1952-11-05 — Page 4

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BMK

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ICOTYU

PERFUME PRIZE

CONTEST!

"Which is your favourite Coty

Perfume and Why?"

THE CHINA MAIL, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 1952,·

Introducing a fragment of

autobiography

Nathaniel Gubbins

FTER reading A

blography of

Lady Mountbatton, I have been wondering if the public would be interested in an autobiography by Lord Gubbins.

Although the fo of Lord Gubbins has not been quite so colourful, there, are points of resemblance worth noting.

Blographer Dennis Holman writes that Lady Mountbatten Was "a spolled darling, blessed with wealth, beauty, and an ancestry that included both the Earl of Shaftesbury and Prin- cess Pocahontas.

don't give way to scif

plty. Think of yourself as an import ant citizen, buying warships, battle pinnes, and tanks to keep the world safe for something or other, and-paying food sub- aldies so that millionaires shall not be charged too much their margarino.

for

When you are in this frame of mind, you will feel more con- ndent and fitter to face the problems of the day. You will taxes, be proud to pay your because you will ask yourzeli first: "How would the dovern-

on without ment get

would Europe get then "How

Anally on without me?"; and B"How would the world get on

without me?'

Lord Gubblus. was never

he spoiled darling. Nor wa ever blessed with wealth and beauty. But he can claim an- cestry from the Earl of Ealing and the Marquis of Shepherd's

But when you arrive at your office do not ask yourself: "How manager get on would the without me?" because it may morning be bas

Busher back he can claim be the very

descent from two Reti Indians, Big Chiefs Sitting Hangover and Laughing - Bloodpressure. In fact, it has often been re- marked that, after a party, bo looks like one, or both, of them to this day.

"wat

best

Landy Mountbatten considered

the one of dressed women in England. In an age of short skirts hers were

remarkable for their brevity

Lord Gubbins was never the best-dressed man in England. But his wrinkled grey

trousers, shrunk by frequent washing, were also remarkable for their brevity. And, still are.

"When Lady Mountbatten vas bored, which was often, she went off to Tahiti, ог Greece, or somewhere."

When Lord Gubbins is bored, which is always, he can't afford to go to Tahill or Greece. But

he goes "somewhere." You can have three guesses where.

After a visit to Siberia, Lady Mountbatten's secretary

asked her what it was like. plied: "It was cold."

She re-

People still remember witty remark Lord

the

Gubbins

made after a summer cruise to Algiers. When somebody asked: "What was Algiers like?". hẹ replied: "Hot."**

Tonic talk

WHAT are your first worry- Wing thoughts when wake in the morning?

.

decided that he can.

Remember, when you're feel-

ing cheery

Pride shall po before a fail. Life, However dult and

dreary.

Holds surprises for us all. And don't forget your morn- ing exercises.

Christmas is here

S usual, Christmas is upon

us long before it is due.

AS Turkeys have already been mentioned

Commons.

In the House of A woman writer hos advised "the lower income groups" to spend some of their housekeeping money now on Christmas shopping and "make up by giving hubby an occa sional cheap meal, like codfish ple,"

What's this 'ere?

It's lovely cod plc, Fred. For me dinner?

Well...I thought wouldn't mind, as I've buying a few things Christmas.

For Christmas?

you

been

for

The currants anti sullanas are all in the shops, thought I'd buy them now. You might as well buy Easter eggs now.

Don't try to be funny, Fred. And don't you try to de fun- ny with me.

You do seem in a temper, Fred.

nasty

I nearly 'ad me trousers blown or three weeks Lau

before Guy Fawkes Day, Now you're talkin' about Christmas,

If they are about Income tax,

Explore a whole thrilling world of fragrance-and win rewards at the same time! Prizes bring you great Coty perfumes loved the world over, including the new METEOR.

Out of Coty's_unique collection select the perfume that “DOES THE MOST FOR YOU", fragrance you'll cherish for years to come.

Enter our contest. Just write and tell us your favourite Coty perfume (and WHY), ualng 26 words or less.

Prizes will be awarded to the three best in English and the three best in Chinese.

CONTEST CLOSES 15th NOVEMBER, 1952.

Address your reply to:

L. Rondon & Co., (H.K.) Ltd. Coty Dept.

5, Queen's Road, Central, Hongkong.

COTY PERFUMES

available at all department stores, shops and dispensaries:-

CHYPRE

METEOR

L'ORIGAN

LAIMANT

PARIS

MUSE

CHYPRE

EMERAUDE

LE VERTIGE

MUGUET A'SUMA

and others

Muse

It's only seven weeks orf,

Fred

Am

weeka?

VICTORY AT ALAMEIN

10 YEARS AGO TODAY?

The Great Bluff In

The Western Desert

T

By Peter Lovegrove

HE Battle of El Alamein, which reached its glorious conclusion on Novem- ber 6 ten years ago, has taken its place in military history as a classic example despatch riders' of surprise gained on a restricted battlefield natural- ly unfavourable to conceal ment and singularly vulner- able to enemy observation from the air.

It

room-to the battlefeld.

