting organisation and effort production, and if it falls short anywhere of being a total effort then it is not the fault of the people. You are putting your whole lives into the business. We are nine million whites in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Seas, New Zealand consists of most beautiful islands, well watered, treed, and heavily farmed. In Australia we have some great cities, as know, some of them quite you stately, two somewhat larger than Manchester, others about Edinburgh’s size. We have many square set provincial towns and villages, and wide spaces where even the river flats get very grey-brown in summer and we are glad enough if winter brings copious rains. We have many factories, mines, great railway systems and shipping lines, and, of course, the immense primary industries in which with increasing knowledge of our own land and its good and bad points we are trying to grow the best sheep, the best cattle, best horses, and a great profusion of wheat, fruit, dairy products, sugar, and all manner of similar crops. We breed a rather rangy man, resourceful, sanguine, and I think we can claim industrious. The country itself might be called of the loose, rangy type. It is not well endowed with all the good things of the earth. Indeed, it requires a fighting spirit all the time. Even in its most beautiful phases it has its refractory elements, its dryness and its alternations of bounty and disappointment. Now, I want to tell you that through all these parts the word has been carried time and again during these two years of all you have done, and there has been approval, support and action. The feeling of admiration is deep and strong. Of course, coming amongst you, more tilings take shape, and one is not here long before one realises that important factors have to even really be seen to be understood. One is the strength being built up. It is a tremendous strength and I believe it will be an extremely competent strength. Another thing is your spirit which shows itself in so many ways. I know it is dangerous to talk to an Englishman about himself. He will take bombs and shells and bullets but he won’t take that. might do better in my own fore- I fathers' land, Scotland, but I won’t try it anywhere, I think I can best show what I mean by saying that I have seen many bombed places in the last three weeks, but I have not yet seen people who looked like bombed people. /In our In our countries there has I think always been a proper sense of the oneness of our cause. We began raising armies for general, service at once, and the limiting factor has been not man poorer but the number we could equip. Now we have reached somewhere about 500, 000, very many of whom of course are abroad. Our air contribution is taking tons of thousands of our finest youngsters. We have 20,000 men in our own navy which you know something about. Now it is dull giving figures, but one more little set of facts is needed so that you should know the essential things of our position. must tell you I that we started two years before the war to extend our war factories and to make aeroplanes, but when war came we had only 5,000 people employed in these industries. We began high pressure work at once, but it was only when France collapsed and we had necessarily to depend upon our own efforts that we called, as you might say, all hands on deck. Our industrial leaders took charge and our industrial unions joined hands and we now have 200,000 people in these war industries. are making everything from optical We instruments to ships and this has been a great and successful effort indeed. very We have supplied quite a lot of armament and necessities to neighbouring parts of the Empire. We are represented in the bat tie for Singapore not only by many brave men but by a variety of material from Bren gun carriers, other guns and shells down to jam and sugar. Like you here, we have all been working heavy overtime. It has been a strain, but there has been zest in the work. This week has been tremendous and fateful. Japan’s war devils have gone forth. We always feared in Australia that they would strike whenever the army and navy chose to set peaceful authorities aside and this is the first the more time that war has, come so close to our shores, come amongst our homes as it has been amongst yours, will come perhaps overlapping inland. The fight will be fought, if there, to the death, if elsewhere to the death also. The Australian knows all that he has to lose and like you he now knows that it is urgent, personal, and final. Indeed he thinks he faces an even grimmer picture than you what, after because all, could one do with young family facing life as serfs a to the Japanese? When I have said this, I have been told that nothing can be worse than Hitlerism, but you will see my point. The picture of Japanese troops in China has been a horribly ugly one. The early events must be allowed to unfold themselves. No one can foretell them. But therethings that I believe my countrymen would like to have are two you know to-night. One is, that they feel the loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse not only because of the difficulties in the Southern Seas that must accrue, but very poignantly they feel the loss from another point of view, that of a loss made partly for them. The Australian people have, all these months, looked eagerly for the arrival of large ships at Singapore, and they