1940-05-31 — Page 7

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 31, 1940.

B.E.F. MEN TELL GRIM STORIES

LONDON, TO-DAY.

1

IT WAS DISCLOSED LAST NIGHT THAT SOME OF THE B.E.F. WARRIORS ARRIVED BACK IN ENG- LAND FROM FLANDERS TWO DAYS AGO; THEY WERE WITHDRAWN WITH GREAT DIF- FICULTY AND LANDED AT A SOUTH EAST COAST PORT. Further parties arrived back later; though some were tired after their grim experiences and lack of sleep, all appeared in good heart and waved cheerfully to people looking from their windows.

They told of terrific German losses in the battle for the Channel ports, praised the marked superior- ity of the R.A.F. and bitterly condemned the machine-gunning of refugees and the bomb- ing of hospitals.

for days. Many had been without food for several days, but when they had fed and drank, they were ready with graphic stories of their ordeal, especially of the terrific incessant bombardment from the air.

Some of the arrivals had been 1 A few had scarcely any sleep slightly wounded.

B.E.F. forces arriving from France were stated to be arriving yesterday in thousands at a south coast port.

People living in houses alongside the railway in some of the southern su- burbs of London have been watching a stream of troop trains bringing them back.

Through the windows tired sold.. lers, some with several days growth of beard, were seen sleeping with their heads on the dining tables.

No Dejection

was no

But more terrible were their de- scriptions of the mass murder of re- fugees by German aeroplanes.

N.C.O.'s Story

An N.C.O. who fought in the last war said: 'I never saw anything like the barrage we put up to stem the ad- into it. Their losses must have been vance but the Germans advanced right

being em-

As the men disembarked the crowds at first stood silent to give a sympa-

enormous." thetic greeting, but there

All the time they were spirit of dejection among the troops. barked, the troops were bombed and

They were the first to wave cheer-machinegunned from the air. fully and were then given a tremen- dous ovation:

All told the same story--the need for more air help.

I

Many were still wet from having

to swim and wade out to the ships to bring them aboard.

At another centre, Reuter saw of- Transport organisation worked per-ficers and men of the Belgian and fectly and there was a constant stream French armies and naval ratings who of vehicles ready to take them to wait-also arrived from France. ing trains.

SOME DEVILISH SURPRISE IN STORE?

Simply Hell

"It has been simply hell," they said, "but we have. been getting off boys who have stood in the triangle and resisted the worst that the Ger- mans could do to them and, believe me, the Nazis don't love you. ~

"Our airmen have done magni- ficent work but it is volume we need. From the minute we reached France we were continually bombed and machinegunned from the air- hospital ships, troopships, every- thing.

"When we were hit we swam ashore but when the boat did not go back we

London, To-day. "There may yet be some swam back again to take her out of devilish surprise in store for the harbour. But she turned turtle us," said Sir Neville Bland, and we had to swim again. British Minister to The hours and Hague, broadcasting last British warships. night.

Sir Neville urged that "more and more" steps should be taken to guard against the danger from the German Fifth Column and troop-carrying planes.

He described the troop-carrying, planes as a far greater danger than parachutists or Fifth Columnists, and said German troop-carrying planes landed thousands of men and howit- zers in Holland.

If the Netherlands authorities had not taken very thorough precau- tions, thousands more would have been easily landed on thoir, ar- terial roads and the campaign would: have been finished in 24 hours.

He said he didn't want to be alarm- ist and there was no need for "panic, but more and more steps must be taken to provide against this danger. There were countless places in England where men and guns could be landed. Reuter.

"Some of us

were swimming for were then picked up by

Almost Naked

have had no food since yesterday and "All of us were almost naked, We

no sleep for three day.

"It was

troops not only British We were bringing off but French and Belglans too. The Belgians don't want to give up fighting." Five Belgian officers in the party said they were astounded when

the order came to cease fighting,

.

"We don't intend to cease fighting. on Leopold's order and there are thou- sands of other Belgian soldiers of the same opinion," declared one,

"The British and French are still making a magnificent show in the north. If only they would, give us more planos we could tell the Ger- mand a different story,

"As it is, they have got as much an they have given and we have not been bombing and machinegunning men in the water."

"MISSING" BULK LARGE IN CASUALTIES

London, To-day.

The names of "missing" troops form a large part of the seventh War Office casualty list Issued yesterday.

It includes seven in the Lin- colnshires, 41 in the Leicester- shires, 21 in the Green Howards, 64 In the Sherwood Foresters, 30 In the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry and 33 In the York and Lancasters-Reuter.

ORIENT-SIMPLON EXPRESS HELD UP

(SPECIAL TO “CHINA MAIL”). Budapest, To-day.

The Hungarian authorities held up the Orient Express from Istanbul and forced the passengers to alight and get into an ordinary train.

JAPANESE RAIDS IN SZECHUEN

(SPECIAL TO “CHINA_MAIL") CHUNGKING, TO-DAY. TWENTY-SEVEN JAPANESE BOMBERS.CIRCLED OVER CHUNG- KING YESTERDAY MORNING AND AGAIN BOMBED THE CHENGTU ROAD. IT IS BELIEVED LITTLE DAMAGE WAS DONE; CHUNGKING ITSELF WAS NOT BOMBED.

After five consecutive days of Ja- panese raids the only result is the bringing of the city's life to a stand- still for half of each day.

No military objectives have been hit; a number of private residences were destroyed, one school and two univer- sities badly damaged and many civili- ans killed.-Havas.

WEATHER REPORT

The Royal Observatory reports that pressuré remains highest over the No reason for this action is given. Pacific to the east of Japan. Depres- An express train also returned to sions are indicated over the Sea of Sofia and passengers there boarded a Japan, Tongking and to the south-east regular train.-Havas.

of the Loochoos.

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