1941-06-26 — Page 39

THE CHINA MAIL, JUNE 26, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

INVADERS

They take neutrality seriously 'in Eire. The Very Reverend M.`Hamil- ton, Administrator of Ennis and chairman "of Clare County Board of the Gaelic Athletic Associa- tion, has just withdrawn his nomination for the presidency of the associa- tion's congress because "of the introduction and toleration of foreign games among the mem- bers of the National Army." He thinks it an insult to the memory and sacrifice of Ireland's dearest martyr to read in the papers of the Rugby team of the Regiment of Pearse. And (he says).

at a time when the man- power of the nation is being rallied and disciplined to resist at- tack from any possible invader of our land it. is surely a travesty of national loyalty to al- low foreign games to be played on the recrea- tion-grounds of our de- fence forces.

But why should the very reverend gentleman stop

BRAGGA- DOCIO

DA VILLAIN-A OF DA PIECE-A

Matte

Privileged Pilots

war

the

the

What, then, is the work of the Air Transport Auxiliary?

They pilot Spitfires, Hurricanes, Wellingtons, Ansons and the most hush-hush aircraft that were ever wheeled on the tarmac. They

Little is heard of the at the recreation-work of the Air Transport Auxi- grounds? Surely cards are liary: it does not attract the spot- light. Twice within a few days it "foreign" (unless there is lost gallant members with an Irish bridge or an Irish loss of a 'plane Amy Johnson |

and Capt. Horsey-and nap), and what of chess tragedy of their death drew brief body of pilots and draughts and darts? attention to that

of no Service rank or status, "who, What is there left for the on flying duties of a special kind, to fly anywhere patriotic Irish neutral to have the right do? And is there not in Britain at any time. treason in high places, for did not Mr. De Valera himself once play Rugby for Blackrock College and the Minister of Defence indulge in Association? Still, once you set about preparing against in- They are paid, but some of them refuse to take the money. vasion you might as well yet they fly more types of air do the job thoroughly, craft than many a Service pilot and "foreign games" are

are sometimes found in areas no doubt as insidious a thick with the enemy, they carry no and fly machines with- form of English penetra-mns or bombs, in nts they ́tion as any.

have all the fun of war, some of the risks, none of the glory; and nothing to hit back with.

MISUNDERSTOOD

wear a private uniform of their

just

own-or

-By-

J. Wentworth

Day

looked peaceful, English, much "away from it all." we swung inside the wire fencing of their stood blue-clad there with fixed bayonets and the pulse of war.

miniscences-shades of the Sun beam Tigress!-with a couple of ex-racing drivers, and drank an- other cup of tea with a' boot manufacturer.

His "Nice Day's”. Work An A.T.A. pilot's job would not be easy for the best all-round pilot in the world. He is almost invariably a man who has been very refused for the R.A.F. because Yet, as of age or disability. His job is to barbed- collect new aircraft, either from domain, the factory or from the "collect- sentries ing point" and fly them to what- we felt

Waiting Aircraft

ever units of the Service need them. The result is that no one day's work is ever like another.

For example,

Mr. my host, of all sizes, shapes, Richard Fairey, whose father the dive-bombers which colours and designs were to be builds in

cat the almost found there. They lined the aero- put

the among drome, glimmered dimly in pigeons at Taranto, was refused enormous hangars, peeped shyly for the R.A.F. because of a spinal from belts of woodland. The injury. Yet he has several thou- noses of aeroplanes stood up stiff. sand flying hours' experience and to fly all types of dark and triangular in the mist

machines. That morning he took off in a Spitfire to the Midlands; delivered it; collected a Welling- ton, which he took on to Scot land, and then came back home

Aircraft civilian clothes. They must be ready to fly any thing. anywhere, any weather.

is qualified has ever seen, and though they of dawn.

It was a queer, unfamiliar sight, for the scene lacked the Service trimness of an R.A.F. station, yet it transcended in its variety the cheerful cosmopolitan mass of machines of all sorts which one remembered on a civil airfield in the jolly days of peace.

an Anson-"Nice via Bristol in varied day but a bit tricky com- mist and ing home, what with

Risky things, barrage balloons. those."

