THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 12, 1939
BRITISH ARMY'S PART IN THE WAR: MAJOR LANDING OPERATION IN RECORD TIME
LONDON, TO-DAY.
THAT BRITAIN HAD 158,000 MEN IN FRANCE IN FIVE WEEKS, THAT THE MAJOR OPERATION OF ORGANISING LINES OF COMMUNI- CATION INVOLVED THE TRANSPORT OF OVER 25,000 VEHICLES WAS REVEALED BY MR. HORE-BELISHA IN HIS STATEMENT ON THE PART BEING PLAYED BY THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE WAR.
The War Minister further disclosed that British |
forces in the Middle East has also been substan- tially reinforced.
Some of the tanks transported to France are of en- ormous dimensions. All movement in France, he also disclosed, was carried out at night.
RAPID GROWTH
"The growth has been rapid and had placed a great burden of the or- ganisation on the regular army.
Making a comparison with 1914, Mr. Hore-Belisha said "Now only 20 per cent. of the fighting troops are infantrymen (with 50 Bren guns, 16 anti-tank rifles and other weapons as Recalling the growth of the well per battalion) compared with Mr. Hore-Belisha said that in April nearly 60 per cent. of the fighting plan for 19 divisions became a plan troops in France in 1914 who were for 32. "This is not to be the limit of
infantrymen,
It will be seen by this one ex- ample how much more effectively armed with fire power is the pre- sent--expeditionary force.
of
There is, however, one aspect our army that has not altered; . its relations with our Allies who have welcomed the men so generously and
Mr. as good-humoured.
Hore Belisha commenting on what he saw on his recent G.H.Q. visit said: "I would like their parents and wives to know that they are in fine spirits.
are
CIGARETTE SHORTAGE
"Only serious shortcoming at the moment appears to be an inadequacy of cigarettes and
slowness in delivery of letters.
the
"At this moment they are busily engaged in fortifying their posi- tions in the line.
"Civilian skill and machinery are augmenting military resources, We are determined to perfect the exist- ing defences and to supplement them speedily by "every means..
in
To all who have co-operated this military movement; to the vari- ous Government departments in this country and France, the gratitude of the nation is due.
the
MARITIME MIGHT Especially, however, should achievement be recorded as evidence Britain that the maritime might of is unimpaired.
The Navy has not lost its secret and the Air Force has held its protecting wings over another element of dan-
ger.
"It is not only to France that Bri- tish soldiers have been transported.
our
ma-
"The Middle East has been strongly reinforced and also garrisons elsewhere both in terlal and men.
"One part of our army, however, re- mains stationary in this country. An- ti-aircraft units have been on guard
army,
our effort. Great calls will be made
upon our man-power.
"How do we intend to proceed? In the first place we have a me- thod of calling up classes. With, each batch we are taking a quota of volunteers.
Since the beginning of the war we have taken into or are in the process of taking into the Army, nearly 50,000 volunteers.
"In September it happened that we took in twice as many volun- teers as mllltlamen.
"The volunteers have been of military ages and this should pose of the supposition that we confining entry into the Army young men of first age groups.
NO DEARTH OF ABILITY
all
for enabling some of his training establishments to assist in the pro- vision of Army requirements of skilled tradesmen.
TWICE IN A GENERATION Concluding, Mr. Hore-Belisha said: "While the world was reading of Ger- man advances into Poland, British soldiers resolved to rectifiy this wrong were passing silently and in unceasing sequence France.
across the Channel into
ULSTER'S
RESPONSE
TO THE CALL
Belfast, To-day. Lord. Craigavon, Prime Minis- tor of Northern Ireland, declared yesterday that the responde of Ulstermen to the call for service was wholly satisfactory.
"I am proud,” he said, “at what has been done and is being dono to help the mother country."
Lord Craigavon added that he would make a weekly statement in Parliament, which would meet two days a week instead of three. -Reuter.
NOT THE LAST TO ARRIVE
London, To-day.
"How strange it is that twice in a generation men should take this jour-
A point emphasised in the ney and some should be treading again
War Secretary's statement upon soil made sacred by their fathers. (in the Commons yesterday
"We may rest assured that they will acquit themselves with the same tenacity, courage and en. durance.
"However long the struggle and however great the ordeal they will, as our soldiers did before, take our arms and our cause of freedom to victory."
afternoon was that the con- tingents of the British Ex- peditionary Force at present in France were not the last that would arrive there.