have all these months until recently known that British commitments elsewhere were great and commanding. There andOurNew is Zealanders deep gratitude know of their to arrival. Britain with great joy that the Austrailians Government asked for ships and it was that they were sent and there is profound sympathy and sorrowing that the Prince of Wales and the Repulse have been lost whilst doing their duty. I felt, myself, good deal, that they should have been fighting particularly a for Australia, when they went, and was glad on that fateful afternoon when one of your war leaders said to me "It did seem for all our sakes so very much the right thing to send the Prince of Wales to Malays." /The other The other fact that we would like you to know is, that whatever strength we have as producers, whatever skill and endurance we have as fighters, whatever man, woman, or child can do in this war of life and death, will be done. There will be cavillingno cost, at shrinking the no from suffering. So, the Australian steps up right beside yourselves. Civilians also rank themselves with the people of Britain. I cannot tell you how much it means to us to find, at this altar, the people of America too. Australians are almost pure stock-from these islands and are devoted to the British tie. But also they have an affinity with the Americans and a closeness in point of view. The types are similar. affinity must develop and be active and it should help in drawing This Britain, Australia, and America all nearer together, I believe that the American and the Australian mutual liking had something to do with shaping America's attitude to the Japanese. None of us to-day could stand alone for long. Moreover, we won't get a good peace, with the great betterment mankind, of unless we continue close friendships and some joint actions afterwards. It is now up to us to get the same unity in action as there is unity in our cause and fate. Nothing but the organised and harmonised total effort of us all will avail. To this every person can contribute in addition to all he is doing by striving to understand and appreciate the democracies across the seas. No doubt the vital supreme war council will soon be set up for the great war plan of victory. But smaller folk can help to get this terribly important unity of effort by deliberately encouraging close national friendships. BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION 14/12/41 - No. 12. AUSTRALIA’S WAR EFFORT Following is the text of tonight’s Postscript (9.15 to 9.30 p.m.) by Sir Keith Murdoch. NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE DELIVERY WITH WHICH IT MUST BE CHECKED It is a privilege tonight to speak to the people of the home lands. I came from Australia three weeks ago. It took ten flying days, a series of 10,000 feet high leaps over oceans and a continent, 1300 to 2300 miles at a time. But it was an orderly and pleasant journey. I travelled in beautiful American flying machines, one with as many as thirteen men in the crew to make things safe and pleasant. I came to see your war effort and our own people, and I have been shown, what I have asked to be shown, met those whom I have asked to meet, and been frankly answered. I have been in many parts of the country. I tell you this because I want to give you what is a perfectly free and candid opinion. I think your effort great, thorough, and brave. is very It is outstanding an of fighting organisation and effort production, and if it falls short anywhere of being a total effort then it is not the fault of the people. You are putting your whole lives into the business. We are nine million whites in Australia,New Zealand, and the South Seas, Not Zealand consists of most beautiful islands, well watered, treed, and heavily farmed. In Australia we have some great cities, as know, some of them quite you stately, two somewhat larger than Manchester, others about Edinburgh’s size. We have many square set provincial towns and villages, and wide spaces where even the river flats get very grey-brown in summer and we are glad enough if winter brings copious rains. We have many factories, mines, great railway systems and shipping lines, and, of course, the immense primary industries in which with increasing knowledge of our own land and its good and bad points we are trying to grow the best sheep, the best cattle, best horses, and a great profusion of wheat, fruit, dairy products, sugar, and all manner of similar crops. We breed a rather rangy man, resourceful, sanguine, and I think we can claim industrious. The country itself might be called of the loose, rangy type. It is not well endowed with all the good things of the earth. Indeed, it requires a fighting spirit all the time. Even in its most beautiful phases it has its refractory elements, its dryness and its alternations of bounty and disappointment. Now, I want to tell you that through all these parts the word has been carried time and again during these two years of all you have done, and there lias been approval, support and action, The feeling of admiration is deep and strong. Of course, coming amongst you, more tilings take shape, and one is not here long before one realises that important factors have to even really be seen to be understood. One is the strength being built up. It is a tremendous strength and I believe it will be an extremely competent strength. Another thing is your spirit which shows itself in so many