The idea of A.T.A; was born in

Men Of All Callings

We went to a long, low shed and entered an uncarpeted room fur- Nothing is more painful Every one is a volunteer in the nished with chairs and a time- the brain of Mr. d'Erlanger last

AT.A. Some are millionaires than to see the righteous and some are farmers. Several worn piano. A stove burned redly. August. He saw the day coming Maps, and charts chequered a when British railways and roads misunderstood, and no are stockbrokers and one is a pro- table. The room was full of men. might be wrecked, devastated

fessional huntsman. Three of

"Afraid it's not much of a areas virtually, isolated and the one is more pained than them have only one arm and one Mr. Matsuoka when he man has one arm and one eye. mess," said my host and guide, R.A.F. perhaps unable to maintain "but you'll meet the boys communications. That was when sees this happening to Poles and others are Americans, several you know here, too." Banker Air Chief Japan. A member of the Some of the men were of no particular calling men of leisure

%

Most afe British but some are

women.

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Japanese Diét recently in the piping times of peace As we talked other pilots came So Mr. d'Erlanger sought out complained that the and others have worked hard all in. There was Mr. Gerard d'Erlan- F. D. Bradbrooke, the well-known and air journalist, and they began to Indian

their lives for very Uttle. But each ger, tall, pale-faced, dark

Now Congress

Mr. rope in all the pilots of any age. was man, whether he is 50 or 20, can uncommunicative.

only a who were unfit for R.A.F. service friendly towards the fly. I doubt if anywhere in the d'Erlanger is not

he to form an emergency communi-, Chungking Government world there is a body of men who hard-working banker but

live wire of com-cation body of light aircraft. have flown more different types is the

"Plenty of us about who'd flown in China; he said this was of aircraft or had more diverse mercial aviation in a big

serious matter when aying experience than these men way Today he is chief of this in the last war and clnce, you very "mixed bag" of airmen and know; but when we offered our, selves they said, 'Oh, try ARP!" Japan was setting up her we drove in the winter dawn airwomen.

through narrow lanes lit with The mild-looking but highly Within three weeks Mr. d'Erlan- Greater East Asian hori berries and warmed by surprising Mr. Leo Partridge ger had 40 expert pilots. Mr. Sphere of Co-Prosperity. rose-red old cottages to a wide entered, with a faint and quizzi- Phillip Wills the sailplane ex- Mr. C. S. Napier, Mr. Matsuoka replied:

expanse of gull-dappled grass, It cal smile. Mr.. Partridge always pert, was one,

rather looks as if he has lost his the aero engine designer, was lacking to persuade way in life, but that is merely another. So was Mr. Wally Hand- his method of deceiving the world. ley, the racing motorist. Mr. Kelth gress party are evident them that their idea is Not only has he an eclectic tasto Jopp, who lost an arm and an in old furniture and a practised eye in the last war, also joined mistaken, but those inner in big-game hunting, but He is the oldest pilot of them all endeavours are ob- he is a young man who possesses but he has flown more than 150- structed by Britain. Al- a surprising and audacious turn Spitfires to date. together, Japan's efforts. The blunt and blur Mr. Bill over one and a half million miles in this regard have Harben joined the throng. Mr. and delivered many thousands of Harben has a habit of taking the machines, it operates from eight been unsuccessful. air with a cheetah and u chim- different stations. There are "220 pilots, of whom 20 are ex-civil. panzee. They share a cottage.

I recognized à brother journa-, air lihe pllots, tévén ure Poles und list, exchanged Brooklands re- 25, are Americans

Members of the Con-

ly under the impression that Japan is persecut- ing a weak China and that if they approached Japan their own coun- try would soon be per- secuted similarly. Ef- Strange how these malicl- forts have not been ous ideas get about!

of wit.

il

Since then A.T.A. has flown

miles

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