יך
THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 31, 1940'
THE ARMY'S
ARMY'S FIRST
FIRST V.C.S Infantry Officer And N.C.O. Of The Guards
Holds 1,000 Yards Of Front With Company
THE FIRST ARMY VICTORIA CROSSES AWARDED IN THE PRESENT WAR HAVE BEEN AWARDED TO CAPTAIN HARALD MARCUS ERVINE-ANDREWS, OF THE EAST LANCASHIRE REGIMENT, AND THE LATE LANCE-CORPORAL HARRY NICHOLLS, OF THE GRENADIER GUARDS, IT WAS OFF!- CIALLY ANNOUNCED LAST NIGHT.
Capt. Ervine-Andrews' award is for most conspicuous gallantry on the night of May 31 and June 1 when he took over about 1,000 yards of defences in front of Dunkirk.
HITLER MAY SHRINK
For over ten hours he and hi:
position company held the
il the face of intense attacks by
vastly superior forces, Rein- forcements were unable to reach him when the enemy attacked on both flanks,
Capt. Ervine-Andrews headed a group of volunteers when one of his platoons was in danger and then, going forward, climbed on top of a straw-roofed barn where he personally accounted for 17 of the enemy with a rifle and many more with a Bran gun.
The New York "Times"| Eight Men Left said yesterday the effect After_all_his ammunition was) of the French defeat was expended, Capt. Ervine-Andrews collceted the remaining eight to lead everybody to ex-men of his company from a for- pect the blitzkrieg would ward; position and when almost completely surrounded, led them at once be turned on Eng-back to cover, swimming or wad- land.
ing up to the chin in water for over a mile.
he
With astounding coolness and courage, considering" what they Having brought the remainder have seen across the Channel, the of his company safely back, British have prepared for an in-again took up position. vasion of their island.
"Throughout this action Capt. Erving-Andrews display- There will be no surprise or]
red a courage, tenacity and panic in any English hamlet if the Germans land to-morrow.devotion-to-duty-worthy-of-the But there is also the possibil- highest traditions of "the Bri ity that Hitler may shrink in
tish Army." the end from sending an expeditionary force to certain
decimation.
It would not be strange if the war lord who dictated the armis- tice terms to France at the scene of the German 'surrender in 1918, were tempted by the same sense of drama and revenge to do
to
Capt. Ervine-Andrews, who is 29, served on the North-West Frontier in 1936/7 and was men- tioned in despatches.
Fired Bren Gun From The Hip
L/Cpl. Nicholls continued
shrapnel.
to
his utmost to conquer Britain by lead a section of his platoon al- starving her out.
If he yields to this temptation. though wounded in the aim by attempting a blockade before in- vasion, it will be good news the British, for this is the kind of war they chose in the first -place since it enables them to use to the limit the strongest weapon they possess.-Reuter.
TURKEY'S REJECTION OF NAZI AIMS
GERMAN EFFORTS TO IN-
The company was subjected to heavy machinegun fire as they came over a small bridge. Nicholls scized a Bren gun and dashed towards the enemy machineguns.
Firing from the hip he silenc- ed three machineguns although again severely wounded. Не then engaged the German in- fantry, causing
THE FLYING CLASSROOM-Thousands of young apprentices are undergoing training at a Royal Air Force station in the Midlands. These boys, who are recruited at the age of 151⁄2 years serve an apprenticeship of three years. Part of their instruction they receive in the air-in a huge plane-popularly known to the boys as the "Flying Classroom," thus enabling them to be- come air-minded. Photo shows some of the young R.A.F. pupils entering the "Flying Class-
(Copyright, Fox).
room."
Photo shows: Receiving instruction inside the "Flying Class- room." (Copyright, Fox).
TRAGEDY OF GREAT
ARMY IN SYRIA:
BITTER FEELING
THE TRAGEDY of a great colonial army,
many casual-torn between loyalty to its own Government
ties, and firing until his am- munition was expended.
MEN WHO MAN THE R. A. F. GUNS
THE WAR HAS BROUGHT TO
AIR FORCE THE ROYAL
A NEW TYPE OF FIGHTING MAN OFFICER AIR-GUNNERS. THEY ARE THE CRACK SHOTS WHO SIT IN THE TAIL TUR- RETS OF BRITAIN'S BIG BOM.. BERS, READY TO FIGHT OFF WITH A BATTERY OF MACH- INE GUNS ANY ENEMY AIR- CRAFT WHICH MAY ATTACK THEM.
amy
As yet many of them are still under training. But a number of these newly-commissioned any gunners are now joining opera
the tional squadrons, with A.G. badge on their uniforms.
new
The first batch includes repre- sentatives of many professions." At one bombing and gunnery school there is a Canadian who served two years in. the North West Mounted Police, and three years in the Royal Canadian Air Force! a master builder; a tobacco planter from Siam; a wireless en- gineer; an Eton and Oxford race- horse owner; `a Lòndon newspaper man; a policeman; a Western Aus- tralia medical student; a business man who flew sen-plánes in the last war and survived five crash-i- es: an instructor in the London Gliding Club.
