1941-08-19 — Page 8

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THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 19, 1941.

AMAZING VOYAGE BY MR. CHURCHILL IN PRINCE OF WALES

(By Reuter's Special Correspondent With The Royal Navy) ESCORTED BY DESTROYERS OF THE ROYAL AND ROYAL CANADIAN NAVIES, THE GIANT BATTLESHIP, PRINCE OF WALES, HAS REACHED A BRITISH PORT AND THUS ENDED THE PRIME MINISTER'S AMAZING JOURNEY.

I was in one of the British destroyers which formed the escort and never once did we sight any hostile craft, either in the air, in the sea or beneath.

It was truly an amazing voyage -- amaz-

ing in the first place in the significance that FELINE

the Prime Minister should travel across the

Atlantic and hold a series of conferences with PLURALIST President Roosevelt, and in the second place that he should return in a blaze of publicity.

*

I have just heard of a

Officers aboard our destroyer scratched their disgraceful case of plural- heads and looked at me for an explanation when ism in the Government they heard over the ward-room wireless that Mr. service, writes a London Churchill was returning in the Prince of Wales. correspondent.

It seemed to us that an open challenge had been issued to Hitler to do his worst, for here we were, many hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic, with all the dangerous U-boats infested waters still to go through but it was a challenge that was never taken up.

It appears that a large black cat post not far from the Admiralty which frequented. a Home Guard was adopted by the H.G. personnel manning the post. It was finally. placed on the pay-roll, receiving an allowance of half a pint of milk daily from the platoon fund.

Then it was discovered that while in receipt of these emolu-

cat was also on the strength of the Royal Navy. It was, in fact, the official Admiralty cat, drawing pav and allowances for milk and cat's meat of 1s 6d a week.

It was a glorious afternoon as the convoy. We steamed on for we sailed out of the naval base about two miles ahead of the con-ments from the War office the to keep the rendezvous with the voy and then the Prince of Wales Prince of Wales somewhere in and her escort turned round and the North Atlantic, and at that once more we all went through time no one but th captain of the lines of plunging ships, the ship knew the importance of the task ahead.

If there had been enthusiasm be- Early one morning, some days fore, it was nothing to what greet- after leaving the naval base, we ed us the second time. Every sighted a smudge on the hort- merchantman had had time to zon and as we approached it hoist flags and the crews lined we could SCO through our the rails, waving their hats anu glasses the Immense outline of shouting. We wished them God a glant battleship, flanked on Speed and then resumed our both sides by Canadian de original course which was to stroyers,

bring us to Iceland.

was

The great ship

truly 0 noble sight, plunging through the Atlantic swell and throwing up great clouds of white spray as The dipped her bows in the

waves.

Catalinas Overhead

We approached from head on and as we swooped to take our position there was a sudden flurry of destroyers all round the ship. In a very few minutes we had taken our position and were zigzagging with the other war- ships.

During the afternoon Catalina flying boats patrolled the air over us and one of them report- ed a large convoy: "some 50 or 60 miles ahead, bound for Bri- tain..

Day In Iceland We stayed one day in Iceland during which the Prime Minister reviewed the British and Ameri- can troops, and that evening we sailed again for а British port.

Earlier in the day in which we met the convoy, the Prince of Wales carried out a practice shoot with her anti-aircraft guns, watched by the Prime Minister and his party.

The allowance used to be only 1s. Some time ago it was raised to meet the increased cost of living, though not without controversy.

Pepysian Precedent

One Admiralty official went so far as to minute that "In view of the need for national economy and the present situation in the fur trade, this type of destroyer should be put on the disposal list."

The Permanent Under-Secretary commented.

It may not be realised that the marking of this paper is in accordance with the directions of

my

first predecessor in office, Mr. Samuel Pepys, who said that not even a cat should swing in the Navy Office but he should know it.

She first fired a smoke shell which exploded into a compact ball of smoke high In the sky The First Lord of the day finally .-- and, using this as a target, she decided in favour of the cat, with let loose with her guns, plas the note that "considerations of tering the area round the ball humanity preclude any further of smoke with exploding delay in coming to à decision in- shells.

this matter."

This was followed by a barrage

The Prime Minister had never of fire, using every anti-aircraft The conduct of this feline plur-

with a slight alteration of side seemed to be constantly cuse. The scandal, however, is we made towards flaming, so great was the rate of now at an end. The Home Guard them. After two or three fire and the air all round her post has been moved beyond the hours we could seo the convoy was black with exploding pro-range of the cat's normal pere--

seen a large convoy at sea, so gun aboard. The battleship's alist is therefore, without ex-

course

on the horizon. It was an incre-jectiles.

grinations. It now draws pay only

dible sight. As far as I could see, IT SEEMED UNBELIEVABLE from the Admiralty. there were ships, tankers, freigh- THAT ONE SHIP COULD PUT ters, supply ships, big ships. little UP SO DEVASTATING A BAR- ships and ships of every conceiva-RAGE.. ble sort, all loaded to the water- line.

Eight Miles

They were ranged in lines over eight miles of ships. Around them scurried their escort of cor- vettes and former American des- troyers keeping the stragglers in line and always ready for the

PARIS SABOTAGE

-།་་,

On the journey from Iceland to Britain there was nothing to tell. With her escort screening (SPECIAL TO ""CHINA MAIL") her, the Prince of Wales, plung- A message from Vichy states ing ahead at speed, reached home that the Paris Police Prefecture safely after a trans-Atlantic voyage. Reuter.

most astounding has offered a million francs re- ward for information leading to the arrest of the French rail-· way and air port facility sabo- teurs who also endangered the food supplies of occupied cities. International News Service."

possible approach of danger. AUSTRALIA

We steamed straight towarde them and then passed straight. through the middle of the con- voy. Each of the Prince of Wales esports chose its opening amon the ships and as we dashed through........... the linegot

IN ACTION

“There is not a ship in

marchantmen we could see that the Royal Australian they reallend who it was paying Navy that has not fired them this novel vialtrand”we |

caw melt running to host the her guns in action.

V signat, in flags, while others A

stood on the decka waving and 1 "It has had its chance and you cheering.

have seen the results the Aus trallan Navy is second to non^« anid Admiral Sir Ragnar Colvin,

The Prince of Wales was a proud sight." She had cocked all

NO DAYLIGHT ATTACKS BY HUNS

here is nothing to report” atry of Home Secur- ommuniqué relating to enemy

er, Britain vesterday. British Wireless:

wealth Naval Board.

her 14-inch guns to their highest at the farewell on the eve of his He said that the progress of the r levels, and if Mr. Churchill was departure for England, after hav- Australian Navy had been smooth thrilled it was nothing to the ing spent four years as the first and harmonious; it was now thrica exeltement among the vessels of naval member of the Common-its pres