1940-10-04 — Page 55

THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 4, 1940.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

ARMOUR FOR INFANTRYMAN

"We were rather HOPING you'd be jothing us in a little drill, this morning Private Wilkins.".

Ghost Of

Shaw

The

Massey

..

Page

Co-Ordination

Of Our Home Defence Forces By Brigadier General. John Charteris.

There is a clamant need for an authoritative explanation of tho system of co-ordination of our home defensive forces. Not only the general public, but serving officers have no precise informa tion on the subject, and the Ignorance in localities which are. likely to be called upon to func- tion at short notice-is--highly alarming.

The general definition of tes- ponsibility is, of course," lawn. High-water mark is the dividing line, between, the spheres of the Army and Navy. The air belongs; to the R.A.F. and neither Navy or..Army; may, interfere in it. The ARP. organisation is res ponsible through the local au-: thorities to...the Home Office and to the Ministry of Health for the comforting of the, people during operations and for the clearing of the battle field”. When opera- tions are over.

Report that the British War Inventions Com- mittee is seriously con- sidering" the possible use of armour of some sort for the protection of individ- ual soldiers looks back to unsuccessful efforts that way, except as to the modern helmet twenty odd years ago. It reminds historically of the time when bullets took the place of arrows, and the

The Local Defence Volunteers, which calls itself with pride part feudal system, which one

of the armed forces of the Crown, is organised in areas, zones, and may think of as a miscel-

groups which corresponded, it is lany of totalitarian gov-

hoped (although there is no 'very precise ruling), to similar divi- ernments whose dictators

sions in the Army-hierarchy.. He was the chief officer of the singly, practically the whole of crew to take cover to the best ad- warred with each other roughly, the pre-Raphaelite epoch men volunteered,

The newly appointed Comman- London F're Brigade during, the river-service of nearly 400 vantage. The fireboat was then der-in-Chief (Sir Edmund: Iron- moored head-on to the beach with side), and his staff, control as far almost as a sport, found the elegant, the redoubtable. It was then decided to divide C-Q-R. anchor out at the stern, as operations are concerned, all Massey Shaw. A photograph the honours between the regular used for hedging, which proved Army organisations, although, the itself weakened by loss of hangs in the mess room at the Fire Brigade and the Auxiliary | effective.

administrative services still work the immunity with which Lambeth. You never saw a hand-ton of the six Auxiliaries very men went away with a grass lineAldershot, Eastern, Western, &c.

Fire Brigade headquarters in Fire. Service. (I find the constitu-

"A small skiff manned by two direct from the various commands armoured men on arm-somer pair of whiskers. They may engaging one printer, one stock to the shore. I then approached to the War Office. oured horses could ride even have fluttered the bosom. of broker's clerk, one barrister from the crew of a ship lying off at an-

the Great Queen herself. At all Cambridge, -one buyer from chor and requested the loan of a Control Air Arm down unarmoured men on events she presented. their owner Houndsditch, one painter, one small boat, my request: being

with a fine marble clock that still crane-driver.) foot.

granted. The rocket apparatus was

though somewhat ticks -away on the mantelshoff In less than four hours the fan- taken this time and as the boat complicated, is not obscure. It is there.

tastic little galleon was ready to entered the breakers it was fired. when we begun to examine the The armoured knight He was a buddy of the Prince set out. And then, Dunkirk or no but fell short. A man then dived relationship of the civil and mili- of Wales, too, whom he often 'en- | Dunkirk, it was discovered that overboard, swom ashore and tary and the all-important air was in effect the medieval tertained at his house at South- no one on board had the Port of established the line, but, as opera- branch in detail that confusion tank. He was not com-wark. He used to send a fast bruke London authority to pilot a craft tions were in

There is, of course, progress, the line threatens: for him when a nice juicy fire oc- | below Tilbury. pletely immune. The ar-curred,

parted and had to be re-establish- the Naval Air Arm working under would and the Prince

Armies and empires may be ed.

direction of the Navy for balist or crossbow hurled change into fire kit and ride to locked in a life-and-death em- "The ferrying of troops with paval operations. Similarly there

the fire incognito.

brace, the very planet may be the use of the small boat was now is, or there should be, a portion of its bolt with such vigour They haven't forgotten him at cracking; but regulations are re-in progress and going well. By with and under the direct orders the Air Force detached to work' that it penetrated armour. the Fire Brigade, but. I suppose

midnight. 60 British troops were he'd have been hardly a name to

brought on board. At this the two Chief. A separate air command Army Commander-in- But the arbalist had to be you and me, if Gilbert hadn't seen

motor launches' fouled our shore wound up, which took to it. Do you remember the Song of the Fairy Queen in "Iolanthe"? time, and was more effec-oh, Captain Shaw! tive in siege than battle.

