THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 15, 1941.
Mercy Ship Of The Desert Takes Off
Off Tobruk
Tobruk Wounded
IMPERIAL AND ITALIAN TROOPS IN SAME BOAT
(By Reuter's Special Correspondent in the
Western Desert Battle Area)
I HAVE JUST HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OF SPENDING A SHORT TIME ABOARD A HOS- PITAL SHIP PRIOR TO ITS SAILING. IT WAS FILLED WITH ITALIAN PRISONERS FROM BARDIA AND AUSTRALIAN, BRITISH AND RHODESIAN TROOPS INVOLVED IN THE PRELIMINARY ACTION AROUND TOBRUK.
These weary wounded will shortly begin a journey to hospital. This little vessel is rapid- ly earning for itself the title of "mercy ship of the Western Desert."
It was built at Newcastle-on-Tyne; it is not particularly handsome and registers only 1,800 tons, but its draught enables it to enter the tiny harbours along the Egyptian and Libyan coasts.
ACTOR TOOK HER ALL
An actor sentenced at West London to twelve months' imprisonment was stated to have rob- woman of her life
bed a savings of £700 in "a most deliberate and cold-blood- ed way" by pretending to be in love with her and posing as a producer of war propaganda films.
Donald Stewarf, fifty-two. of Paulton Square, Chelsea, pleaded guilty to four charges of obtain- ing sums amounting to £560 by false pretences from Mrs. Ethel Beatrice Redshaw, formerly pro- prietress of a hotel in the Isle of Wight.
Deliberate Fraud
The magistrate (Sir Gervais Rentoul) said, "This is as bad case as I have ever had before ine, This was a deliberately planned fraud of a heartless and callous kind.
Regular hospital ships draw too much water to enter these har- bours.
This ship provides easily the most comfortable form of trans- port for seriously wounded men
the alternative is a bumpy ride across 100 miles of desert in an an bulance lorry which is a se- vere ordeal for a wounded man.
Regular Trips
Impressed into service at short notice the little ship is now mak- ing regular trips.
A team of Australian medical officers supervise the wounded -a service which is both dif- ficult and dangerous.
The ship will await the dusk when it will slip out of harbour
with the utmost promptness order to miss Italian bombers.
in
The trip will be by no means a pleasure cruise. Apart from the possibility of meeting a wandering Italian submarine a high sea is running, which would make normal routine for men not accustomed to a ses voyage very difficult.
Majority of the Imperial troops who will make the voyage are men who went through the Bar- dia campaign and then were wounded at Tobruk.
Less seriously wounded men move about on the deck of the ship and all are in good spirits.
Seriously Hurt
sible attention at
Members of an aircraft factory who recently visited an R.A F, Fighter Squadron, invited the pilots to pay them a visit at the factory and see their fighter 'planes being made. The visitors to the factory had destroyed 30 enemy machines at least. One baled out when his machine caught fire and another was adrift on a raft for three days. The decorations of the party included three D.F.C.'s one A.F.C., and one D.F.M. Photo shows some of the pilots watching girls at work on the instrument panel. The Flight Lieutenant in the centre has 17 'planes to his credit. (Copy- right, Fox).
AMBASSADOR'S NAME STILL A SECRET
OS
A successor to Mr. Joseph Kennedy United States Ambas- sador to Britain has been chosen.
President Roosevelt announced this at his press conference in Washington yester- day but declined to
reveal the name of the envoy he has se- lected. Reuter.
Diamond
For War Relief
POLISHED
THE FIRST DIAMOND TO BE BIRMINGHAM HAS BEEN PRESENTED
IN
TO
Some Imperial soldiers and many Italians are more serious- "You played on the feelingsly hurt and they console them- of this lady, pretending to selves with the cer'ain knowledge be in love with her. You gain that they will receive every pos- ed her affections to find an easy
base hospitals. Many of the lightly wounded THE LORD MAYOR FOR WAR way to her pocket to rob her of all her money."
Italians were becoming more RELIEF. Mr. C. Melville, prosecuting, cheerful even before the voyage sald that in less than three starts, at the prospect that
The diamond, which is worth months, Stewart obtained over war is finished for them, but 100. was polished by refugees 700 from Mrs. Redshaw in a others sit silently around the from Belgium and the Low Coun- most deliberate and cold-blooded) deck, their sad eyes asking the tries. 'way.
question when will they see their Hative land again.-Reuter.
He proposed to her, but she explained that the could not marry him as she was separat- ed from her husband,
He told her that he was going to make a flm called "Britain's Might," a propaganda picture.