Grilliant success at Alamein.

Between

sway

wero

"swallowed" in their surround- ings, which proved so effective that they not only baffled "the fce, but also added greatly to the difficulties of our OWN plots in finding their Way home.

the

At Tobruk, during the siege, naval and other craft in harbour were protected against the persistent dive-hombing by hiding them under enormous

with covers garnished

patches salvaged canvas hung on of

steel wires. Aircraft hangars

700 100

cntrances

were dug deep into the sides up of a wadi and the vast of

fitted with noited covers core- was fully matched with the texture of the surrounding arth to conceal

сом the precious

Food, ammunition, tyres and other stores, stacked to imitate the shape of the British front ordinary

three-ton vehicles. ne positions and the concentra each stack being covered with

a standard camouflage net. tion of their armour 50 miles

concentra was a large tion

lorries of

known to To stimulate enemy interest

the southern flank, enemy reconnaissance. This con- in

Fot centration, known as Martello, dummy stacks were battles was swelled still further was one of those

to her by there

represent all in bringing which, for strategle and politi-

the dummy quantities of atores, and cal reasons,

won at transport that could be suppiled dummy must be

saler pipeline almost any price. Had the Ger Improvised,

and

among Jald, the rate of construction and colour mans been allowed to learn in these lorries Baricas's men pul being cunningly timed to

sug- caru advance where and when our up

720 "Sunshields"-canvas gest

gest that it would not be com few Hurricanes availabic, while

plausibiy fall, blow would main

our

conspicuous 10 boods

tanks and picted until well after the proce cover

and alreroft casualties would have been disguise them as "thin-skinned" jected D-Day.

The trench was dummy hangars

on which the were creeled,, vehicles-in disastrously heavy. But the

the precise posl- Zug

in in the normal way Germans were misled, and our Lions later to be occupied by stretches of about five miles at Germana and Ralians expend- ed several thousand bombs and casualties though grievous the real tanks and other vital a time.

shells. enough -- were incomparably gear. lighter than they would other wise have been.

the

OUT OF SIGHT

DUMMY CAMPS

Meanwhile

miles Ave

of dummy pipe had been fashion- ed out of the

notorious .4. gallon petrol can (which proved useful for elmost every pur- pose except that for which It. DIG dummy camps and was intended). The "pipe" was dumos were constructed in

of various cach lald alongside the parapet

Bouthern bases to enemy that

was next stretch,

the it persuade moved along to the his flank was threatened.

The dug trench A fake railhead was prepared

ogether with so

That Rommel's Intelligence falled to extract the truth from the vast picture of our “build- MACH hood was given a serial on the open number and earmarked forn up" spread out desert under the eyes and

tank. Then particular cameras of his airmen was due crew was given its correspond the trench. Then, by night, in no small measure to

to would be taken theng, serial number, ideas and enthusiasm of

see where its own hood band small

of military.

situated, and told how to use would be rapidly filled in and at Capuzzo, recruited the Sunshield. camouflage officers

of track, miles It was a long a new one started. And so on from among Alm technicians,

but when day after day, detailed jobb, and

"ramps," A "locomotive". (which architects, painters, sculptors

slove to had an old the order came

produce and exponents of other, even each tank know where to gu.

amoke "from the funnelj.. and arts, including gentler

ento-

"railway wagons" on the stick- what to do, and how to get out and mology

the design of

and-canvas

which principle, of sight before dawn. stained glass windows.

was bombed systematically for a fortnight.

EVE OF BATTLE

to move

into

up,

DOUBLE BLUFF

ridings.

an

Five days before the battle the

UMMY pump-houses were ormour moved

three DUMM

built at points along the line,

Camouflage also created Interim staging areas standing with overhead tanks, can-filling "ll port" at Ras el Hilal, whicn astride a conspicuous system of stations and shallow reservoirs. unfortunately had to be destroy- tracks which, in the air view: "Vehicles" and "men" were ed when Rommel started his

avin' cod ple for seven whole world knows that led to the southern secur, and-dolted about near the watering last great push. As the enemy

Not every day, Fred. But the lady said cod was ever

the enemy had seen from the

on the eve of the battle

a whole armoured corps, which

CO

nourishin' and full of vita mins.

What lady?

The lady what writes £2

the magazines.

KRAS

One of the...most. audocious. effects in this area was scheme of double bluff. Three

***

poured into Egypt in the sum mer of 1942, a time-buying de- tensive dummy was set up be- hind the Eighth Army's thinly- held

positions in front of Alamein to suggest

that there was substantial mobile reserves

the next two nights,

and moved around 40 in among

the lorries Points

gu often as possible to bolster the ducked under the Sun ilusion. air exercising fifty miles to the shields" of the Martello area in was moved up to the the north. As each unit pulled Tear

staging urea, camou- northern sector by night, while out of its

finge partics erected the counter- dummy

andplete with part of every one of the tanks, and a halt regiments of bogus and formidable "hedgehogs""""of Next time I catch you readins i erected an its old site, and that made out of hessian canvas and artillery were installed. Special defence disposed in depth. ·

dummy

built loosely-ploited panels pipeline was

of spilt stil

to give them dalm branches, and by first re was taken

Further forward in the battle- heading southwards to mislead light

signs of life and of serious but stood squarely not quite successful a dummy into thinking that on the track marks made the enemy

attempts ground, a weak spot in tho Laughing cavalier the main thrust was coming in

by every real tank, alongside the at camouflage. The enemy was line was reinforced with some- that direction.

