1941-01-29 — Page 29

THE CHINA MAIL, JANUARY 29, 1941.

SUCCOUR FOR THE BOMBED

(By A Special Correspondent)

I am a refugee. My flat still sparks and smokes over a London street that took its third severe bomb- I have discovered ing early yesterday morning. that there is nothing to dread in being a refugee. Provided that relatives, friends and oneself are un- harmed, the capable handling of the war victims rapidly restores morale, even if all one's possessions have gone in smoke.

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HOW THEY COUNT RAID FIGURES

BRIDES

DEFIED BOMBS

Violet and Marie Rudland, sis- Are the Nazi fighter-ters, were putting the finishing bombers reaching equal- touches to their trousseaux on the ever of their double wedding at ity with the Spitfire and their London home when there

was a knock at the door. the Hurricane?

Is the ratio of enemy losses- three Nazis to one British fall- ing as a result of the new "bomb- and-run" tactics, carried out by small enemy squadrons?

The answer to both these

tions is "No."

"Sorry, but you will have to evacuate the house. There's an unexploded bomb next door," a policeman told them. The girl's father, a naval officer ques-home on leave, pleaded with the policeman that they should be al- lowed to stay in the house until Hard To Count

after the wedding and the re- ception. He pointed out that as The very tacties which have guests had not been warned, con- tape was cut to a minimum. Even reduced the Nazi losses in total-fusion would be caused.

small formations. during the morning air raid war-flying high in ning, the aflers dealt with people and plunging into the cover of already admitted to the offices,

low cloud---also make it dif- though the doors had to be closed ficult for the R.A.F. to count The Board now their victims accurately. But carries on after the alert.

there is solid ground for believing that the Nazi losses remain at the old proportion of three to

Every British Joss is known, and is revealed. Every Nazi loss cal church. cannot be known.

Then came the visit to the Pub- I sampled the different stages in

Here red dealing with the refuger. Severaltic Assistance Bourd. of us had been raced by firemen through burning debris and whist- shelter ling bombs to an A.F.S in our night clothes with the war. ning. "You're alight overhead," and there was no time to go back even for a coat. When our plight was realised the control room rang un the Town Hall and that set the whole machinery going. Here is a diary of what happened.

Soon after the all-clear, ambu- lances arrived to take the lightly- clad to a rest and feeding centre underneath a Baptist chapel, the uthers following on fout. The centre was run by volunteers at- tached to the chapel, working un- der the borough council.

Some Criticisms

to newcomers,

After filling up a form for "ad- vance of compensation

for war damage," people in need of ready money for clothes or fares were given it, provided their incomes | did not exceed £250, Everything was speeded up. in spite of the art that the board's bank had been bombed and

it had to send elsewhere for money.

Irish Stew

one.

The policeman was unrelenting.