1941-08-05 — Page 41

THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 5, 1941.

NEW ZEALAND PILOT AWARDED VICTORIA CROSS

THE VICTORIA CROSS has been confer- red on Sergt. James Allen Ward, New Zea- land Air Force No. 75 Squadron, in recogni- tion of "the most conspicuous bravery.”

On the night of July 7, Ward was second pilot of a Wellington bomber returning from an attack on Muenster. When flying over the Zuider Zee, the aircraft was attacked from beneath by a Messerschmitt. Fire broke out near the starboard engine and, fed by petrol from the split pipe, quickly gained an alarm- ing hold and threatened to spread to the en- tire wing.

The crew forced a hole in the fuselage and made strenuous. efforts to reduce the fire with ex- tinguishers and even coffee in their vacuum flasks but without suc- cess.

As a last resort. Ward volunteer- ed to make an attempt to smother the fire with the engine cover.

With the help of the navigator he climbed through the narrow hatch.

hand

and foot

WATCH

ON

THAILAND

REPORTS TO THE EFFECT THAT GREAT BRITAIN IS SEEKING TO OBTAIN NAVAL Breaking the fabric to make AND AIR BASES IN THAILAND!

where AND holds

THAT THE BRITISH necessary, and also taking a HAVE SENT 100.000 TROOPS vantage of exlating holes in the "TO THE BURMA-THAILAND fabric. Ward succeeded in des- BORDER, HAVE BEEN AU- cending to the wing and pro- THORITATIVELY DENIED IN ceeding to a position behind the LONDON, WHERE IT IS RE- engine, despite the slipstream CALLED THAT REPORTS OF from the airscrew which A

SIMILAR AND EQUALLY nearly blew him off the wing. UNFOUNDED NATURE WERE SET IN CIRCULATION CON- CERNING BRITISH INTEN- TIONS IN RELATION TO FRENCH INDO-CHINA,

Smothered Fire

Lying in this precarious position,| he smothered the fire in the wing fabric. Tired as he was, he was able, with the navigator's help, to make successfully the perilous journey back into the aircraft.

The position of 'hailand is ac- cordingly being watched in Lon- don carefully, and with

concern.

some

There was then no danger of the fire spreading from the petrol pipe as there was no fabric left nearby, and In due Thailand was governed by our course it burned itself out.

SHANGHAI

VIRTUALLY ISOLATED

[SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL")

An official of the Shanghai branch of the J.C.J.L., question- ed regarding a rumour that their liners will no longer be calling of Shanghai, said yesterday that they were hopeful that the situation would straighten itself out shortly.

Shanghai is still vir- tually isolated, owing to the restrictions placed by the Japan- ese on travel.-Inter- national News Ser- vice.

BUS RUNS INTO FLAT

A bus "ran amok" in Yen Chow Street yester- day afternoon, colliding

Mr. Eden, on July 23, reaffirm-with a lorry, running into ed that British policy towards a house and seriously in- treaty of non-aggression with juring a Chinese woman, When the aircraft reached home that country and that the treaty it was revealed in a police a safe landing was made despite was not designed to obtain exclu- the damage sustained by the, sive advantages от aircraft. Although Ward has against any third party. been in Britain only four months, he has taken part in nearly а dozen raids.

Ex-Schoolmaster

Since joining his present squa- dron, Ward, to use his own words, has done "two Kiels, one Dussel- dorf, one Cologne, one Muenster and a Mannheim.”

Before joining the Royal Airį Force in July last усаг, he was a schoolmaster and was trained In Now Zealand under the Empire Training Schema. This is the seventh Victoria Cross of the war to go to a British airman and the first to be gained by the New Zealanders.

Reuter.

AUNTIE HELPS MOTHER'S DARLING

"Mother's Darling"

directed report this morning,

According to the driver, a lorry, No. 5881, suddenly emerged in front of the bus from Fuk Wing Street.

He

Various expressions of the Thai Government's determination to preserve their independence and A collision occurred. integrity, accordingly have been swerved to the right but the bus noted with satisfaction in London.mounted the pavement, and ran -British Wireless.

CHEUNG CHAU MEETING

into the ground floor of No. 30, Fuk Wing Street, in which a woman inmate was injured. She was laler removed to Kowloon Hospital in a serious condition.

Traffic Sub-Inspector J. Scrim told the "China Mail" that the bus went into the house for about 15 feet, damaging two side walls and injuring the woman, who was itting in a chair next to a bed. The front of the bus was badly damaged.

The lorry was loaded with Jars THE ANNUAL MEETING OF of Chinese wine.

THE CHEUNG CHAU RESI- In consequence of the collision, DENTS' ASSOCIATION WAS jars were broken and a number HELD YESTERDAY, IN SPITE of on-lookers obtained free drinks OF THE TYPHOON WEATHER, with tin cups and glasses. WITH MR. D. O. SILVER, PRE- [SIDENT, IN THE CHAIR.

with

The meeting was opened prayer by Rev. J. A. Kemot, and reports were read by Mrs. Lily Franklin, Hon. Secretary and Treasurer.

As there are so few on the

island at present owing to the

and passed that last year's office-

DAUGHTER OF PEER KILLED

evacuation of both British and The Hon. June Forbes- American residents, it was voted Sempill, eighteen-year-old girl registering for the bearers carry on for the next year, daughter of Lord Sempill, national call-up who has namely President, Mr. D. O. sil- the airman peer, and ver; Vice-Presidents, Messra, Har- never gone out to work old Smyth and James Smith; Hon. grand daughter of Sir or left home-is being Secretary and Treasurer, Mrs. John Lavery, was killed

Lily, Franklin, specially catered for..

It was also decided that the within 100 yards of her

- Shẻ cần take her mother along Government be approached again father's home in a night With her when she goes to sign for the annual grant of $150 for

on, and her war-time career is the upkeep of the roads and paths air raid on London discussed and decided on with on the Islands, The meeting then At the time she was on duty

the, húlp of an official adviser.

terminated and the Householders with the WVS. One of these advisers is a kindly and Owners met and decided that smiling eyed, middle-aged woman no change be made in the consti- at Battersea London, S.W.

tution; for the present.

"Tho@girls cicall her Auntia Louise,

“The main trouble, with most

B.Heri. Lengagement to Pilat |Officer*Philip » Tilney-Thornton,

RAF:V.R. Was announced six: weeks ago.

When the bomb fell, her step- mother Lady Sempill. told he young girls going out to work for never develop if they don't go out "Dally, Mirror" "Juno" was in the first time is that, they seem while they are still young, I.never uniform waiting for a call to go, afraid to leave home! Auntie told hesitate to advise them to leave out with her, mobile canteen.” “ the Daily Mirror" de Eexplain to mothers too, how Miss Torbes-Sempill's fiance is But I always try to explain to it teaches their daughters self-in the Middle East with the RAF. them that their characterswill; reliance.

Intelligence.

"I can tell

WHITE

HORSE

blindfold