THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 27, 1941.
PARACHUTISTS PICKED FOR ENDURANCE
(By A Special Correspondent)
BRITAIN'S PARACHUTISTS, whose surprise MAJOR
descent on Southern Italy shocked the Italians,
have been training in secret in England since last TELLS
summer, it was revealed. They are part of the in-
OF
vasion "commando,” and are all picked men, chosen THRASHING
only after rigorous physical tests.
They have had practice in water and can swim miles in their uniforms.
They come from all parts of the country—from crack Highland regiments, cavalry regiments, mechanised units, engineer and pioneer units. Many of them were at Dunkirk; most are single.
Their ranks include Rugby and Soccer footballers, racing motor- ists, dirt-track riders and the like Their badge is a parachute R.A.F. wings.
Some weeks ago I witnessed an exercise by them in a remote part of England. We motored a good many miles before daybreak
reach the scene.
High Officers Watch
tc:
As the wintry dawn was begin- ning to show, we left the car in a lane and walked to a point of van- tage on a ridge of the downland.
The spectators included Gen
OPEN
DESPITE
4 BOMBS
Hospital Service
Restored
A London hospital which was recently bomb-
Sir John Dill, Chief of the Impered is now open again for jal General Staff; Gen. Sir A'an out-patients, and will
Brooke. Commander-in-Chief,
Home Forces; Air Marshal Sir soon be able to take Arthur Barratt, Air Officer Com-
manding-in-Chief Army Cooper-patients.
in-
ation Command of the R.A.F.: Ninety patients and a staff of Gen. Viscount Gort, V.C., and 80 were in the hospital when four Crown Prince Olaf of Norway. bombs hit it. Voluntary wardens
Before long the roar of a
big helped to dig out those who were buried. The nurses' quarters twin-engined troop-carrier was
hit, and Ave heard, flying at a comparatively received a direct
nurses were found unhurt under low level
the debris. When they had been extricated they helped in the res- cue work.
It had found its way to the re- Icase point in bad weather condi- tions.
When almost over our heads it shut off its motors to reduce "slip-stream" and the first batch of parachutists descended, one after the other in quick succes. slon,
one
The parachutes, including carrying the men's equipment in
Another bomb fell through the She was out matron's bedroom, at the time.
There was only one fatal casualty, a very old man who died of shock. The whole hospital was left a shell, with not a door or window intact. The staff began the job clearing up at once, the secre- tary working in overalls.
of
a kitbag, worked perfectly. They were fitted with a special release This was only one instance of and of cheerfulness gear that ensured instantaneous the spirit action, even quicker than with a courage seen on all sides after the ripcord.
Faid. A tobacconist who said that of his shop had not The parachutists wore goggles the doors over their eyes and crash-helmets, been closed for 48 years, except which were the shape of their for a Royal funeral, found regu- creeping through heads. The jackets were shaped lar customers
debris to
of and trousers
buy packets to the hips,
Atted the into the ton of their boots, which cigarettes.
Aflorist who had the front of were on the German pattern.
The
out, boarded up troop-carrier passed
her shop blown on.
could and went to The parachutists quickly disen- what she gaged themselves, and made of market as usual next day for her towards their objective. The flowers. came more aeroplanes, and the spectacle was repeated again and again.
"This is the third time he's blown mc out of here," she said, "but he won't move me
on. unless he drops one right top of me." A demolition worker organising of a bombed the pulling down tower said: "I never did like the way this corner stuck out. show you how we'll have it this time." and he took out a piece of chalk and drew
a plan on the
Attack On "Factory” The objective in this exercise was an imaginary factory, where the enemy high command were watching the demonstration of a new weapon. Everything went off with hardly a hitch. One para- chutist in landing twisted his an- pavement. kle on rough ground.
There wad one touch of comedy. When all was over and we got back to the lane, Crown Prince Olaf's car- was missing. A squad of parachutists had pasted that way. Their Instruc-) tiong had been to use any means available to reach the objective: and the Prince's car had struck them as a likely" means.
I'll
"PORTUGAL TOO PRO- BRITISH"
by
Thought He Had
Killed N.C.o.
When Major John Ver- non Gibson, aged 47, of the Duke of Wellington |Regt., again appeared be- fore a court-martial at Leeds on 46 charges, including conspiracy, embezzlement, forgery and uttering forged docu- ments, he told of a dis- pute he had had with Regimental Quartermas- ter Sergeant Wright.
Major Gibson said that he be- came suspicious about Wright's conduct regarding the men's travelling claims, and ultimately he accused him of swindling. He said to Wright: "I've found you over the travelling claims. out You have been doing the men down."
Wright at first denied it, said the Major, and showed him a list he had drawn up calculating the money he had gathered in, Major Gibson added: "Wright then be- came abusive and threatened me got nothing by saying, 'You've on me. I've got you where I want you, because you signed the billeting forms for the men's meals.'
"I got up from the table and got him by the throat," said the Major. "I told him I was going to place him under arrest. I gave him a jolly good clout and fairly went for him. In fact, I gave him a damned good thrashing because he threatened me.
"' Kicked Him Out"
took him to the door, opened it, and threw him ou' and kicked him as he went. o'raight across the passage, crashed against the wall, and dropped in a heap unconscious. I got the wind up, thinking | had killed him.
"I dragged him back and set him on a chair in my office. I went to the kitchan and got a cup of water, threw it over his face When he came to I said to him, 'Get out and brought him round.
of my office,' and he went.
"He came back about 20 min- utes or half-an-hour later' and stood by the door crying. Wright said to me, 'You are quite right, I've got money out of the men's travelling claims. There were three of us in it myself and Sergts. Livingstone and Melvin." The hearing was adjourned.
ARMY ANSWER TO PANZERS
New Gun-Howitzer The British 25-pound- er gun-howitzer, the latest equipment of the Field The Spanish Falangist news-Artillery, is being used in paper "Arriba", complains that a The chauffeur had protested arge section of the Portuguese war for the first time. but the parachutists had carried Press differs from the Spanish According to reports received: out their instructions thoroughly Press, view of the real feelings of from present theatre of opera-, Not till the afternoon d'd the the Portuguese people.
tions, it has caused great destruc Crown Prince get his car back. "Arriba" alleges that the tion among enemy armoured
"feelings of the Portuguese formations. people are riot Identified. This gun, compared with the with British destinies." The equipment used in the last war, newspaper goes onto say has a longer range, greater fire that it is the Spanish Press which power and higher rate of mobili- is making an effort to dispel from ty. Its adoption necessitated a No imported or home-produced the European atmosphere the uni- large-scale reorganisation of the grain will be available for cage versal belief that Portugal is an Royal Regiment. birds or carrier pigeons, states the Anglophile country which consid-As its name implies, the new Ministry of Food, except for ered itself linked with British weapon can be employed either
Carrier pigeons required for destinics:
as gun or howitzer. This enabled the fighting services.
Such a universal bellef, "Arriba" the authorities to reduce the Cage-birds needed at collieries remarks, "has not favoured Por- types in use. The 25-pounder and fire stations for safety pur-tugal in the eyes of countries with replaced the 18-pounder, and re- poses, and
whom wo are united by such pro- moved from the list of Service A limited number of cage-birds found and important bonds of weapons the 13-pounder of the
RHA in public zoos and aviaries.
NO GRAIN FOR PET BIRDS
friendship,'
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