"The story was absolutely un- true," gald Mr. Melville.
be
"He also spoke of a Tilm had made called 'Take Cover,' on which he had lost money. He said that he required £125, and that if she would lend him the monty he would pay her 25 per cent. interest.
*Believing his story," added Mr.| Melville, "Mrs. Redshaw gave him the money."
After that Mrs. Redshaw parted with various sums.
WAR BRINGS TWO NEW DISEASES
the
Two new wartime afflictions- evacuee's sore throat and shelter tonsilitis-are dealt with by Mr. T. B. Layton, senior surgeon of the throat and car department of Guy's Hospital, in an article in the British Medical Journál.
BRITISH SUPPLY COUNCIL SET UP IN AMERICA
THE GREAT INCREASE in the volume of Bri- tish supplies from North America has necessitated a change in the Anglo-American liaison organisa- tion.
A committee has been established, called the British Supply Council in North America, the chair- man being Mr. Arthur Purvis, Director-General of the British Purchasing Mission.
Additional members will be Mr. Morris Wilson, Sir Clive Baillieu, Australian representative on the Imperial Economic Committee since 1930, Sir Henry Self, Direc- tor-General of the British Air Commission, and Vice-Admiral A, E. Evans, head of the Admiralty mission in Canada.
H.K. BANK DIVIDEND
The Directors of the Hong Kong & Shanghai Banking ́Cor- The Council will deal with all poration have ennounced
that, Issues of policy concerning sup-} subject to audit, the dividend for ply, including representations to the half year ending 31st Decem- be made to the United States her, 1940, will be: Dividend Administration..
£2.10/- per share; write off Bank Premises 51,000,000; and Sir Clive Baillieu has been ap-carry forward to next year about pointed Director-General of the $3,422,000. British Purchasing Mission.
Co-Ordination of Effort BLACK-OUT FINES
"Formation of the new Council methods for the complete co-or- gives effect to the organisation of
ON R.A.F. OFFICER
+
dination of the North American A Лne of £50 was imposed at war effort," the spokesman of the Devizes on Flt.-Lt. Percy Jack Canadian Munitions and Supply Clayson for a black-out offence, Department in Ottawa told Reu- P.C. Dummett stated that dur- ter last night.
ing n party at Clayson's house" The spokesman added that in the french windows were wide creased cooperation between the open and the curbains drawn back. A sum of £5,000 for a "Spi- United Kingdom, the United States The lawn was flood-lit. Fit-Lt. fire" has beer received from the and Canada in the production of Clayson said, "Make your fine and Bangalore civil and military, sta- | war materials would be a direct get out. You people don't know tion war fund.
there's a war "oh".
result of the new organisation.
The appointment of Mr. Purvis Up to the end of last year, as chairman of the Council is gen- the British Red Cross and Sterally regarded in Ottawa as sa- John'a fund had spent over tisfactory." £1,000,000 on food and cloth- ing for prisoners of war, while another £1,000,000 had bean spbnt ón medical requirements, Including £10,000 for relief In Finland.
Fully In Tune
It was stated that members of the Home Guard had complained of the black-out arrangements at the house.
A fine" of £2 was imposed for two further offences, one on the same night and the other on the following night,
In Washington, the new Coun- cil is regarded as being fully in tune with", present, developments
Ng Hon-tong, of No. 29, Des ar- balance then remaining in economic and war supply
Voeux Road Central, has reported rangements between the United that a typewriter and clothing to was over £1,000,000 —–—–—– Reuter,
States, and Britain,
•
The
Evacuee's sore throat is omuk- ed he says, by the fact that if a young persón, entirely changes his mode and bits of Nving the,, A Scout and Guide Memorial hygiene of the upper respiratory Service for the late Chief Scout, tract is altered, and will take
some time to adjust itself, add the Right Honourable Lord Shelter tonsilitis, he adds, is not | Baden-Powell, will be held, in as yet prevalent, but it is very St. John's Cathedral on Sunday likely to become so.
at 3.30 p.m.-
the total value of $128, wäre stol- As big as have been the mc-en from his residence this morn- tivities of the British Purchasing. Ing Mission it la expected they -will be dwarfed by the amount
-of-material to be sent foross the in Washington as an excellent per- Atlantic “during the "next two son esto hund the dew: Council, {years under the Lasse and»Lord | which was obviamily inchisify, to
facilitate
an mater- rerdediffel to Briti
Mr Purvi wideks