THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER
1956.
Paro
THIS is the Gim
Normandy, 1944: Group Caplain Bill MacBrien greets Winston
Churchill on a visit to 127 Wing.
'SCREWBALL'
-THE
JOINS
Continued from Page 6)
sut,
The
"I e, n't ble dealerem. jantie 1 and I can't
open
-ABL
255 11
Shooldier
Steel inree, zero zera lor Dover, Clini 114 Tools What'
Vete
A by le now"
"But then and te
wat
-
the is that afæln 1 12. att kan my wongtosan satel of the coupled Spitfires. on the way down
led the controller at Kroley and rked him to alert a Walrus
Te cu pl ne mir-ra
high-speed Lunches.
+1 the
NO REPLY
WE soon found Shukller, just WE
off the French coast und heud- ing for Dover, I drew alongside and could see that next of the right afferan and wing-lip tu i got wat a miracle that the plane was still nying. The right wing was well
LONE THE
a great #ghter pilot. but 1 hear it's very much of a lone wolf,"
We all krew Beutling's his- kry
Be was a Canadian who
HA.F. Mast joined the
after the bring turned REAF
down
Ra eventually je led to me - wn 403 Squrdron Even in there dys 114+ Was
Today at home. Johnnie Johnson with his wife and sons Christopher and Michael.
WOLF-
WING
He changed the subject,
"Hear you've got a scatter gam. Wingen,”
1 That's right," admitted. "There it is, BSA 12-bure "
"And a bird úng?”
ANGLES.
note, brondong Ind who showed great mah bluul pro- 171944
Whose temperament was not suited to our siyle of team Bghting. So he was sent lu
TROUGHT that my well-bred
Labrador would
i he found fun!- Malta and there
called a "bird ment in his solitary yet brilliant kindly to being I
but I only sald: "Her exploits against the Luftwaffe dog."
Dumes Sally." unit the Ballan Air Force.
In the dungerinis sky over the Mollerranean island he brought bis score to 29 victories, and on his return to Canada he Was greeted us a rational hero,
discussed the problem of Beuring with our two squadron For my own part I felt that we could noi C9-
runnmunders,
duma this extraordinary plot, hevanse he had fought so well over Mall • We must give han the chance to prove his worth in the wing down and the Spitfire was trying to swing to the right att back into Prince, The pilot was lighting this and was having a hed struggle. could see he had both hands on the tick. 1 spoke to biljni i gala-
"We're half-way petose now. Only ten miles to Dover."
+24
1
This time there was no reply the trom him, and perhaps flick ferera were so heavy that he routel
hand to hal nove a
Then tr.nsmitter switch. the right wing dropped lower, and 1 turned steeply inside him when his Spildre yawed dan- gerously to the right with the wings verticul. I saw his hands
I told the group cuplain we'd have Beurling and recommanded that he go to 403 Squadron. where he had served two years previously is a sergeant-pilot,
I made a pakist of meeting Beurling within a few minutes of his arrival and took him along to my office for a quiet elust. We talked about his Malto exploits and I tried to explain how the style of
here.
reach to the rubber ball at the "I
Lop
trolled
our fighting differed
OWN WING
going to make you gun ITY
officer of the wing. of the hood which con- George, 1 told him, "Try
release tech the rest of the chaps how the emergency system, Then the Spitfire fell
you do it. If you can settle down uncontrollable vertiend here you'll be a squadron vom- And master in a few months. with
record you could your
into an dive,
It only took a recend or two easily have a wing of your own
to reach the sea. We watched within 12 months. What do you
the Spire knife cleanly, nose think?" first into the water,
Watched
fly "I guess you a lot of the cascading ring of spray fall
without seeing uny back and saw the
surging sweeps waters close in over the Spltare Huns?" he inquired,
and its pliot.
I called the controller gave a fix, but
and
i knew the re- scue boys would never find n
thing.
GREAT PILOT
"They must be there then."
Boi
"Guess I'll borrow them some fine day," announced Beurling "must gut some hunting.”
Help yourself, George,” h.vlied, "She'll follow you phy- where when she sets the guns."
Bobble Page, who was, and still is, a staunch friend.
the
"That's right,” I agreed.
1 replied. "A
"Well, you'd better have Д During the war years it was drink with me," said this enig-
popular meeting-place matle young officer. of aircrew of ull Butionalities,
"Thanks," and Bobbie's spare bedrooms
bitter. were usually full. He kept a great pile of blankets ไก่ Jils linen-cupboard at the top of the stairs. If you were lucky you down could grab one and bed for a couple of hours, on a se-Lee or the floor.
I
I moved back to the Cana- dians and thought nothing more of the encounter. Later on caught a glimpse of the stran- ger, who was surrounded by a gay company of bomber crews. Later that evening
fule The room was so stuffy that he number
nf the Biggin and had discarded his machintosh Kenley pilots were packed and I could see he wore the three * together in the crowded bar,
moonless night, but the stars were very bright. Suddenly Sully growled at a dark
sha sitting on a fallen log.
