'Page 6
N
The Vengeance of
Private Pooley
PART 1-THE SURRENDER
all the
0 one believed Pri- fetched?” Was he "Imagining" vate Pooley's story. tho events of May 27, 10407 Nearly " hundred Years bad passed, but
detalls of the tragle story were to clear in his mind, the story which had unfolded in the little French village of Le Paradis,
of his comrades had been brutally murdered- and no one believed it.
"What would you say if I told you that the Germans had put a hundred of our men against a wall and shot them in cold blood?" he A hundred or so men, they asked a friend.
May 27, 1940. Major L, C. D. Ryder Laced the
fathered survivors of the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Norfolk Regiment, which he commanded.
the
were crowded together in a cow- house. Twenty-five yards away. "I don't take any notice their headquarters, was blazing.
had destroyed all of takes like that," was the culmen and papers which answer. "There are all sorts had of wild yarns going the leaped the German sheil-
rounds."
"What
Men" "you
said Major Ryder, have done more than
THE
CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, MARCH 17, 1956.
As the prison-
ors entered
the gate they
saw a couple
machine of
Then guns, somebody barked out an order...
100 MEN MURDERED
Private Pooley was one of a
1 tl you I was were asked to do, More than there myself?" Albert Pooley's was expected of you. There la voice was quiet, but he spoke no hope of escape. We are sur- very firmly, "Would you believe rounded. The enemy is vastly handful of men who fought their it if I told you that I, and about superior in numbers and equip- way back to Battalion HQ ot a hundred chups of my own mob, nient. You mus now decide the farm Of D Company only had been put up against a wall yourselves whether
one officer and six men NUT - and machine-gunned?"
or to surrender,
vived. C Company was cut off.
to fight on
Adapted from the book by
CYRIL JOLLY
The other man looked a le "I am not ordering you one embarrassed
But he said. “No, way or the other. I am giving Berf. I should think that what no more orders. If you wish to уста have gone through has surrender you can do so with a make you imagine things. Those clear conscience. I will accept
takes are too far-fetched. They're your decision." Just dished up to us for propa- Handia"
Propaganda. Far-fetched, Im agining things.
Seventeen days earlier, they into confidently had marched Belgium to meet the oncoming
blitzkrieg The enemy.
had started. On May 18, they began
retreat. But soon they were back in It was 1940 He was tired and France-among the few Britian dispiritex. His wounded leg rops whose grim task it was
Pooley swore les himself as he Umped home from Hayes, where I worker in the post office. wrting and dispatching mail,
pched. At home in Southall his to keep open the corridor to the daughter, Pat, was unwell. His son. wife, who was expecting another mby, was lying bravely to make ends meet on Pooley's pay and disability pension, which did not seem to go fur in the postwar world,
Tall, creet and soldierly, with sandy hair and a small mous- tache, he sul looked a sick and wurried man.
Far-fetched! Was the still un- bealed wound in his Jeg "far-
While they hung grimly to every house in Le Paradis, their comrades were already climbing into little bouls along the Dun- kirk benches.
Desperate battles were fought as the Germans increased the pressure, indifferent to their own heavy losses.
Early on May 17 the remnants of the Norfolks A Company were driven back.
Reliability...
חיאות
By the afterton, the enemy had murrounded the farm, and anymunition was running out.
Sene
(Pooley Among them) were for fighting on. They I hoped there might be a way out. But when the CO called for a show of hands, 12 was seen that the majority voted for surrender.
over.
They would have been whelmed In less than an hour, und the damage they could do to the enemy would be negligible.
'Open-up!'
-AND
NOBODY
BELIEVED IT!
It opened 00 to a meadow, oflicer. He told the prisoners ko
searching.
The men at the front ruse from their knees and with hands still
they spent more than an hour ʼn and one hundred and fifty yards come forward live at a time for the field and he felt surprised away the Germans were fruig
that after they had been search- from ditches and banks,
ed and their equipment removel The sergeant-major thrust the
from them, they should be left towel
the
standing so long. through Tilk and
lightly opened upper half of the for two door and held it incre or three minutes. The ring supped.
"Open the door," commanded the CO.
went
un their herds walked towards
Some DELsoners usiceri who took
awuy the Germans,
steel helmets, and major if he thought the Germans Kas-masks, pay books. Some plucked off would shoot them.
"No, definitely not," replied identity dises. The equipment
the was thrown into a heap.
officer. "We are! English cigarettes prisoners of war, and covered by Several packets of
Convention." the Geneva
Bik the
which had company captured the hundred prisoners was an S.S
it was unil, and commanded by an officer who did not care a rap for any conven-
Lions.
The sergeant-major held the Major Ryder said: "If there rife alof: with the faintly at had been taken from the prison
ers and thrown on w any point in fighting on, I
dog. Then ha
the grass. tering would say, "Bght on." But there out, five or six men at his heels
One of the Germans said to isn't, I hate this step more than
He had not
Ty you gone 10 paces
prisoner.
