1950-11-18 — Page 5

THE "CHINA MAIL,-- SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1950.

"

A PHANTOM AIRFIELD AND THE ANGRY

Wing- Commando:

PAUL

WIVES OF RICHEY TIN TOWN

T

actos-roads some ten miles south-east of Oxford there is a tall, grey stone obelisk inscribed with those words:

"Here, -in this fleld of Chalgrove, John Hampden first took arms. Within a few paces of this appi he received the wound of which he died while fighting in defence of the free imonarchy and ancient ilberties of England, June 18, 1643."

Not least among those who have since died for the same. objects are the American airmen who a few years ago fought Britain's enemies from this same Held of Chalgrove,

cost

Chalgrove Airfield was built by the Air Ministry in 1943 at a £930,000. American of photographic aecolinaissance air craft used it until 1945. It ceased to be an uir stution a year later,

Today there are two large, deserted runways, two blackened hangars and on one side an assortment of empty office huis, On the other side a village of Nissen huis-128 of them--

TOWN

D.F.C.

makos a now Investigation

́CLERK, Bullingdon "Wo Rural District Council: don't know anything about it I know→unoglcinly—that some huts were knocked down, but it was not done on our instruc- tions."

WORKS MINISTRY; "WC. have not demolished any huts at Chalgrove. It coems to be an Ask them." Air Ministry case;

The offers?

AIR MINISTRY (scoond Ume): "We built 370 huts 01. thin airfield, of which 273 were Nision of wooden Ninety- seven were brick. We stopped using the airfield in 1915.

"The Health Ministry tools 129 Nisch huts and 10 brick; intrine huts for temporary housing. A further 145 huts, of which probably about 45 were brick living huts, have been demolished-but not by us,"

HEALTH MINISTRY: "Yes, Chulgrove WW offered to Bullingdon Rural District Council as a temporary housing site, was nevepted, and is used as such. They are using 128 huts."

WORKS MINISTRY (second

swarmed with men digging time: "Sorry, we did demolish pushing the huts-between 140 and 150

allotments, WOMEN

prams, and children playing of them; But the voice was There must have been 500 of insistent "they госте offered them.

to Bullingdon Rural District. Council first,"

A placard proclaimed tin-roofed village as the uen Estate.

1

The probe

their

Hamp-

With Mr Lewis Saw a builder and decorator who lives in Choigrovo village, I went to probe the riddle of Tin TOWTL

Together we drove up to the main camp gateway,

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MARK

CLARK

TOUCHES OFF

A CONTROVERSY

VITAL

OF

IMPORTANCE

MONTE CASSINO

RESH controversy p

over the Allied bomb-

ing of the famous By

monastery on Monte early in

PETER

rekindled LOVEGROVE

TOWN-CLERK (second timė); "Those

demolished huts werd Cassino, Italy,"

1944 has definitely not offered to 18. What's wrong? Are those people memories of one of the at Hampden Estate grumbling? greatest

Bagas of valour Actually I've never been thero

and endurance of World myself. You'd better speak to

wasn't in.

raw

Co-

lieved at night by the 4th. In- Kesselring's words, was of un- dian Division.

precedented intensity. Lavish This

famous formation had use of smoke concealed Allied been transferred from the 8th movements, and the strength of Allied aghter protection was Army Adriatle front with the 2nd

N. Z. to form the

such

that observation planes N.Z. were

abic Corys under General Freyberg.

to direct artillery To 10 them

was entrusted there with the sightest distur second assault, which opened on

bance. |~|~|~||~|~~~j~f~|~|~+++++++++++ February 15 after a heavy alr

has The enemy C-in-C marked

on the absolute and artillery bombardment on with a gate set in arches of the surveyor." The surveyor War Two.

stone thirty feet thick, and the hill and monastery. This is ordination with which the as- the raid which has caused all sault was launched and follow- General Mark Clark, Chlef of walls fifteen feet high and ten Back at Hampden Estate I It was

cd the controversy.

up, and that the Allies open and deserted. Beside it found several people who were American Field Forces who feet thick at their bases.

