3/6/43 - No. 4 NAVAL GUNNER'S GALLANT RECORD "1 don’t remember doing anything more outstanding than anyone else, and, anyhow, we were just doing a day's work and getting on with the job." That is how Chief Petty Officer J,R, Bulgen, D.S.M,, of Plaistow, London, E. 13, dismisses his part in gallant actions against the enemy during convoys to Malta, Yet it is through these actions he ms awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, A veteran- of the last war, Bulgen was a petty Officer until a few weeks ago. He has now served 28 years in the Royal Navy and wears a row of ribbons which include 1914-15 Star, General Service, Victory and Long Service, Good Conduct, To these is now added the D, S, M, In this war he has been on active service as a D.E.M,S, gunner from the start Recently he returned to England and has described some of his experiences. "On my first voyage to .Malta attacked in the Pantellaria Straits," he we were said, "and in that action the number of enemy aircraft shot down was 16, It is difficult to say who was responsible for each victim because we all joined in to put up a big barrage. "But there is know we got personally. Italian one we An torpedo aircraft came right over us, trying to get away after launching an attack. We blazed away, following him aft and hit him hard. He lost height and crashed astern of the convoy. "That day we saw lots of enemy aircraft hit the water and burst into flames." On a second trip to Malta, this time from Alexandria, the convoy was attacked twice at long range, but the Royal Navy escorts drove off the enemy. "We claim for ourselves one aircraft as we were going into Malta," continued Chief Petty Officer Bulgen, "It was a Ju. 88, during a big attack by Messerschmitts and dive- bombers, - ‘ • "We hit this dive-bomber alright. He had made a low attack on a destroyer and we had the best view of him. dived from the clouds and let He go his bombs. As he did so we opened fire. We got him and smoke came streaming from his starboard engine. He shot away and crashed," "The barrage was terrific in intensity and din. There was so much stuff going up, the sky was filled with bursting shells and bullets. It was one of the best things I could hope to see," The biggest attack on a convoy in which Chief Petty Officer Bulgen sailed, took place last summer. "We were attacked all the tine," he related, "for five days. "High level dive-bombers opened the attack, followed by many other types of aircraft. Lots of them were shot down but how many I can’t say. It must have run into a couple of score or thereabouts. "It was then I saw the finest sight of my life, an Italian 575 silhouetted in flames. She’d been caught by the guns of one of our escorting destroyers. "Dive-bombers certainly came down in dramatic style. If you catch them in their dive they don’t come out of it but roar on right into the sea," From the outbreak of war until he joined the Malta convoys, Chief Petty Officer Bulgen had sailed thousands of miles of ocean without being inaction. He had been to Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Japan, Now he has come back to England and is % D,E,M.S. Gunnery instructor, after years active service. NAVAL AFFAIRS 3/6/43 no. 11 MIDDLE EAST AIR COMMUNIQUE 3rd June 1943 Headquarters ROyal Air Force Middle East Yesterday in the Aegean Sea. D,A,F. long range fighters again carried out successful attacks on enemy shipping* Two small sailing vessels were sunk while at anchor in an island harbour, while a. third vessel was damaged by cannon fire and abandoned by the crew* From these and other operations all our aircraft returned safely. 3/6/43 - No. 15 MAXIMUM PRICES for fISH The Minister of Food will shortly make an Order amending the Fish (Maxima:; Prices) Order 1943, so that on Saturday, June 12th, the date on which that Order coMes into force, the new maxiMun prices shall have effect at the coast only, i.e, in respect of first hand sales and sales by wholesale at the port of landing. The amendment specifies Monday, June 14th, as the date of operation elsewhere, e,g, at inland centres in relation to sales by secondary wholesalers and retailers. The amending Order will also revoke Article 18 and the Third Schedule of the Maximum Prices Order, which relate to the prices to be used for purposes of calculation when settlement by the owner of a fishing vessel with the skipper or other member of the crew is effected wholly or partly on the basis of a share in the proceeds of the catch, and the fish is sold at the maximum price. Minor amendments are to be made requiring traders to retain for one year records which they are required by the Order to keep, and making it optional to sell mackerel by the cran on first hand sale only, instead of by weight. MINISTRY OF FOOD 3»6»43 - No, 16. NOT FOR OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, 00,30 D.8.5. T, ( i,e, FOR HORNING PAPERS) ON FRIDAY JUNE 4. 