Type of true love kept under! Could thy brigade, The later English long- bow, fast and powerful, really foreshadowed mus- -ketry in erabarrassing a

charge of knights.

:

- *

that his sons should begin Co. of Cowes.)

Half the North Sea could hardly

By Louis Golding

1

L.

the

So far

of 'the

this of

Goes Up"

lines. having picked them up with co-operating with the Comman- der-in-Chief cannot be regarded their propellers and, to..my great

as a satisfactory solution--in fighf disappointment, after consultation, we were compelled to cut the lines, ing which proceeds at the pace The two boats with their crews The public has quite enough mili

of modern mechanised' warfare. With cold: cascade

then towed off to their craft and tary knowledge to be anxious on Quench my great love, I won-gulations. So a telephone message safely moored.

-der!"

was put through from Pinches, an

this point, and it is highly desira- "At 04.00 hours on Saturday, ble that any decision which has amiable and sonsitive: gentleman, June 1, the Massey Shaw headed been arrived at should be made tory, the name of Massey Shaw dals and manufactures them in a made as comfortable as possible. knowledge cannot possibly be of Now, in this latter end of his- no longer young, who designs me for Ramsgate. The troops were clear at once to everybody. The comes before the footlights again. small riverside factory in Lam- The weakest were put in the en-any assistance to the enemy. But the footlights are more gran- beth. Would he pilot the Massey gine-room, cabin and..hose-room, When The Balloon England knew the value of the Savoy Theatre of her adventures, if she survived, on deck and

diose than those that flared round Shaw to Ramsgate, and at the end while the remainder were placed covered over with of the long-bow. It won stage. They are the fires of a would he pilot her back again? tarpaulin, and we provided re- Crécy, Poitiers, and Agin-oil tanks and ammunition dumps Pinches, putting down the

burning city, of sinking ships, of! "Where is my hat?" said Mr.freshments and food to 'the best "It is understood that as soon

re of our ability.".

as operations start-"when the court. There was at one blazing like Lucifer's embattled ceiver.

balloon goes up"--the A.R.P., the time a law in

cohorts. England

Seventeen wounded men, I police, the L.D.V., and generally Once more you went fire-fight- What follows.is largely derived that every man, whatever ing oh ghost of Massey Shaw! But from the log book of the Massey learned, were accommodated on all the local civil authorities will his station, clergy and those fires were too desperate for Shaw drawn up from hour to hour the metal plates of that engine come under the direct control of you to extinguish them, despite by Station-officer Youngman dur-room, in a space where I would the local military commanders. judges excepted, should your "two centrifugal pumps cap ing its three journeys to and from have thought it difficult to stow It is probably necessary, though able of delivering 3000 gallons per Dunkirkon "special service," a few books. The craft was swim- somewhat unfortunate, to make Town-along-bow (which minute," and your Sixty 100ft. ↑ as his expanded two-sheet report ming in blood above and below an alteration in the chain of com-

meant something longer lengths of 3in. hose.". (I quote briefly phrases it.

decks. They have scrubbed hard mand at such a moment, and if the specifications of the fireboat than himself), keep it at cooling find a tale of the Massey Shaw is in it- managed to get the stains out yet made then everybody concerned I am not suggesting that the since, but they have not quite the decision has been definitely. ready for use, and provide 1935, built by Samuel White and self more spectacular than the nar-fire-boat was followed for several dangerous confusion result at the During the journey home the should be clearly told so lest rative might be of any of many hundreds of the small boats. that miles by enemy aeroplanes using critical moment. It is essential,