WATET ду
of you, but to we you before slaughtered in this trap will help around the sergeant-major and
machine-gun opened cigarette?"
The man
stepped forward to no one."
three or four men fell. The rest pick up a packet. of the men in the open rushed
Then the German swung up
In threes back to the cowhouse.
his rifle and drove the butt with
After what seemed like hours, full force right into the English- other Germans appeared and the man's ince. The startled an
buck £i[a¥j¢xesr¢༤༥]
boners were told to line up o with
the road in threes:
Then the spurting from nose and mouth. comunand "Come!" was given and Private Poohey had a couple of the men began to march, They slight wounds which hod nol marched to the end of the road "We are been dressed and he had lost and emerged on to the Rue du
the some blood. When the searching Paradis.
There Adlowed a Jong, tense pause, then the Major sold, "Myn, I call on you to surrender, Sergeant-major, get a towel and the it to a rifle."
Someone rummaged in Corner among sume kit and brought out a towel, not freshly laundered, not unsolled, but a white towel, the symbol of de- feat.
A
sergeant-major fastened it to a rifle and then moved to the back door of the cowhouse.
...that's rugged for your roughest, toughest days.
That's the kind of service the British Government wanted. They wanted a watch that could stand the steaming heat of tropical jungles..... the freezing cold of arctic storms...... the gritty dust of desent winds.
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Self-windings
waterproof, dust-proof,
antimagnetic, -shock-protected.
A cease-fire Again the firing stopped. Five
minutes passed, moto
then it was decided to make another at- tempt.
An officer shouted, coming out now." Again towel was put out and with began he saw the wounded were bands above their heads the men allowed to sit down so he sat, fled out-live, six, seven, eight, lion. Poley was among the first.
Suddenly, from behind a long
which bank, in ditches
was kicked forward and upward prounded the meadow, the Ger- by a heavy boot. He scrambled
mans stood up, whooping to his foct.
000
tur-
port
Was
of
Along this road German trana-
moving: ECOTCO vehicles
stores carrying
and smmunition forward, Long column Channel, towards Dunkirk.
towards the rolling
But he had not been seated inute when he more than
POOLEY TODAY (Right). The cigarette lighter was taken from a dead comrado.
knocking out four of his teeth.
22
R
They halted for a time until most of the convoy had passed.
WELL WHAT D'YOU KNOW!
HAIR-RAISING RIDE
H
TO HEAVEN
ا.
AIR may be a woman'a crowning glory, but it is a costly crown to control. Even some young men spond a fortune, these days, on special haircuts.
It is an amusing thought that European women spond vast sums of money every year on having their hair made to curl, while negro
theirs women pay to have straightened!
There are three types of human hair-Caucasian or European, Negro and Mongol. All are constructed differently. Looked at in section, the hair from a negro's head is a flat ellipse; and the fatter the hair, the more it curls. That's why white women flatten their hair in curling-tongs or curling-pins. European hair is more oval in shape, while Mongol hair is completely circular and is, therefore, stiff and lank.
AVERAGE CROP
]ཀཱལ་
UIERE are something like 100,000 hnira on the average human
head, and each hair is about one-400th of an inch in diameter, Baldness is caused by decay of the hair follicles-the Uny cells in the skin, out of which the hair grows. Pigment granules in the skin decide the colour of hair and when the granulva ares affected by age, illness or oven fright, the hale turns grey or white.
The silvery lustre of white hair is further increased by air bubbles which collect between the cells in the hair, These reflect the light, just as they do in a snow-flake.
Scientists are not certain why hair can turn grey overnight, but they do know why your hair stands on end when you are scared. Fright causes the brain to send a message along your nerves to little muscles which normally keep your hair lying down. These muscles contract and pull up the hair.
TREMENDOUS STRENGTH
NOTHER interesting feet about hulr its tremendous strength. Four average hairs can support a pound weight. in bygone days, Eastern monarchs ordered ropes made of hair. One of these rupes, made for a Mikado of Japan, was several Inches thick and thousands of feet long. It weighed about two tons.
At least two kind of hair-stylo have a connection with prison life. One is the "Newgate Knocker," a lock of hair twisted into a curl and worn on the forehead. It used to be worn by the people who spent most of their time in and out of Newgate, the old-time London gaol,
In China, the pigtail was originally a mark of servitudo imposed upon the male natives in the 17th century by the Manchu Prisoners often had their pigtails led together to prevent their escape, QUEER HAIRCUT
conquerors.
THERE is a more spiritual significance attached to the history and elsewhere. The head is shaved of hair except for a tuft at of the tuft of hair grown by some male Moslems in Morocco
the back, which is allowed to grow as long as a horse's tall According to Moslem bellet, this tuft will enable the angels to get a good hold when carrying them up to Heaven!
The angels would have a job transporting some of the Kaffir women of South Africa. They form their hair from grease Into a series of spikes sticking out all round.
Most of the native women of Africa take more trouble over their hair than do white women. They even grow a kind of built-in hat by placing a gross ring over the crown of the head, and fasten their hair to it. As the hair grows, the ring is raised from the head like a cap.