1943. this embargo should be respected overseas by prefacing any MESSAGES FILED WITH THE EMBARGO. SElF-RAISING FLOUR ZONING SCHEME' The Ministry of Food announces that the postponed zoning scheme for the transport self*raising flour packed in containers of 28 lb, -or less will be of brought into operation on Sunday* June 13 by an amendment of the Flour Order* .1943* has been .described in the The scheme which earlier Press Notice, will prevent movement of self-raising flour from zones in which production is insufficient to satisfy demand, and will regulate imports into these zones from the most suitable zonne with .surplus production. The zones and movements permitted are shown below* * s Zones May export • , May import • REPRESENTS *,. * diviosns zones from zones A Northern J. Nil ’ ? o* B. N. Western & N. Wales G# H*. & K* Nil. C S, Western H* Nil* D South Wales .Nil Nil. B London, Eastern ft, S, Eastern and Southern H# Nil* • P Eastern and N # Midland# Nil. G, N, Eastern Nil. a, d, % f. H Midland Nil* B,C, & E. J All Scotland Nil*. A* k Nil* B. N#. Ireland MINISTRY OP FOOD 3.6.43 “ No,17 NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, ON USE ON CLUB TAPES DEPONE 00,30 D.B.S.T. ( i.e, FOR MORNING PAPERS) ON FRIDAY, JUNE 4. 1943. TEES EMBARGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING ANY MESSAGES PILED WITH THE EMBARGO, PROVENDER MILLING AND COMPOUND FEEDING STUPES INDUSTRIES: CONCENTRATION OP PRODUCTION A scheme for the concentration of the provender milling and compound manufacturing industries, which has been under consideration for some time, has now been agreed between the Ministry of Food and representatives appointed by the industry. A wartime company Conpro Limited - - has been formed to administer the scheme, copies of which are being circulated to all upon whom membership of the company will manufacturers, compulsory. be Those firms may broadly be described as those who manufactured 5,000 tons or more in the pre-war year and who operate under a specified type of manufacturing licence. An Order, giving effect to this has been made, and will come into force on July 15,1943* Membership will also be open to smaller manufacturers who apply and are prepared to accept the conditions of membership. All manufacturers who become members of Conpro Ltd, will be required to maintain a standard of output according to the number of operatives employed, A minimum tonnage output per operative per week has been fixed, and any factory not working to this figure can be required either to increase output per operative or transfer production to another factory. Mills silenced under the scheme will receive a payment on account of their standing charges; these payments will be made through Conpro Ltd, Conpro will obtain its funds from the manufacturing members by contributions based on production. The Scheme should also release some factory space for essential war industries and effect a limited saving in man power. MINISTRY OF FOOD 3.6,43 - No.23 HONORARY DEGREE FOR MR. CHUTER EDE The University of Cambrige has decided to confer on Mr, J. Chuter Ede, Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Education, a Degree of M,A. honoris causa, for his great services to education. The ceremony will take place tomorrow (Friday) at 2 p,m, at the Senate House, Cambridge'; BOARD OF EDUCATION 3/6/43 - No. 31 Air Ministry No. 10487 ministry communique A Sunderland of a Royal Australian Air Force Squadron operating with Coastal Command was attacked by eight Junkers 88 fighters while on anti-submarine patrol in the Bey of Biscay yesterday evening. All the attacks were beaten off and three of the enemy wore shot down into the sea* 3.6.43 - No. 52 Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No .104-86 SUNDERLAND destroys 3 ju 88s: fights off 8. Attacked by eight Ju.88s in the Bay of Biscay a Royal Australian Air Force Sunderland flying Boat operating under Coastal Command scored hits on all the enemy, shooting down three and probably destroying a fourth. The Sunderland set fire in the encounter but with memeber of his dead and was on one crew four, including himself, injured, the captain brought his aircraft back over nearly 300 miles of sea to land in the 'west of England about midnight last night. The Sunderland was on anti-submarine patrol in the Bay approaches when it was sighted by the enemy aircraft which immediately gave chase and took up attack formation - three on either side and two on the tail. "The Jus, then attacked in pairs from the beam," said the captain of the Sunderland, Pit, Lt, Colin Walker. "The leading aircraft on the port and star- board bean 'peeling off and diving on us. "The first shells from the port attacker set our port outer engine on fire. We extinguished that but another shell from the same aircraft broke the compass in front of me and set the alcohol ablaze. It ran all over the