·for instance, that it should be practicing archery at the have extinguished them. But you fared between Dunkirk and the Verey lights and machine-guns known who is responsible for the age of 7. England was many, hundreds of gallant lads and of the "episode,"

snatched from the jaws of doom south-eastern ports in the course That is all we are allowed to know

about that. It is as it a van were closing of certain roads and rail- long a nation of archers, men who would have perished-but-All I say is there is something coming up behind with the heavy ways to all except military vehi- to which condition for you. I think that will have that for my part I find particular luggage. Arrived at Ramsgate at cles, should the necessity arise,

00345 hours, they discharged their

and for the general control of pleased you, oh ghost of Massey ly winning in the performance of

road traffic. Macaulay attributes a shaw, quite, a dot more than the the mub little fireboat destined for

60 British troops and a quantity carefulness of the Tudors footlights of Iolanthe

duties so different in much unlike of wat material Bren guns

gas masks, theodolites. The crew the foreshore The Massey. Shaw is one of the waters.-- not to carry absolutism regular fire,aghting floats that the like the thought of that crane then set fair and rested at about could be seen. Heavy gunfire and {äirsactivity was in progress." The beyond the limit of public London stretch of the river for hauling the patient soldiers aboard Chücre came to call again two Massey Shaw was ther taken into

London Fire Brigade keep on the driver, that stockbrokers, clerk 14:00 hours. acquiescence,

under, the thud of the bombers and a half hours later. This time

Dunkirk harbour and inanuat She is not built for elegance, but propellers, in the devil's glare of the naval authorities fixed two tempt to make a rope fast on the An armoured knight on to spout Jets of water to put out the parachute floats. It may even machine-gung von board sind pro-Mole one auxillary freman was hres, But. it was a good thing, be like the thought of Captain vided rides. (The first time there left behind the reboat having to foot was almost as uise- those Dundrie nights, she was, as Massey Show most of all, tugging had been nothing more formidablej make a quick exit. This auxiliary less as a tank without broad, as that; it meant so many with one hand, at his spectral than hose pipes to keep hostile was later taken off the Mala by a more soldiers could be packed in whiskers and brandishing in the airgraft at bay.) A little healthy troop-carrying vessel. That was gasoline. From his arm her, funk to flank, sardine wise.

other the ghost of this little ferrying was done on this occa the only casualty incurred by the sion. Pen boatloads of mixed Massey Shaw, and, not a serious oured horse he looked

hatchet

troops were taken on board (about) one. down figuratively as well The Dunkirk "episode," as you

500) and #transpicicfed to two might call it with “Japanese-un The Massey Show passed-Dun- paddle-boats. The Massey Show as literally on the infan- der statement, was under way. A kirk Harbour on her starbonto herself brought back a further At: 6'0%lock next morning the try of archers, crossbow-message came from the Home bow and proceeded towards the boatload of troops; and some more reboat took on its river pilot

Office to the Brigade at Larhbeth? | beach about three miles, cast of theodolites.

again, the medal manufacture}, men, pikemen, and mis could they send one of their fire the Mole where there were sol- Still once more, at 1940 of the and left Ramsgate for London. The cellaneously armed vil-bonts along to Dunkhis? There diers of the BEF both on the evening of the third day the fire semier officials of the Fire Brigade

were quite a number of fires bluz- beach and in the water waiting to bout chugged out actoss, the hor- were there to greet her. She tld: leins. It is significant of ing there. Indeed they could be rescued. (The report whistes no rifle waters, pitted by bombs, not look very spruce, I suppose, the change that the pre- it won decided to send the time in getting to the heart of the lacorated with machine-gung, illu- but they will have forgiven her.

Maaney Shaw with Station Officer matter)

mas mined by ¡flares, from abovevaþã - "It was all very interesting, real- sent consideration of arm-Youngman, one-time Lowestoft Air battles were in progress, iuld below with dising phably murmured the Cambridge our is for the benefit of fisherman; to take charge. A call heavy bombs were dropping, and phorescences. They had less lucic barrister.

was issued för, volunteers, 12 man į machine-gun fire was taking place this time with thelt salvaging. "It wasn't 'art a... lork, that' infantrymen.

being needed. A little embarras- "all around us. I gave orders for the The Arebont proceeded ---nlong" wasn't?" "agreed the» crane-driver.

use in dockside fires..

די

butano troops