chance good camp fire where the crews had clude that they were dummies have passed for a light armour- con- thing which, from the air, might made their last brew-up. From and even encouraged to launch ed brigade, but was in reality a the air, nothing had apparent-

tank attack on the sector. Be very few troops and a great ly changed.

fore this happened, however, deal of suitably arranged rub-

out bish. the "guns were whipped

them things....

THEN Lord

WH

Goddard

give the

sald cosh

we now boys the same class of sentence as the greengrocer who persist- ently overcharges, he rang bell which will be heard by every woman in the country.

a

For, although the cosh boy is a mentally retarded thug with an evil, vicious face, any house- wife will tell you that the greengrocer, with some honour- able exceptions, seems at times to her a smart, mentally alert thug with countenance and clear, bright

an open, smiling dare. eyes that never waver at a searching glance, and will

Jaugh back into yours as the unwash-

J

GREAT BARRAGE

given a

at

20 соп

replaced by night and

and real genuine artillery. crews, and the panzers Were met by a withering barrage,

TROJAN HORSES

SIMILAR ruses were employed to hide the 25-pounder field

No create all these as to think that the which battle had been won by con- terials was

Though none of us was a staggering amount of ma-

mirages,

required, all of

But "The Camouflage Story"

Geoffrey Barkas, (Cassell, by 12/0d) describes, for the Arst time, how this, the largest and most successful confidence trick ever played on a watchful enemy in the field, was devised and accomplished. And it does so, not in the form of a military text book, but as a vividly

all. guns which were, brought up to foolish and, above Interesting human account of a vital if open the great barrage unfamiliar side of modern war- preceded the battle. They and juring tricks with stick. string which was found from. Middle their wheeled tractors were and canvas," concludes Ex-Col East resources. Eight thousand disguised as harmless three-ten Barkas, we could at least feel tons of paint were consumed in . No one could write on this larries, and went quite wo had earned our keep. It was one year, as well as a quarter.

greater authority detected right up to the instant good to feel that camouflage had of a million fathoms of cordage, theme with than Lieutenant-Colonel Barkas, when

covering was helped to put the fighting man 120,000 news, 21⁄2 million square an infantryman of World War thrown off and the guns open into battle on more favourable yards of rabbit wire with steel terms, and so to purchase vie- wool, five rallion square yards tory at a lower price in blood." White fabric and 120 milion yours film production. As Director of Six thousand tons of stores

yarch of coloured strip Camouflage with Middle

East

These were not

iho only hessian cloth, in addition While nobody hut a

rather more than half within frauda and misrepresentation scores of other fems, fool Forces, it was he who created and supplies were also hidden, trusts the occasional ashmonger

- the

the "Desert camouflage about five miles of the front perpetrated on Anisation who openly weighs a fish with

ia that theatre line. The

How all these were moulded petrol was placed in Fox, his Afrika Korps and its head on, then cuts it off

lis beginning on New allt trenches beautifully lined his airmen. A painter of murals into a variety of modern Trojan and sells it again for pets' food.

Year's Day 1941-when its total with masonry which had been concealed aircraft runways by Horses makes fascinating

ed vegetables arc put on the scales and you are overcharged for six pounds of potatoes and one pound of mud.

One

who had spent twenty ed fire.

in the burly-burly of

from

Jed

their

LI- 10

*

of

he is not in the same class 08 strength consisted of four there for about a year and extending, visually, the pattern tale, which should interest

the subtle greengrocer, who

be described

of

to

officers and a half share in a which the enemy had come to of any adjacent built-up areas far wider public than surely,

the runwayG CHQ regard, as a normal part of the so that

were military circles.

The

trestle table In the

Cavaller of BhopTM

keepers.

Who but a cavaller could be. so charming as he chooses the soundest oranges from hils golden plle and slips in a couple of bad ones while the house- wife is looking in her bag for small change?

Who but a cavaller could be so gallant as he Opens her string bag and stuffs a rotten cabbage into it?

And who but a laughing. cavaller could smile so win- ningly as he palms the unripa Tomer tomatoes Into the paper bag, carefully weighs a pound And takes oup out at the last mo- mont. as ho makes some comment about the amusing weather, or pays a pretty com pliment?

While only a few house-

wives are costed by cosh boys

of housbwives -DEC

on comparatively rare occasions. Alamein was the turning point in World War Two for Britain and her 'Allles. It was the first stop to victory. politely coshed by some green-Top picture shows the mighty gun barrage which opened the batile on October 28, Over a thousand Beld”, and grocers every day..

modium guns, spaced at 28-yard intervals, were employed. Immediately above, tanks of 10 Corps are seen inbring up a