ways. I know it is dangerous to talk to an Englishman about himself. He will take bombs and shells and bullets but he won’t take that. I might do better in my own fore- fathers’ land, Scotland, but I won’t try it anywhere, I think I can show what I mean by saying that I have seen best many bombed places in the last three weeks, but I have not yet seen people who looked like bombed people, /in our -2- In our countries there has I think always been a proper sense of the oneness of our cause. We began raising armies for general! service at once, and the limiting factor has been not man poorer but the number we could equip. Now we have reached somewhere about 500,000, very many of whom of course are abroad. Cur air contribution is taking tons of thousands of our finest youngsters. We have 20,000 men in our own navy which you know something about. Now it is dull giving figures, but one more little set of facts is needed so that you should know the essential things of our position. must tell you I that we started two years before the war to extend our war factories and to make aeroplanes, but when war came we had only 5,000 people employed in these industries. We began high pressure work at once, but it was only when France collapsed and we had necessarily to depend' upon our own efforts that we called, as you Bright say, all hands on deck. Our industrial leaders took charge and our industrial unions joined hands and we now have 200,000 people in these war industries. We making everything from optical instruments to ships and this has been are a very and successful effort indeed. great We have supplied quite a lot of armament and necessities to neighbouring parts of the Empire. We are represented in the battle for Singapore not only by many brave men but by a variety of material from Bren gun carriers, other runs and shells down to jam and sugar. Like you here, we have all been working heavy overtime. It has been a strain, but there has been zest in the work. This Week has been tremendous and fateful. Japan’s war devils have gone forth, We always feared in Australia that they would strike whenever the army and navy chose to set peaceful authorities aside and this is the first the more time that war has, come so close to our shores, come amongst our homes as it has been amongst yours, will come perhaps overlapping inland., The fight will be fought, if there, to the death, if elsewhere to the death also. The Australian knows all that he has to lose and like you he now' knows that it is urgent, personal, and final. Indeed he thinks he faces an even grimmer picture than you what, after because all, could one do with young family facing life as serfs a to the Japanese? When I nave said this, I have been told that nothing can be worse than Hitlerism, but you will see my point. The picture of Japanese troops in China has been a horribly ugly one. The early events must be allowed to unfold themselves. No one can foretell them. But there things that I believe my countrymen would like to have are two you know to-night. One is, that they feel the loss of the Prince of Wales and the Repulse not only because of the difficulties in the Southern Seas that must accrue, but very poignantly they feel the loss from another point of view, that of a loss made partly for them. The Australian people have, all these months, looked eagerly for the arrival of large ships at Singapore, and they have all these months until recently known that British commitments elsewhere were great and commanding. Our Government asked for ships and it was with great joy that the Australians and New Zealanders knew of their arrival. There is deep gratitude to Britain that they were sent and there is profound sympathy and sorrowing that the Prince of Wales end the Repulse have been lost whilst doing their duty. I felt, myself, a good deal, that they should have been fighting particularly for Australia, when they went, and was glad on that fateful afternoon when one of your war leaders said to me "It did seem for all our sakes so very much the right thing to send the Prince of Wales to Malays." /The other The other -3- fact that we would like you to know is, that whatever strength we have as producers, whatever skill and endurance we have as fighters, whatever man, woman, or child can do in this war of life and death, will be done. There will be no cavilling at the cost, no shrinking from suffering. So, the Australian steps up right beside yourselves. Civilians also rank themselves with the people of Britain. I cannot tell you how much it means to us to find, at this altar, the people of. America too, Australians are almost pure stock-from these islands and are. devoted to the British tie. But also they have an affinity with the Americans and a closeness in point of view. The types are similar. affinity must develop and be active and it should help in drawing This Britain, Australia, and America all nearer together, I believe that the American and the Australian mutual liking had something to do with shaping America's attitude to the Japanese. None of us. to-day could stand alone for long. Moreover, we won't get a good peace, with the great betterment mankind, of unless we continue close friendships and some, joint actions afterwards. It is now up to same unity in us action as there is unity to get the in our cause and fate. Nothing but the organised and harmonised total effort of us all will avail. To this every person