THE CHINA MAIL, OCTOBER 7, 1940.
BLEW
SAPPER UP "DUCE'S STATUE"
95
THAT TANKS and armoured cars, whose re- markable achievements have been described in re- cent local despatches, have no monopoly in dash and daring has just been brilliantly demonstrated by a young sapper, whose repeated prowess and skill the Higher Command has warmly commended, writes a correspondent with the British forces on the Libyan frontier.
For a long time our observers have been annoy- ed by the enemy's "spotting" from a curious edifice some distance in front of the Customs House at Cappuzzo. The edifice is called "The Duce's Post" by the Italians, and "Musso's statue" by our troops.
It resembles a gigantic cat sit- ting on its haunches. In place of a head is a platform whence 20 observer, climbing by stairway running up the cat's back, can see an extensive arca of flat desert.
21
Fitty feet high, with a.. 20ft deep base, it was erected to per- mit the Duce to survey the coun- try on his visit to Libya.
Night Operation
The British
commander, tired of the interference from "spot- ters" in the edifice, asked a young sapper officer, in private life a civil engineer, who had already done excellent mining werk, to try to remove it. A few nights later, with four sappers carrying a considerable quantity of gun- cotton, he sallied forth on operation, so near lines.
his
the Italian
An examination of the edi- fice showed it to be much more solid 'than was expected, but undaunted by this he cut the necessary holes in the base and inserted the charges go skilfully that the attention of the enemy troops nearby was not attract ed.
Lighting the fuse he crawled away under cover of another barrage. A few minutes later there was a terrific explosion and the edifice went up.
Tank Tour Of The Desert
"This is Britain's first terri- torial gain from Italy," the tank officer shouted to me as our cars bumped over the desert. I looked round to where he pointed and saw the world's dullest country- side.
We were exploring a 'slice of Libya, which British patrols have wrested from the Italians and -are firmly holding.
It is barren beyond belief. Dead flat and spotted with camal scrub, its stony soil produces nothing man can cat or drink. Its only use is as a battlefield, and it is here that the toughest
fighting by British troops any
where in the world at the moment is going on. amid an
inferno of heat, files, dust and
sweat.
Like Picnic
a
uses
3
a
Ann Rutherford discovers that fifteen minutes day will help keep the figure slim and youthful. To make it seem like play, she
With volley ball.
quick movement bring ball down between legs, keeping legs straight without bending knees. The two movements bring into play chest, arm and back musclos, giving general toning up to entire body.
73, RAID HEROINE
A seventy-three- year-old woman, suf- fering from shock after an air raid, told nurses in the hospital:
"Don't bother about me. I have lived all my life alone, I have looked after myself alone and I can still look after myself.
"Attend to the young folks first ..
00000004
LANDED IN EIRE, GAOLED
Pleading guilty at a Special Criminal Court in Dublin to "having landed near Dingle (Co. Kerry) from an unknown vessel," Karl Andersori was sentenced to three years' penal servitude,
The hearing was in camera. A second charge of having landed from aircraft was not proceeded with.
It was stated that Anderson was arrested travelling from Tralee to Dubin.
In a brown paper parcel de- teotives found an envelope con- taining a considerable sum of money, including $900.
Anderson told detectives ha was in Rotterdam when Ger- many invaded Holland and withdrew $3,000 from
the bank. He left in an English boat, the name of which would not be given.
Police stated that Anderson, in the name of Hermain Christian Simun, was sentenced to three months' imprisonment at Ton- bridge, Kent, in February,” 1938, for failing to sign the register under the Aliens Act.
FASCISTS MAKE LEAFLET
RAID ON THE EAST END
· · THE BRITISH UNION of Fascists made a leaflet raid on the East End of London between midnight and dawn. Hundreds of night workers coming home to bed, and people getting up found the leaflets pushed into their front doors.
The leaflets were issued from When I drove back through the old Fascist office in Bethnal this No Man's Land of Libya I Green, E. They urge readers to -found patrols brewing hot sweet
call at this address, tea in the desert as though at a I visited it yesterday and found ]· picnic. Nothing indicated they
WIN BY
it boarded up and padlocked, STRIKING
had just returned from a skir- writes a correspondent. mish or were just starting on a raid. As I left they shouted out cheery messages for me to take home.
Secret Meetings
Nearly every young man Vin
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