Three hundred and afty-one penetrated through mountainous was a notice which said: "Air in Their stories had the same can Fifth Army at the time of tion post overlooking an ideal buildings and slopes,

commanded the Anglo-Ameri- It was as the perfect observa- tons of bombs rained on the terrain which tho Germans Ministry Property. No Entry, bewildered theme: Why were the campaign,

but al considered impassable. has called the defensive Any person entering does so at the brick buildings pulled down bombing "a tragic mistake" in that this sturdy edifice assumed they did not knock out the pill-

when we live in tin buts?

book,

but after lated such importance in 1944. boxes and concrete emplace week the front cracked as en- Mrs J. V. McBrearty lives in Risk," and what looked

blamed

New with her Zealand Corps Commander, L., feet high, it dominated a wide servation pest..

ments or reduce a four-room Nissen

the ruined veloping moves rendered Cas- like a blitzed village, Scores

Lit.

One thousand seven hundred monastery's value ns an Jarcs

four General Sir Bernard

ob- no and its mountain unten oľ what ted been brick husband

able. The Fules were the first bungalows lay in ruins, Doors, children ranging from 12 to 21, VC, now

now Governor-Genexuere..

of that plain stretching for miles New Zealand, for insisting on it to the south, intersected by the

to reach the crest, closely fol- windows and roots were torn She said:

lowed by the Royal Fusillers, 1000 mich

In the shattered town, range of high mountains ESPITE much gallantry, the

tals DES

defenders 2nd effectively blocking the

last-ditch the 2nd "We were evacuated from N. Z. Division in Italy, and at across the peninsula

way Indian units only reached rounded up. "Look at these buts" said Mr London in 1930. We lived seven present editor-in-chief of N.Z. owing to snow-blocked passes; New Zealanders failed to seize in winter half way up the hill, while the Saw. "I've been a builder 35 years in a house here, and then war histories, imnicaintely leapt on its right is the Liri Valley the

town itself, though the years and I know what's what, three years ago we were moved to the defence of his old chief, and beyond this, the roadless Maoris did storm the

railway wails. warm In here-temporarily."

It

THE rest down almost to the western Of thio second fallure, ward Rome which became

Lt-Gen. Francis Tuker

who commanded 4th Indian the two son

writes: "It hav

his own risk."

Before up was

and

away, walls were smasked. In 'A disgrace'

many cases only the concrete

foundations remained

his

new

"Calculated

te

bormy position, however, though they did great damage, The enemy fought as stub-

Perals Howard apido Hiver. On its left is

the

ol

wounded Lommander

and no

pointed out that Is

um-

OVERRUN

Thick brick asbestos rocis, iron-framed windows, china lavatory and drainage here yet they seal up has to admit that he acquiesces coast. washing Attings,

the lavatories. Arst-class all

Thero's in a course of action of which drainage, proper heating system. water-but the laps are all out-he did not approve, to attempt Ali tom to bits.

site, and freezo in winter. There afterwards to throw respon- are two coppers here at last sibility on a subordinate." for 33 families. But there are

"Just look at it! There's good common for a commander, who Aurunci mountains, which slope station before being overrun.

"And over there," he pointed as he spoke, "those unfortunate people over at Hampden Estate live in tin huts."

The answers

......

128 families living here."