can contribute in addition to all he is doing by striving to understand and appreciate the democracies- across the seas. No doubt the vital supreme war council will soon be set up for the great war plan of victory. But smaller folk can help to get this terribly important unity of effort by deliberately encouraging close national friendships. BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION 14/12/41 - No. 13. Air Ministry No. 5868 MIDDLE EAST COMMUNIQUE H.Q., R.A.F., Middle East, Sunday, December 14. In the course of extensive and successful operations over the battle area in Libya on Friday and Saturday (December 12 and 13), fighter aircraft of the Royal Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force and the South African Air force destroyed 18 enemy aircraft and severely damaged a large number of others. The enemy aircraft destroyed comprised 11 Me.l09s, three Macchi 2025, one Ju. 52, one Ju. 87 and two fighters which were not clearly identified. Our bomber aircraft were also active in raiding enemy motor transport and road communications between Bomba and Derna. During Friday night (December 12/13) further bombing raids were made on the landing ground at Derna and on concentrations of enemy motor transport in the Derna area. Large fires broke out on the aerodrome and at least one aircraft was seen in flames. the Central aircraft in the In Mediterranean, our took part successful action against enemy naval units during Friday night (December 12/13). Our aircraft sighted the enemy ships which turned and were engaged by the Royal Navy. Later, the enemy units were again sighted. One cruiser was completely gutted, another was on fire and a third unit was steaming in a westerly direction. Destroyers were picking up survivors. Yesterday, our bomber aircraft attacked shipping at Navarino, Methone and Argostoli. The results of the attacks could not be clearly observed. One Me.109 was shot down into the sea off Argostoli after trying to intercept our bombers. It is now learned that on Thursday (December 11) our aircraft shot down Central Mediterranean. a Cr.42 into the sea in the From these and other operations, 16 of our aircraft are missing. 14/12/41 - No. 14 LIFE WITH THE TOBRUK PATROL The men in the advance posts on the Tobruk perimeter, especially in the hottest salient sector on the west facing the Germans, live mostly by side, night and live dangerously. Their only exercise is the stealthy, stooping the sudden given signal, the approach to enemy positions, leap forward at the maelstrom of movement in hand-to-hand battle - bayonet jab, swing of the rifle butt, toss of the grenade. They issue from their daylong wait underground, in caves, subterranean forts of concrete, dug-outs, only on battle bent. After dawn, many of them cannot appear above-ground. At some points only half a mile separates the enemy machine-guns covering the holes that lead out into the light of day. Sporadically, shells shower down on their positions. The weather is not good for an outing. The navy sees that the garrison is supplied with the necessary things, food and war supplies. Anything else, books, magazines, cigarettes, games, come last - if there is room. Beer is seldom, very seldom seen. Men of the when they have cleaned their billets, cleaned night patrols, their arms, have nothing else to do but doze away the long day hours, often drugged in a desert apathy, flies and fleas snatching even at their half sleep. Their see-saw life rocks from the peak of drama under the stars to depths of monotony underground. They may be up forward for two weeks at a time. Their respite, when it comes at last, is only comparative. "Going back" is a very relative phrase in Tobruk. Going back to what? To shelling, dive-bombing, machine-gunning from the air. A busman's holiday. For six months many of the men who kept Rommel at bay have seen life -- wheat fields, hedgerows, women, children, town streets - only, if at all, in the torn, thumbed scraps of illustrated papers, months old. Here is nothing but sand and khaki, sec and sky, here and there in a wadi by the sea is a dustblown date palm or prickly pear, a withered fig tree. There is no lively town or village behind the lines. No cafes and no Mademoiselle from Armentieres, There is a mare and her foal in a wadi. But the mother caught a piece of flying shrapnel and became an E.R.A.P. case. The only relaxation is - not putting liquid into yourself but putting yourself into - liquid. And even on the beach you are liable to machine-gunning and bombing. Out on the perimeter there is little nothing to look forward to, at or least nothing specific. The the garrison will be relieved. men wonder when Their thoughts of the past and the future are punctuated with the grim present as it breaks upon them, dividing eternity into time with explosion of bomb and shell. The men of the patrols are a cheery, cynical, grim gay lot. Unusual - living conditions sometimes tell temporarily on their health. After a time, cramped, underground life without fresh vegetables to eat, and only the tense, savage sallies to relieve brain and body’s monotony weakens them physically. Then there is a local condition called "Tobruk Tap", a disorder known only to sufferers by its effect on others - it makes them tap and mournfully shake their heads. Yes, men of the Tobruk patrols have known trench warfare at its grimiest. The basic things, bread and water, do not pass unaffected. Water