1941-08-28 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, AUGUST 28, 1941.

CHINA MAIL

WINDSOR HOUSE

ANTIDOTE

The V sign is an anti- dote to defeatism. It is a defiance, in the occupied countries, of things as they are, and a reminder like that graven on Solo- mon's ring. that "even this will pass." These em blems have a power to in- spire men far greater than mere logic, since human beings do not conduci! their lives by logic, but by sentiment Or instinct. Thus the Union Jack stands for British power and courage, the Red Cross for mercy and help. Now, to add to these, we have the V for Victory.

The German Pro paganda Department which at first sought to suppress it in the occupied countries, also, by an extraordinary blunder, sought to show that its! Morse equivalent is in the opening bar of the great

C

Minor Symphony of Beethoven, a product of Germany, when Germany still had the respect and affection of the world, and preferred music to machine-guns. The only

IRAN

WHAT? NO MORE FREE RIDES ?

Pilots

Who

Never Fight

Thus is the story of the 'planes ten times over

Five

hundred To realise the importance of the

result of this was that the! citizen of France or Nor- way is able to go down' the street yodelling the first two bars of the "Fifth," and when chal-; lenged by the German op- pressor, declare that it' that never carry guns--of planes priority passengers a month All Lisbon flight, one has to get it intu was the German "Vik-that tor a year now have kept the planes. Quite rightly. This its proper perspective. toria" he meant, not, the pen. through Nazi-infested skies, service, stripped of its peace-time victory of

Britain. Byl adopting it with a

It is the story of the pilots who reason only to bring the whole

day

into in ver light a

after day, of the Empire and America characteristic lack of

they By through the war zone close range of the battlefront. humour the Germans between Britain and Lisbon--last | Thunk of Winant shipping over to

hink with the Continent. help it to spread, and give it permanence.

Britain's lifeline to the Empire,

They have just celebrated the first anniversary of the opening of

It has now got a good the service--a service without start of any clumsy Nazi, which it would be impossible for

the rest of the Empire to be serv

attempt at adoption.ed by air. Coming as it does when

Not once has a 'plane been shot

Juxury, is running now for

one

By Noel Barber

he

that

These boats and planes leave Britain for Lisbon are often the first winging southward on stage of an 18,000 mile journey that ends on the other side of the world. From the heart of the war, these planes are serving more than 20 countries,

In 1940, they flew 5,000,000 miles keeping the lifelines of the open. They delivered 30,000,000 letters-letters that would have taken weeks or months it they had gone by sea.

South Africa's Airways

Centre

the Russians' courageous down. It has been suggested that and skilful defence is Germany finds it useful to have a the States to have a chat about speedy means of contact with

things with Roosevelt. Could causing perturbation in Britain--for war, after all, does have done that without a 'plane Berlin, and the roar of need some discussion. Red Cross, to get him to Lisbon? Never.

Durban is now the centre of a prisoners of war, repatriation—all the

that oper- twice-weekly service augmented R.A.F. these things have to be worked

The service started in June,ates along the familiar sky paths squadrons on their way out between deadly foes, locked in 1940, before France fell, but while of East Africa, India and Malaya Hurricanes were battling over to Australia. And though to-day the continent, our landplanes the trip from Lisbon to Africa is never missed a flight,

routine, less than a year ago it was adventure.

combat.

no

to blast Germany grows louder and more persis- The pilots take

chances. They never take the same route. tent each day, it may, de- Sometimes they zig-zag along the spite its apparent ingenu- coast, sometimes they fly wide in- to the Atlantic. When they near ousness, help consider- Britain, they change altitude and! ably in shortening the hunt for friendly bunks of cloud time of the war.

in which to hide.

As the 'plane nears land, the little Cockney steward who serves

When France fell another sec-

tion of the war plan of Britain's civil aviation came into action.

Flying Boats Take Up Task

At first, passengers and mull had to go by sea from Lisbon to Durban. It meant a lot of irrita- tion and delay.

So one night Tony Loraine of Overseas Airways set off on a new The luxury landplanes-with- | route.

an intermediate alr-port

It has the merit of ex- treme simplicity even a lunch clamps discs to the port-out half-wit can understand holes so that the passengers can- where they could refuel-stayer His first stop was Lisbon-

not see out of the 'plane. it and learn the "dot-dot- the coast line is left behind, they soared some of Britain's non-stop monplace. But from there he flew When on the ground, and into the air though that trip was already com- dot-dash" of the Morse are taken out.

flying boats.

-without radio' help, without weather forecasts over an un equivalent, and a piece of It is impossible, of course, for a They flew direct-they still fly charted route to West-Africa. In chalk is the only instru-casual passenger to get a seat, direct--from Britain to Portugal his 'plane were representatives

even if he could pay his £35 fare But it was soon found that there of Free France. The situation in| ment necessary to make

were not enough of them. There the French African colonies was an impressive display on

"ard routes over the Tasman Sea ugly. It was impérative they The the walls of town or vil-]

and tracts down the African: coast should reach there quickly. that need flying boats. So Brit next morning he landed at Bath- lage. It panders, too, to human thought, it is an ain pressed into service the land- urst in Gambia, that deep pleasure which extremely good propa-plands of one of her toughest

What a trip! Made at night→→ most men feel in giving ganda device, and may

casually, without any fuss it was secret passwords and contribute very consider From K.LM-that great Dutch almost equal in length to an 'At- peace-time air company. were lantic crossing. A brief pause; signals; the same plea-ably to the overthrow of chartered landplanes capable of and the great ship of the air went sure which the German Nazism if it persists, by taking passengers and mail in one on to Freetown and so to Lagos.

hop to Lisbon: Nazi feels in giving the lightening the sense of Nazi salute and crying defeat which now must

Heil Hitler!"

hang heavy over Europe Thus, while it is not an with a gleam of the free impressive contribution toldom to come.

allies-tlie Dutch..

Thus was the second stage in- augurated-a now air-link

with To-day, British pilots in their the West coast of Africa. flying boats and Dutch pilots In their landplanes share the hon- Trans-African air routes take our of keeping open the first link men and malls across to Durban, in the life line of the air a very From there-well; that is easy to | vital · linkka

the pilots who never fight.