•
THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 17, 1941.
SHELTER WHERE BLIND MAN
A.A. GUNS CAN'T BE
BE HEARD
(By A London Correspondent)
I HAVE JUST SPENT an hour or two in pro- bably the deepest shelter in London, and a deep shelter these days is what a millionaire's penthouse was in peace.
The barrage was at its height as I walked in. Gradually the booms softened to thuds as I descend- ed, and at the 126th step they could not be heard at all.
On the platform, 145 steps or nearly 100ft below ground level. there was only a buzz of conver- sation, broken by nothing sinister than a piercing snore which began about B in the bass and soared two octaves.
more
all The shelterers had nearly come prepared, as well they might, after a fortnight's continuous ex- perience. They were from places as far away as Dalston and Ber- mondsey; most of the East End was represented.
PILOT'S EXPLOIT
SPOTTER
IN LONDON
Keen Hearing A
Sure Guide
By A Correspondent
I called to see Mr. W. H. Lacey, of Victoria Road, Edmonton, recently.
He is an ex-soldier, blinded in the last war, and one of more than 900 crafts- men who, working in their own homes, keep the St. Dunstan's stores in London supplied with
their stock-in-trade. Mr. Lacey gave me a descrip- tion of a blind man's reac- tions to air-raids.
Anybody less sorry for himself it would be impossible to con- ceive. Mr. Lacey, who played for Tottenham Hotspur Reserves the when he was young, has footballer's stocky build, and his mind is as firmly knit as his body. Į He radiates confidence and calm. get
"The only way the raids The story of a Coastal Com- mand Hudson pilot who continu- me," he said, "is not being able ed his attack on a German supply to spot incendiaries, and not be- ing able to get out and help after was set ship after his 'plate ablaze by anti-aircraft shells was it is all over." related last night. The Hudson of three patrolling off Three men lying side by side the Danish Coast recently.
Was one
told me cheerfully that their homes had been destroyed in the "We were in battle formation." first great week-end attack. They said the leader, "when we saw had sent their families to the two armed merchant ships wind country, and had since passed split up to attack. When I had every night in underground sta- | drupped my bombs I pulled out, tions.
circled round, and had a broad- side view of the next Hudson and I never took my eyes off him.
Shelter Connoisseurs
They had tried half-a-dozen. and, like others, had acquired 13 certain connoisseur attitude a luckier people in happier times do about hotels.
¦
the
A big cinema almost at bottom of his garden was hit not leng ago, so he speaks from ex- perience.
Envy of Spotters
at
But assuredly Mr. Lacey is no great disadvantage through his the disability. As he was with anti-aircraft guns in the last war he has a trained car, which seems to follow aeroplanes "I saw him start to come down to be able in a dive. Then suddenly I saw about the sky with an ease which might Hames coming from his popt tank, most sighted "spotters" I thought he might break off envy.
When the family seeks the attack on order his crew to shelter Mr. Lacey is very defin- bale out But be carned on.itely in charge. Soon, he was over the ship and He has a theory that the bumb the Names were getting a hammer ers are getting help from "Nah. I don't recommend
flashes from the trolley-buses; and station." said one. "Un!!! they hold.
he demonstra'ed, with an expert- stop the traffic you can't sleep
bombsness very impressive to my un- wink. People stepping all over
mind, how these too fall very close to the ship. But mechanical (another station), is you.
It flashes could be eliminated. While cold. At there's no air --- not I was watching the aircraft. what I call healthy. And take pulled up and started to gain he was expounding this, 1 my advice and keep away from height, still flaming. Then I think struck by his extraordinarily sure
sense of direction. Standing - it's perishing draughty." the pilot must have been hit him- self. His aircraft turned over
the table in his little workshopy and plunged down straight into he has all London at his fingers'
ends. the sea."
-
î
As the speaker was lying a that moment apparently obliv ious to what seemed to me a moderate gale, I shudderingly promised to avoid.
Half the shelterers were women. and remarkably nonchalant they seemed. "They're going to white- wash the walls of the tunnel." one motherly soul told me, evidently surveying the possibilities of the place as a winter home. "Then
it won't be too bad. But they'll have to put in heating. I got a shocking cold already. Simply shocking."
Children Cheerful
Most cheerful of all were the children. After sceing half-u- dozen youngsters getting into their blankets with broad smiles and giggles, I questioned one mother, "Oh, the kiddies seem to quite enjoy it," she replied. "Why? suppose it seems a bit of a lark to them now, That's it, the excite- ment."
What makes the queat of un- derground. stations significant is the fact that only a few hundred yards away I found two large and basement - shelters, warm
Mattresses, not overcrowded. "'stretchers and deck chairs showed; that they ware used every night by "regulars.".
One of them, lying, in an inva lid chair, was a very old lady, frail and gentle: "Yes," she re- called, in her soft unhurried voice, "this is the third war the Ger mans have made in my lifetime. In 1871; when I was a child, my family took in a 17-year-old French boy from Paris, which the Prussians were then besieging.
حيفا
Three wars in 70 years it's too much. But when a people have no respect for law and order and religion, what can you ex- pegt? The Germans will never come to any good.
"Other crews raw his
CHEER UP GEORGE WHAT'S
WRONG?
the
was
at
SEE AND TRY THE
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NEWSPAPER REPORTER NEARLY LET HIS EDITOR DOWN
I DON'T KNOW -NEVER SEEM TO HAVE ANY ENERGY THESE
DAYS.
AT THE DOCTOR'S
IN YOUR CASE], ALSO THIS HAS LED TO AN EXCESS OF ACID WASTE PRODUCTS' 'IN THE BLOOD. RECENT TESTS HAVE PROVED THAT HORLICKS AT BEDTIME IS WHAT
YOU NEED.
TWO WEEKS. LATER
IT'S WONDERFUL [HOW MUCH BETTER
I FEEL
ALREADY
IF THIS IS THE BEST YOU CAN DO JONES, ILL HAVE TO ASSIGN YOU TO LESS IMPORTANT
EVENTS IN FUTURE.
SIX WEEKS LATER
JONES, THIS IS A : MARVELLOUS SCOOP FOR THE PAPER
GOOD WORK.
SORRY SIR,
I CERTAINLY SEEM
TO HAVE LOST MY GRIP-
THINK I'LL SEE
A DOCTOR.
ROTI03
THANK YOU SIR
THINKS) I'VE GOT HORLICKS
TO THANK FOR
THIS
AT THE DOCTORS
DO YOU FEEL WORN OUT, DEPRESSED. OR NERVY? DO YOU EVEN AWAKE TIRED ?
.. 1 EVEN
WAKE
TIRED
YOUR TROUBLE IS NIGHT
STARVATION. YOU SEE, WHILE YOU SLEEP, YOUR HEART, LUNGS AND OTHER
AUTOMATIC. PROCESSES
CONTINUE
USING UP
ENERGY..
DOCTORS AND SCIENTISTS USE HORLICKS IN HOSPITAL TESTS, RECENTLY tests were made in a great
hospital on men and women who com plained of always feeling tired...
It was found that theat people had an excess of acid waste products in thele blond ''during: 'sleep.
*This acid waste kept the brain and nerves -'on edge" all night even though the rest of
the body was sound asleep.
But when Horlicks was given, to, these People: last thing at..., night;” this; excess, sold. waste was.completely neutralised. They woks sefreshed, with increased energy and vitality.
Take HORLICKS
THEN YOUZWILL SLEEP SOUNDLY ---- WAKE REFRESHED AND HAVE EXTRA ENERGY. ALL DAY