is eked out and bread is often "blitzed" - that is to say it has ’caught a packet’ of shell or bomb splinters while on convoy up to the front lines. Take/ 2 - Take a specific collection of men. One in the salient. Company H.Q. in an underground cavern 800 yards away from the German outposts. It smells of hurri- cane lamp and the peculiar brew known here as tea, pungent with chlorinated water and condensed milk. Unkempt, fantastic figures squat in corners, sprawl over boulders, throw long shadows on the walls. They are strangely clad. Some wear sleeveless leather jerkins, like coal-heavers medieval or men; they have stocking caps against the chill night air—in winter here have to at and coddle at midnight—• you may strip noon stockings pulled up to the knees their over slacks, quiet-soled ’patrol boots’, some of them made by deft-fingered Indians, the local amateur out of old cobblers, felt hats and tyre-covers. Some have bandaged hands and arms, evidence of ’desert sores’, suppurating plague of the desert. If it were not for their faces, which have already the mark them of grim purpose, the set of character made in the attainment of on month-long ends not their you might take them for own, a gang of Villonesque vagabonds, assembled in some crypt in old Paris. There is second lieutenant in charge of the eight men who are dressed a young ready for the raid. He incredibly youthful-looking, little more—in age— than is a school boy. Sudden maturity, brought about by life lived at the tautest stretch of responsibility has only half settled over him: he is eager and grave. Behind the careless talk you sense the continuous preoccupation with the job. He looks tired. Beside him is a sergeant, twice his twice his size, stolid, seasoned. age, The section is waiting to start on the night patrol. The company commander gives his last instructions. They are to attack the German post, S.9., creeping round it from the rear, on so as to take it by surprise and not come up against the dannert wire defences. They must wipe the post out if possible, but the main thing is to get a prisoner, or prisoners. Among the eight men of the patrol are two who are new to Tobruk. Two nights before, they were gliding across the harbour boom in a destroyer with a contingent of replacements, while the big gun out Derna way, "Salient Susie" plopped forty- pounder shells into the harbour approaches. The CoThe Company commander gives these new men a few tips. Night going is apt to be mosbe most deceptive in the desert. There is the difficulty of concealment. With the risingrising moon behind you, you must have your wits about you to prevent ’bobbing ', or silhousilhouetting yourself. In the stillness of the night the slightest sound is magni- fied, fied. You proceed by signal. Tufts of camel thorn may trip you up. There ore shell holes,holes, telephone wires. The two miles to the enemy post may take an hour or more to cover. You may have to go to ground and watch an enemy armoured car or tank patrol lumber by, or, slinking through a wadi, find it has barbed wire stretched across it. It may con- tain sangars manned with machine-gun crews, and connected with crawl trenches. Or you may fall into one of the slits in the ground that serve as daytime observation posts. Cats’ eyes and stealth are needed, a cool, calculating head, and when the moment of the surprise attack comes, cold, merciless ferocity. The officer looks at his watch. He has one on each wrist. The men have al- ready been inspected and all their belongings might give away the least thing to that the enemy token away. They wear no badges, tell-tale buttons. They have put on their shoulders their camouflage overalls that tone them in with the sand. Slung over are tommy guns, rifles and bayonets, hand grenades. One by one they hoist themselves through the man-hole into the cold night air. The officer makes a last check of his compass bearings—on the exactness of these depends the success of the entire operation. There is no sound anywhere in the salient. The bumpy, tuft-covered ground stretches for a hundred yards before them, then merges with the night. They walk wide-spaced, in single file, stop dead in their tracks as a balloon of light soars up in front, painting patch of man’s land sickly green. a no a There is a brisk burst of machine-gun fire. But the patrol does not bother about this. They are shots fired in the dark, along a fixed line. And even when you hear the bullets humming through the air they are probably much farther off than they sound. /From 3 From far away ahead comes the sound of a gun going off. It night seen remote and unimportant to some. But though the patrol threads on through a night that quickened by that has become doubly silent after the report, their senses have been duck the familiar remote and seemingly disinterested sound. Instinctively they as vicious whine develops, seems almost to hover, fades, turns into a flash behind them and then a hard sharp detonation. Another and another come over, sixteen of them into a wadi three miles behind. The patrol is right up to the enemy forward posts now. The bursts of German machine-gun fire are no longer in front, but to right and left. They follow depressions in the ground, skirting along between mounds, sinking into every shallow wadi, wary of booby trap and mine. Bushes on the horizon look like crouching men, motionless against the sty. Sometimes they hear the sound