She showed me her home: "Look at this hut-tin walls, no outside windows, no room. And I pay 12s, a week for it. What

THE

BLEAK RIDGE

therefore

as ever,

ENEMY FLED

were

of enemy fled to-

on the evening on June 4 → Divi- two days before other avenging al armies landed on the beaches

Febernoon

The

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HELLOPRINT

HOTOCOPYING

APPARATUS

all GILMANS

Highway 6, one of roads linking Naples to Rome, runs straight as an arrow for ways been my opinion that if a of Normandy the first Euro- three miles through, this plain

lain heavy, accurate air and artillery pean capital to be liberated. until it reaches the small town bombarument had been direc

enemy, retreat did not of Cassino, nesting then

wted on to at the haun feature from the early

the monastery hill

hill end for another fortnight after that withdrawal of some THE monastery, perched on a

ches of the hill,

then swingy feat!

For a demonstration, unti

19. 250 miles: Such 18,

the vital WELS up the Liri Valley to the Eternal bienk ridge of chalk and city some 80 miles away.

following quickly importance of Cassino-and its towering

above

precipitous other road to Rome, Highway 7, on the heels of this bombard- eple struggle, so costly in lives No one in Chalgrove

could about the brick huis they slopes, was of outstanding spiri had been out through the re

ement, would have captured the but so glorious an example of sive The Riddle. Back In smashed up? That we'd elt like tal significance to the tented claimed Pontine marshes: these have saved eight long weeks of rank with the great battles of

feature

that night and would valour and gallantry, may well London I get about finding out, to know! It's a disgrace,"

Catholic world as it Here are the answers, probe by As I drove away from Tinine cradle of the star had been flooded and it was.al

letine the time impassable to armour casualties which later resulted

suffering and thousands of history.. probe.

Order. Founded Town and looked across at the

fliteen cen- AVATE MINISTRY: "If we have ghost airfeld that might have t

turies ago, It became 'the pro-

from the failure of ONE ROUTE-

the night buildings we no

of all Western religious ary

attack. For some reason this totype longer housed its people, I knew that houses, and was most influential need, the local authorities are Mrs

heavy air attack was not de- McBrearty like John

THE Allies were in the 11th and 12th centuries, consulted. That procedure was Hampden 300 years

livered; perhaps the air forces ago-was when its abbot wad overlord of

faced with only one possible were not available at the time. followed In this case, Any right to be worried about the extensive territories:

route of advanceup Highway Bombardment was too light; not .decision to destroy the bulidings abuse of those "ancient liberties It was converted into a for- 6 and the Lirl Valley and the too heavy. That was the tragic

Was matie

by the local of England."

tress during the 19th Century; sino into

German naturally tumed Cas mist

mistake of Cassino,"" authorities."

-{London Express Service) and was an imposing obstacle

the bastion of their

The Allies made a third at- Gustav Line, and manned it tempt in

in March. Torrential with their very best

troops, downpours and snow blizzards among them

famous FH- held teenth Panzer Grenadier Divi- was it up for a fortnight, and it

was preceded by an even grea sion, old opponents of the Bih ter bombardment. The strongest Army in the Westom Desert, alr attack yet assembled in and the fanatical First Para-

Italy-338 heavy bombers and chute Division.

176 medium-pounded town and hill with 1,100 tons Every knoll

and ridge af bombs, and frumediately after Mount Cassino hald wespon G10 guns of all calibres opened pits, many blasted out of solid, rock. There were steel and up.

"Thanks for the ride, said the ghost

THE

other

midnight, 20, I'm cruising around Wall

"How's business?" I small- talked.

"Pretty "fair," said the cabble,

"but people are funny-soon as

us hackles start making an ex-

'tra buck they, net like we was

by Billy ROSE

profboering or something. They a graveyard that day, and so

1

the

To St. Patrick's Cathedral.concrete pillboxes, outposts con

for

the park on this beautiful night

by minefields, machine gun

The

to

of

after 15 hours of mak- Street one afternoon, figuring And close the window-It's nected by tunnels and protected TOWN IN RUINS ing, like Joe Executive, I out of the window

that if a broker throw himself getting cold. felt I could use little a

I might get. This strikes me as kind of a nests, and suicide squads THE did, in fact, too thorough chance to rush him to the peculiar remark for a ghost, but automalle weapons in foxholes.