Bases had been created and lines of communication organised to assure the regular flow of supplies and munitions and the reception of further contin- gents as and when it might be decid- ed to send them.
-
UNITY OF COMMAND Replying to a brief debate, Mr. Hore-Belisha said: I have been asked if unity of command is assured. The answer is yes it is.
Mr. Hore-Belisha cited the neutral "The British Army is under French testimony of American observers to dis- command (cheers). The British com- the excellence of the equipment pos-
are mander-in-chief has the right of ap-sessed by the force and he added:
topeul to his own Cabinet, which I don't have been asked whether we
imagine it will be normally necessary enough reserves to keep the forces in to exercise because the understanding the field. We send no divisions to is so complete and whole-hearted in France until we are satisfied they can
be kept in the field. We shall make the error of putting them into battle when supplies are likely run out."-British Wireless.
There has been no dearth of ability in the ranks. The lookout for talent is continuous. In this army, a star is within every private soldier's reach,
every particular.-
26-
"But unity of command is sured in that way and it is even possible that French troops may be under the British C.-in-C." "None, however humble or exalted Mr. Hore-Belisha also announced his birth, need be afraid that his that General Dill was commanding military virtues will remain unrecog-the First Corps, General Brook the nised."
Second Corps, while General Viscount revealed that in Gort's chief of staff is Major-General the last six weeks we had taken 2,000 N. R. Pownall who had been Director officers from the Reserves' register of Intelligence and Operations at the Control
the War Office since 1938.--Reuter..
Mr. Hore-Belisha
and announced that women of Auxiliary Territorial Service, already 20,000 strong were about to augment their members and extend their in- valuable service in the replacement of their brothers in arms.
OLDER MEN
Mr. Hore-Belisha outlined two new openings for older men: "We propose to form Home Defence battalions. Each one will be a battalion of its
Own
county regiment and will be
not serving in national defence com- panies; officers and other ranks found
LIU CHUEH-MIN PASSES
have
not
Chungking, To-day. Mr. Liu Chuch-min, member of the Yuan, has died at Siaoyi,
Central News.
Honan.
NAZI PERSISTENT IN RAIDS ON WESTERN FRONT
Paris, To-day.
composed of officers and other ranks THE GERMAN HIGH COMMAND seems determin- ed to obtain information of French strategical positions and strength along the Rhine-Mosellle Front.
to be permanently or temporarily un- fit for service overseas and officers other awaiting drafting, and and
available by age young soldiers not
since this war began. Their vigilance for service in the theatre of operations. No big attack with masses of infantry
is not forgotten, underestimated
unrecognised.
BETTER THAN 1914
or
"It would be possible for some older ex-officers and men to be absorbed by these battalions. "We are also in the process of form- ing
Pioneer an Auxiliary Military
"We were at the outset of hostili- Corps to be organised in battalions
has been
launched, but there have been persistent raids of small patrols attempting to gather informa- tion and take prisoners, from whom the facts of the situation might be gathered.
ties better situated than we were in which will take over military pioneer Machine-guns and light field guns have held up
1914,
work both overseas and here. All will Recalling the pencetime military be volunteers." training system and the doubling the Territorials, Mr. Hore-Belisha
said:
of
"Altogether we had at the disposal
ULTIMATE MEASURE
The Wor Minister paid tribute to of the army in this country alone in-.the industries engaged in the output of "It is the out- eluding reservists and militia, the best munitions and added:
we put of factories making equipment and part of a million men on whom
munitions for the field which will be could call,
the ultimate measure of our effort.
""Never has the total of our forces In the Unitod King- dom approached anywhere near such a total in time of peace.
The Army itself was training men as technicians and the Min. later of Labour had plano in mind
raiding parties.
of
all
German reconnaissance planes have, rise in the Rhine waters flooding the been busy, mostly taking oblique pho-German advanced positions.-Reuter. tographs of the French defences from
PATROLS STRONGER behind the German lines.
Paris, To-day, The latest war communique states that activity by enemy patrols con- tinues and grows stronger between the Moselle and the Saar.
On Tuesday, taking advantage the bad weather, a few vertical pho- tographs of the French lines were ob- tained. Semi-official circles say that the reasons for the German activities are the German determination to re- take lost territory and the fear of a
There was artillery action by both sides in the same region.-Reuter,
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