(OOPYRIGHT)
Before they began to march A ALL IN A DOCTOR'S DAY:
body of German Infantrymen passed them in the same dires- iion. Several of the victorious troops of the Fatherland drove their rifles at the prisoners is they stood there. One main got badly
hurt on the side of the face.
The began
The farm
column of Englishmen to march. Immediately before them on the left of the
rond was a farm of red brick. S
They had not gone more than a few yards when they
and then directed
again halted
a meadow.
A BIT THIN ON THE TOP....
By CEDRIC CARNE
.
of
UNDAYS, when I can, I was it happening because
stay in bed late. Last shock or stress, which some wweek I opened my eyes to doctors say can be a cause. through gate off the road into find my young son by the I went into breciclast and said side of my bed, staring at to my wife: "Do you think I'm On their left as they entered me intensely, his face only losing my hair, deart”, was a long bricis farm building. a foot away from mine. In front of it nearest the gate was shallow pit or depression. At the end furthest
were
"Yes,"
she said tactlessly, not looking up from the paper. I closed my eyes and turned "It's because you don't weah it from the my back on him. gate the ground was level.
Distinctly, I often enough," Needless to say, heard him saying:
In any case, "Daddy, that wasn't true. The prisoners
marched in front of this building.
as long as the scalp is healthy You're going bald.” -
and brushes and combs are kept Before they entered the gate
hair need not bo My wife called out to my son: clean, the they saw e
of German «Now don't worry your father." couple
washed for months. Washing heavy machine-guns set up in But it was too late. When I got even be damaging if people use the hair too frequently may
the meadow. Their crews were up I manoeuvred two mirrors
of hair
It is best to use soft water rain water will do excellently-- and a good up.
triumphantly,
waving thoir A German soldier took rifies.
handful of cigarettes from the All the British came out of the Englishman's pockets. Pooley, et fring stations and the guns so that I could have a good hard water or the wrong sort cowshed and advanced into the with his hands still behind his wure pointed towards the ad- look at the back of my head. of soap, which is too drying for meadow, hands aloft, some limp- turned to look at him al- vancing column of prisoners. It
though
was true, I was going a bit the scalp. said nothing. he
Pooley had a Ing, several having to be helped.
suspicion of thin. The GermONS came towards The German resented the look, what was in store. them from all directions. The swung up, his rifle and jabbed
There was nothing to be done Norfolks saw for the first time the butt into Pooley's face,
An order...... about it. The ordinary, common the superior numbers of the foe.
Two or three German offlersgressive and no known medicine baldness of the male is pro- The air rocked with smoke from Pooley staggered from the the burning farm behind them. blow and stood dazed for standing just against the gato
"Will I go bald Other houses and farmsA were several minutes, spitting blood Watched the marching British or safe drug can restore a man's
crowning glory. Sometimes
like you, burning near by.
and teeth.
prisoner's, When they had all
have
seen regrowth
Daddy?" my son asked. entered the mendow and the battalion moved The
beaten
but this has happened A occur! head of the colum was draw-only when baldness has resulted irritably. "But if you want to
"I'm not bald," lout over the pasture and across
I answered ing level with the furthest end from an acute infection. a minor rond and on to a field,
know, I should count the bald stables, someone barked the wounded making the best
Once the prisoners had been
of the out the pace they could. Then a rasping searched they were
order
heads of your uncles, because "Firel" lined up.
baldness runs in families. Apart There was an immediate raitio und Twenty yards away two or as the two machine-guns began
from endocrino balance, there is three
German officers were firing Pooley
Two patients of mine-one near, the had erysipelas,
a donnite hereditary factor in The prisoners were ordered by having an animated discussion, middle of the column.
the other In- masculine baldness." an English-speaking Genman to They were apparently trying to
fluenza-discovered that their The men in front started to hair was beginning to fall out a kneel down and keep their hands decide what should be done with fall.
"I'm going to shave one day," on their heads, More Germans the prisoners, but were not in world copyright. Adapted by Harold that was a temporary condition: on my face
month after their illnesses. But my son said. "I want the hair advanced from various dirce agreement.
B. Harris from the book by Cyri
to grow, anŻ STOW tions. They were excited, laugh- They moved off.
Jolly, published by Heinemann.) | both now have their heads and grow."
covered with stuff. ing, triumphant.
The men stood about for a
That's what I felt about my The thinning of my hair. wOB scalp, I thought ruefully....... no sequel to any disease. Nor
(COPYRIGHT)
voice commanded
"Hall"
Germans closed in.
The English-speaking
Lined up
was
Ger- long time, their guards watching Next Saturdays The Survivors
of the Massacro
man was given an order from a them jealously. "Pooley thought
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN
GOOD NIGHT-WE
JUST SHOT HIM~~
AND HE BLEW UP!
THERE'S THE OTHER ONE
***SHOOT!
UH-HE BLEW UP --TOOL
By Lee Falk and Phil Davis -
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