THE CHINA MAIL, JULY 21, 1941.
Library, h
Page
ON THE TURKISH FRONTIER
British Troops Fraternise With Turk Soldiers Consolidating MASSES
In North Of Syria
(By Reuter's Special Correspondent with the
Allied Forces in Syria)
WITH THE CLOSE OF THE SYRIAN CAMPAIGN, THE ALLIED FORCES ARE AL- READY CONSOLIDATING POSITIONS NORTHERN SYRIA WITH PATROLS OPERAT- ING IN THE TURKISH BORDER REGIONS.
IN
To-day shortly after noon, I had the memorable experience of watching the first meeting between an advanced British arm- oured patrol and Turkish frontier troops.
Armoured cars belonging to one of the oldest English cavalry regiments in the line, recently mechanised, patrolled up one of the frontier roads from Aleppo and contacted three Turkish soldiers with fixed bayonets between two frontier posts.
The meeting was one
of the They said that some of the worst friendbest. The soldiers smiled times they had were due to enemy and shook hands all round, aircraft. They had little protec- although they were unable to tion against air attacks. understand each other, and cigar. eties were exchanged,
The Turks were most interested in the armoured cars and climbed in and examined them.
Prior to this meeting we had walked over sun-scorched mucky terrain to a Turkish frontier post: shaded by trees with the Red
On one occasion more than 30 bombers escorted by fighters ground-straffed them en route but they declared all
they needed was a bath., "We haven't had one for two months."
MASSES OF ***............................................
TURKEY PLEASED CHURCHILL TANKS
Churchill is the name specially chosen by the Ministry of Supply for a new type of heavy infan- try tank now being mass produced in British fac- tories.
They will probably be the must formidable instruments produced by any army in the world for they are heavily armoured, giving the maximum protection to the crews, and move at a startling speed over all kinds of ground despite their weight.
Their terrifle gunpower is con- centrated in a minimum of spaer and it is not likely that many exist that can nemy machines
for long stand up to their devas- tating fire.
ав
If brought to a standstill, the "Churchills" can
used be amall forts.
The tanks which are still secret. move and manoeuvre with the euse of taxicabs, as the Premier found when he rode in one and was astonished at the case with which he could control il- Reu- ter.
DEATH OF MRS. A. E.
Masterly Campaign COATES
Crescent Turkish flag fluttering in Although full details of the part
playing in the courtyard
customs house,
Getting On With It
the breeze and a little fountain played by the Indian troops have It is with regret that we have of the not yel been revealed, the to record the death of Mrs. Gladys Britishers were full of praise Coates, wife of Mr. A. E. Contes, for the manner in which the Craigengower Cricket Club these forces, starting from Basra, Lawn Bowler, which occurred assisted in cleaning up Habaniya suddenly at 1 o'clock this morn- A Turkish captain and lieutenand Bagdad and then carried on ing at St. Teresa's hospital. ant and customs officials offered the Syrian campaign.
Mrs. Coates was well-known in Us coffee, cigarettes and iced They never complained and Ladies' Softball circles having water. The atmosphere was most showed the highest degree of dis- played for Cardinals two seasons cordial,
cipline, proving ideal troops for ago. such tiring warfare.
To reach Syria's oldest city, Aleppo, I had notored some 250 miles through the heart of the country and found the northwards humming Allied transport.
roads
with
We passed many Vichy military camps being dismantled and convoy of released British prison- ers who cheered lustily.
Rows of Vichy transport, guns and ammunition dumps lay de- jectedly оп the roadside with soldiers packing their kit and pre- paring to leave for the Tripoli area which at present is the neu- tral zone reserved for Vichy troops.
and
The Tyak aerodrome showed evidence of R.A.F. bombing, hangare were smashed large ammunition dumps blown sky high.
French Soldiers
Depressed
The Aleppo airport, already oc-
cupied by the R.A.F. and buzzing
"with activity, still shows the
planes and damaged buildings.
There is no doubt that the Syrian campaign was handled in a masterly manner and that great credit is due to these phantom de- sert columns in regard to enemy morale breaking down so early-
Reuter.
She is survived by her hus- band, her mother, two daughters, Helen and Dorothy, two brothers, three sisters and many nephews and nieces to whom the greatest sympathy is extended.
The funeral will pass the monument at 5.15 p.m. to-morrow.
LAUNCHING OF "V"
CAMPAIGN IN NAZI
OCCUPIED EUROPE
DESPITE SEVERE penalties in Germany shattered remains of burnt out and German-occupied territory for listening In Aleppo itself there are still to British broadcasts, the German authorities several thousand Vichy soldiers have abandoned all pretence that the people sitting in restaurants next to are not listening to the British “V” campaign Vichy Air Force officers who pro- bably had been ground straming launched by Mr. Winston Churchill.
and airmen. It is rather strange
one a few days previously.
However, there are no outward signs of animosity although Vichy soldiers seem deeply affected and depressed after the campaign,
Mystery Desert Columns
Here I contacted for the first time the mysterious British and Indian columns who plunged thousands of miles across ond less desert from Iraq via Dor er Ordd to Aleppo from the flank.
Looking very fit and sunburned these troops were in the finest fet-
!
On the contrary they have launched a campaign to claim "V" as the signal of Ger- man victory.
a8
Last night Hans Fritscher, who, ing this sign.
has been described by: Goebbels Enormous streamers have been their ace commentator, an-put up on the Eiffel Tower in nounced over the Berlin radio Paris while in Oslo, he said, large that in Amsterdam, Rotterdam streamers bearing the symbol have and The Hague, giant Banners are been hung in the railway stations. flying, bearing this symbol,
Leaflets containing the sym- In Prague flower beds have bol have "alno licen・ dropped | been laid out in the shape of the from deroplanes,
letter "V"; and the letter is print-
|/ In Belgium, he said, curs, lored in contrasting colours in the
ries and locomotives are all carry-newspapers. Reuter.
AT OCCUPATION OF SYRIA
"The Turks ore pleased at the estab- lishment of British military authority in Syria because they have become neigh- bours with their Bri- tish ally,'
writes the well-known Deputy Yaltchin in the Istan- bul paper "Yeni Sabah."
Arguing that this fulfils the basic prin- ciples of the Tripartite mutual assistance pact, Yaltchin says the Allies are leading Syria towards com- plete independence.
Reuter.
GERMAN
DOMINANCE IN BALTIC
Reports
received in Lisbon from the Baltic States, now occupied by that Germany, suggest
which any idea
these States, which the Ger- mans claim to have "liberated," may have had of independent freedom, was short-lived.
It is being made increasingly clear, these reports indicate, that national thought and action are being subordinated to the Reich,
The peoples of Latvia, Lithuania and to a less extent Estonia and the western Ukraine, are already sensing they are intended to be no more than provinces or protec- torates within the Reich as Dart of the plan
for a
Germaniscd Europe. Reuter.
AGENT-GENERAL OF
INDIA IN U.S.
The India Office announces that ********00000 the British and American Govern-
in consultation ments,
with the Government of India, have agreed to a reciprocal exchange of repre- sentatives between the United States and India.
BEIRUT POLICE
ORDER
Sir Girja Shanker Bajpai, who German and Italian nationals in' is a member of the Viceroy's Beirut, as well as nationals of Council, has been appointed first enemy-occupied countries, are Agent-General in the United required 10 register with the States, and the name of the police within three days under an United States representative in order issued by the occupation India will be announced shortly. authorities in that city.
Reuter. Reuter.
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