One of the earliest to join was a well-known M.P.
Although of widely differing .in types, they have two things
to common-they are all used
frearms; and they are men who
ner.
can be relied on in a tight cor- All are tremendously keen job, and share a deter- Nazi
and to its old ally, is being acted in Syria,mination to shoot holes in Nicholls was wounded at least cables Reuter's special correspondent on the aircraft at the earliest possible op- "There is no doubt his gallant Palestine-Syria frontier.
four times.
action was instrumental in en-
abling his company to reach the
portunity.
is
The average age of the officers under training at this school
hat age.
1
objective and causing the enemy, Rumours of disturbances, including alle-30; some of them are nearly twice gations of Arab nationalist risings in Aleppo,
to fall back behind the River Scheldt."
Nicholls since has been report-are devoid of truth. The country is at present U.S. WAR
1
HAI ALAI BAN
1
FOR JAPANESE
absolutely quiet though the situation is one of considerable confusion.
DEPARTMENT CHANGE
FLUENCE TURKEY HAVE TAK-ed killed in action. Reuter. EN A NEW LINE SINCE THE BRUSQUE REJECTION OF FOR- EIGN INTERFERENCE BY DR. SAYDAM,
THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER, IN HIS SPEECH IN THE ASSEMBLY ON
A number of Frenchmen, chiefly, Feeling Hardening JULY 12, AND THE, SUBSE-
officers, have crossed the frontier QUENT DEPARTURE OF VON (SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAILM)
Contrary to reports that Gen- and joined the British forces but
Syria, erai Mittelhauser, the French PAPEN, THE NAZI AMBASSA- Japanese who continue to fre-large numbers remain in
A major change in the war de- DOR, FOR BERLIN.
quent the hai. alai game at the carrying on their duties normally, G.O.C., had crossed into Palestine Now, instead of threats to poli-Auditorium in the Italian Conces-though locally-engaged, soldiers to join the British, Reuter's cor-partment came as the White House. ticians, Nazi agents in Istanbul are sion in Tientsin, despite repeated from Egypt and adjacent territor-respondent learned he was recall-announced the resignation, of As
Įsistant War Secretary Louls John- concentrating on Turkish busi-warnings already issued, will be les have been demobilised and sented to Vichy.
son, of West Virginia, and the ness, endeavouring to win them liable to most severe punishment, (home.
After General Mittelhauser's de- nomination of Judge Robert P. over to the doctrine that Turkey's the Japanese authorities in Tlen- One of the major problems' is) real interests lic in development tsin announced yesterday. The that the precarious financiat el-parture his aide-de-camp resigned Patterson, of New York, to succeed of trade with Germany and using number of Japanese attending haij tuation of France"le_being re-and flew to Egypt to enlist with him.
The latter, whose nomination is the signature of the recent Turco-alai has increased lately.—Havas, flected in Syria, where local our, the British.
The soldiers-are-beginning to subject to senate approval," is German trade treaty as a basis.----
renoy la based on the franc, and this is affecting the entire eap- recolve mall and learn for the judge of the second federal circuit ment have been recently distri- FUND FOR SAILORS .nomy, giving rise to the post!. first time of the Hardships their court of appeals.
bility of inflation,
families are enduring at Gor- buted and a number of leading ar-
Presidential Secretary Stephen ticles have appeared in the Tur-
Early told nevemen that the ap- "The "Governor of Ceylon'
Meanwhile the rigid censorship-man-hands- kish press some of which
This is causing many to become pointment of Patterson ex-nounces that Colony's first con is causing confusion and suspicion
£1,500 to press fear lest such developments tribution of
King among the Syrians and French still more bitter and there is a quested by the new secretary of -As- might, lead to German, trado do-George's Fund. for Sailors.-Rdu soldiers. All foreign newspapers hardening of opinion against the war, Henry L. Stimson. mination In Turkey-Repler.
sociated Press. ter.
Jare banned:
'Petain Government::Reuter,
Circulars discussing '. this argu-
а
was re-