job of it this time,. fresh air, and so I stepped hospital. But Wall Street's like do like I'in told, and when we

town crumbled.. and dis- 'Ifto'a tabi' and asked the

get to St. Patrick's the ghost All this had not been unex- appeared under the hall of pected, since the Italian General mutal, and a parachute battalion out hackle to drive me around

genover forget you

Staff had held regular exercises died under the rains,

but the 'Central Park.

what

you did, he says, and there in peacetime, and the site masses of rubble and vast cras

been considered as especially the way you did had always

resisted more defenders, who pretending not to hear what a model of impregnable terra la dere created fresh cover for the -Opig,you and driving me througlossen the enemy grip on this ty than ever.

But

the Allies had hoped to

Tanks were deploy among the zo I could see there was some-their rear with a sea landing at craters

key position by threatening ruins, and heavy rain filled the thing in the world besides my own miserable problems.”

Anzio, some, 40′ miles away ng The Indian units, with con- the crow flies.

courage, roached

#rocky plat The landing, on January 20, Hangman's Hill, When I dimb back in my "For the Brat time I begin to but Field-Marshal Kesselring, crest of the mountain and clung was muccessfully accomplished, form about 200 yards below the few hours later, I decide 1 suspicions that maybe this ghost the German C-in-C, comes the aid of supplies dropped by to the position for 12 days with well take the ghost ain't no ghost after all, judging that it did not represent That's wind! we used to call it for his usual joyride. And that says to him. When'd you get in the main strust, did not draw air, while the New Zealanders and left the clock run, without something to sée-you know,

the Cassing area to counter customer

was waiting in the back when and the first full of snow.

Allied nesault on "During the tough times there

"After making the circuit a you came out of the bar, ho the bastion, tumched at fleet owners who would couple of times, I'm about ready, s

the into a guy it he didn't bring in to call it a night when suddenly That explains it, Lenys. Iafter two weeks of desperate was complete. Action dwindled

same time, had to be called off we used to run it up di diedet a feeling I'm beleg watch didn't so you because was aging

édi And so turn around, and dark and I was kind of loaded meter and pay it out of our sitting in the back. B a little und. I didn't hear you because Bockets. old geezer

wearing a high collar and homburger hat.

Naturally, this gives

1

י .

I got disgusted and go

forget all those years when we finally had to ride the ghost in order into a speakeasy. to keep

Ro

The

bur

Bob the hackie. night as

cabi

cob?"

when wo threw the fag downight, Central Park is really know darned' 'wat afany substantial forces. out of "guin failed to clear the town

were

certain amount of business, co

T

ม

NO COVER plar the window between us was

Ahol way Ituled to do It was quito ≈ loli, but when a guy a

me

old

a gentleman and says the little.. to cruim around Central Park posted he's liable to get some seezer Jaring which he hands until I clocked enough to satisfy protty funny ideas, and ab Imo hundred dollar bil the hom -and do you: know: higure out that this is the gnosti starts to go aw something in blakest tip Iben riding around night after stop him. Jut for the record aver got was on one of those night; og ba

RAFI yourlan't know be mya

but

completely after a week's "gun- men's battles" in cellars

alley and passages. After a weck, the stalmate

tunneis,

to local clashes, and the third direct aamull was abandoned.

Avuot

Tegrouping of the Alled

forces. sieted." US. TULE attackers had no cover untis were slurted to the coast, and 8th Army fook over the Every movement Cassimo actors United King- and severely strafoda across the plain by day was acedemtroops. Canodiana

Though

THE at all.

UL. 6. Livons of the Fifth Army Polen & were lots

Kalended was, of' HOW YOLz enjoying the Banys) whore'd you ‹ #85, ma saak

chase noi 11 Maldugim mjoying it the say? The meter of the "BrookieG

the hill, had even cape Deir houses 40 Cassino hay - werk

eventually

God.

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