bridge and set fire to my trousers. My first pilot’s clothes also caught fire but we managed to put the flames out with a fire extinguisher. We were both slightly burned. "The Ju,88s made about 20 attacks in this manner. One of them on the starboard side was the first to-be hit by us. The midship’s gunner caught him at point blank range. His cockpit and one of the engines burst into flames and he dived steeply into the sea," The Sunderland* s rear turret hydraulics were shot away by the second pair of the enemy to attack. They also peppered the rudder and elevators and there were dozens of holes in the helm. The co-pilot who had taken over the controls when the fire started on the bridge, was taking such violent evasive action that the sudden jamming of the tail shattered, threw the heavily turret when the hydraulic system was gunner against one of the guns and almost knocked him out. He is still suffering from concussion and shock. "Then", said the captain, "we got our second enemy aircraft. As he was breaking away after attacking, one of the midship’s gunners put a long burst into him and he dived straight into the sea," Another which had dived the Sunderland made a climbing turn to Ju. on attack and one of his shell bursts exploded in the galley, A galley gunner was hit and. died 20 minutes later. The tail gunner regained, consciousness and. both he and one of the midships gunners opened heavy fire on one of the enemy, which broke away and crashed into the sea. Meanwhile the port galley gunner drove off another enemy aircraft. "There seemed. Jus, all around," commented the captain. . "Their shells seemed to be all the place. Our wireless hit by shell and spattering over was a the navigator was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. "The five remaining aircraft continued, to attack. One of them cut in from the starboard bow and the nose gunner got in a good burst. His port engine burst into flames and smoke billowed out of his cockpit. We didn’t see what happened to him. The other Junkers then stood off for a few minutes and finally turned away, I’m sure we scored hits on all of them during the action," , 3/6/43 - No, 34 Air Ministry No. 10488 AIR MINISTRY COMMUNIQUE One of is from offensive our fighters missing an patrol today* 3/6/43 - No.ll NOT FOR PUBLICATION, BROADCAST, OR USE ON CLUB TAPES BEFORE 0030 D.B.S.T. (i.e. FOR MORNING PAPERS) ON SUNDAY, JULY 4* THIS EMBARGO SHOULD BE RESPECTED OVERSEAS BY PREFACING ANY MESSAGES FILED WITH THE EMBARGO. Air Ministry News Service Air Ministry Bulletin No.10769 JUNE WAS INTRUDERS’ BEST MONTH OF THE WAR FOURTEEN ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED By shooting down 14 German aircraft over the continent at night last month, intruder pilots of Fighter Command set monthly record for this up a new type of operation. It their best month since was night-fighter offensive patrols over enemy territory started 24 years ago, and their latest were successes bring their total score of enemy aircraft destroyed to nearly 100. In addition to the 14 enemy aircraft shot down over the continent during June, three more - Blohm and Voss flying boats - were set on fire at their moorings in the Bay of Biscay area, and our intruders also had an excellent month in their attacks on the enemy's rail, road and sea Intruder operations were initiated in December 1940 by the crews of a squadron of twin-engine Blenheims, adapted for night-fighting, who carried out patrols over’ a limited number of enemy airfields in Northern France. v Last month's victories were shared by Mosquitos and Beaufighters (night fighters with three times the fire-power of the Blenheims) which destroyed their victims over an area spreading from Denmark to South-Western France. Six of the enemy aircraft destroyed fell to the guns of the County of Warwick Squadron, commanded by w/Cdr, C.D. Tomalin, A.F.C. who himself shot down -one of the enemy. It was one of. his pilots, F/O. R.R. Smart, who shot down a German bomber near the airfield at Aalborg in Denmark. Another member of the squadron, F/O. well shooting K. F, Dacre, destroyed two German aircraft in night up one as as three locomotives. Another aircraft the low countries squadron, accounted for five over enemy during the month. * \ the intruders’ best month June 1942, when they destroyed 12 Previously, was enemy aircraft. In three months in that year - from May to July they shot down - 32 enemy aircraft. That was when the'Luftwaffe was making so-called "reprisal” British cathedral cities; and enemy bases the continent were raids at night on on busy. - much less active at night, and intruders Nowadays the enemy's airfields are our afield to find their victims. That they do find are having go farther and farther to is proof of the skill them and destroy them in these less favourable circumstances of Command’s night commandos Fighter of the and persistence air.