of enemy M.T. The officer notes down the direction from which it comes. Once they pass close to an enemy working party laying a mine-field. Another digging under the protection of an armoured car. they strike a concentration Further on of M.T. tracks, leading perhaps to a dump of petrol, food, ammunition, or to an enemy laager (night concentration of M.T. or A.F.V.’s.) It is recorded for further investigation, but not, on this night, followed up. Post S.9. is the goal. They are nearing it, working round from the rear, Now they can see it silhouetted against the rising moon. The post seems formerly to have been a gun- pit, dug into the ground and sandbagged. The last lap is done on their bellies. They are within a hundred yards of the post. A gun cracks out, and a jagged splash of white light appears high in the sky. Another and another. Splodges of red lo"b slowly into the night. up Then the air id slashed with streaks of tracers. The east horizon glows intermittently dull orange. Thuds of exploding "bombs "between the "bark of the ack ack. A raid has developed over Tobruk harbour. It is the time when our destroyers make their nightly entry along "by ’bomb alley’. In the gun-pit Germans lock upwards. Their attention is distracted. The night patrol steals to within ninety, eighty, seventy yards of the post. They are just out of range cf their hand grenades when one of the new men on the job in the tenseness of tho moment tilts up his rifle and the bayonet gleams in the moon. Immediately a flare goes up from the post and as the eight men leap forward to rush the position a shower of hand grenades burst at their feet. Machine-guns open up. Time ceases as the patrol cones hand to hand. Wounds pass unnoticed. The objective is everything. With one track minds the men go in to do their work. The sergeants hand is blown off. He wields a bayonet in the other. The officer has been blinded by a hand grenade. But he keeps his hold on a German under the drumming insistance in his brain of the order to "bring back prisoners". Grenade fumes obscure everything. Shouts, curses, groans. Overhead, returning from its dive over Tobruk harbour, a S tuka that has kept low under the splintery ceiling of ack ack but has been badly chipped by small arms and machine-gun fire, stammers along slowly... In the cavern headquarters the company commander looks at his watch, then hoists himself through the manhole. "Seen anything?" he asks the sentry. "Looks Like ’em over there, sir". As the night patrol limps in, "O.K.?" asks the company commander, O.K.,Sir", the lieutenant answers. Wiped out the post, got two prisoners". "Men all right?” "Two slightly hurt, sergeant’s pretty bad, Sir" But the young lieutenant himself is blind. The wounded are jolted back over hillock and boulder to what remains of Tobruk hospital. The rest of the patrol swing down into their underground quarters, take up their mugs and fill them again with tea. The company commander ’phones through to brigade: "Done the trick this time, Harry Yes, wiped him out... Yes, an officer, surly blighter, ’Don’t know yah' look about him. On his wav back to you now...Poor Dick caught a hand grenade in the face, blinded him, Sergeant Fields lost a hand...” The Intelligence Officer at Brigade H.Q. passes on the information to Fortress Headquarters, and from out to the world beyond the plot of dust and rubble on the North African coast that is Tobruk, is sent the laconic item: "One of our patrols penetrated two miles into enemy territory and successfully attacked a German post, inflicting casualties on the enemy and bringing back one prisoner. Our casualties were one officer and one other rank wounded". WAR OFFICE 14/12/41 - No. 16 Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No. 5869 DUTCH SERGEANT-MAJOR DESTROYS NAZI SHIP A German supply ship "blew up and disappeared" when it was bombed off the Norwegian coast this morning by a Hudson aircraft piloted by a Sergeant-Major of the Royal Netherlands Marine. The Sergeant-Major - a pilot of long experience - is a member of a squadron of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service operating with Coasted Command and was on an offensive patrol when the enemy ship was spotted steaming close in to the coast. He dived on the vessel and, from mast-height, dropped a stick of delayed action bombs. The ship was hit with three bombs. As he circled to watch the results of his attack, the Sergeant- Major, saw members of the ship’s crew make a wild scurry to get away. "Some of then," he said, "tried to lower the boats, but most of then couldn’t wait and jumped into the sea. I wondered what all the hurry was about, but I found out in a few minutes. The ship blew up with a roar and a shower of debris and flames. I both felt and saw the explosion. "It must have been a munition ship and I don’t wonder that the crew were in a hurry to get clear." 11/12/41 - No. 18. Air Ministry No. 5870 AIR MINISTRY COMMUNIQUE A Hudson aircraft of the Royal Netherlands Naval Air Service, operating with Coastal Command, attackedan enemy supply ship off the coast of Norway this morning. The ship was hit by three bombs and blew up. 14/12/41 - No. 20 OFFICIAL AMIRALTYCOMUNIQE The Board of Admiralty regrets to announce that H.M. Trawlers PHINEAS BEARD (Skipper William McRuvie R.N.R.) and MILFORD EARL (Lieutenant J.S. Neate R.N.V.R.) have keen sunk. The next of kin of casualties have been informed. ADMIRALTY, S.W.1.