"Hello, George," I said. el auf bere, isn't it?”
"It's OK" he replied.
with buck "Walk
ine anil we'll have a beer," I suggested
"No, thanks, Wingco Guess In figuring I'll stay out here. but some of the angles between the stars."
Beurling and I flew only once or twee together for ston after has arrival left the Canadians.
↓
stripes of a wing commander.
A GONG OR TWO DFC, with a silver rosette to
SMILING, handsome young offeer stood alone in a corner,
He wore a macintosh so that it was impossible to determine his rank or whether he was a pilot
I caught a glimpse of the Tibbons of the D.S.O. and
cach, and some dull-coloured ribbon before the D.S.O.
Curious. I eased my Way
and through the press
had closer look. My suspicions were correct; the ribbon was that of the Victoria Cross. I shouldered the remaining few feet to the bar, grabbed and said: spoke to me:—
"And now you'll have a pini "What are you glamour boys with me, Guy Gibson." celebrating?”.
He eyed the various activities of the fighter pilots with some nmusement
and
eventually
Well, as a matter of fat; the two wings have collected a gong or two," I explained,
At Dere and I were awarded the D.S.O. on the Some day and I lekphoned him at Biggin and suggested that we rendez- vuus at the "Kimmul Club," in Burleigh Street, for
n small celebration. This convenient and
little
wps hospitable
place
"And I suppose you got that looking waiting for a shot at the mallard owned and run by an ex-captain D.S.0.7" he inquired, at a little end,
the Royal Flying Corps, at the gleaming new ribbon.
A day or two later I w ked across the irgeld after
It was a d ek,
cf
him by the azn
(COPTRIGHT)
NEXT WEEK
When I Found It Hardest '·
To Conquer Fear..
Britain Busts Out On Broadway
It Is Britain's Broadway today. Take a 10-minute walk along Broad- way from Times Square and the names in neon lights beat at you; Rex Harrison, Margaret Leighton, Michael Redgrave, the Old Vic Company—all of it-Glynis Johns, Eric Portman, Wilfrid Hyde White, Julie Andrews. Nineteen starring Britons in all and the revue "Cranks" still to come.
THE LATEST..
London
• It is the biggest boom show business has ever had in New York and the investment in British names is $1,000,000.
The longest British resident on the "Great White Way" in the most successful show is Rex Harrison, star of the "Pygmalion" musical, “My Fair Lady." Here for the first time Rex Harrison tells the story of Britain's Broadway (talking to David Lewin).
By REX HARRISON
I have had problem which other actors have helped to Aulve, When I started singing for the first time in "My Fair Lady" I was more nervous than ever before In
career. my Donny Kaye watched the show half a dozen times.
Finally he came round and Fald to me: "You
Su are relaxed when you speak the ordinary dialogue. But then two minutes before each gong
you, stiffen up so much You become tense and rigid on the stage. You are signaling each number in advance."
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SPECIAL COMMODITY RATES
This amazing man
was in the Secret Service
FROM Eton to the Communist Party, by way of
Cambridge and Socialism... out of the Commúnist
T was awfully lonely in at a rush. My dressing-room Leighton says the big difference
that was bulging with London town, hetween Broadway and the West it was true. Il also explained Party... a seeming, Nazi sympathiser . . . an intimate of on Broadway
summer
after
Nocl Coward and Terence End is a question of hours, we Rattigan came In the kne opened. There were about pight as Frank Singira sat with four other shows running, Spencer Tracy. and that was all. The other stars were American.
As I came to the theatre .1 should think we engage about once out of every three every night to play Henry or four sweeps," I told him. Higgins I watched shows
..closing because of the sum he said more to himself than to mer and the heat and there me. "Wouldn't you do better to was hardly anyone in town split up into 12 pairs and fly on to come by the dressing
room at night.
the deck to look for them. You'd cover a wide ares that way."
When Broadway is empty an ."No." I answered firmly. "In PACK at brze I sat down in my the first place we must stick to actor who is working feels odd caravan to write letters to gelher because the Huns operate and cut off and away from it the next of kin of the two pilots. In packs of up to 50. Secondly, all, Before I begun to write I glanced the fake is so hot over there that: Then the British invasion
We flow on the deck started.
through the "in" tray and sew it
Tracy patted Sinatra on the back after the chow and sale: "My little friend tried at the end-little tears."
I watched myself and found
why I was getting so much
in London It is still rather muscle ache in the show that I "off" for an actor 10 be seen needed constant massage. around after midnight when
You
when an see,
aclor everyone else la in bed.
forgets his lines in a straight play he can cover up by nd lib-ing words. But when actor who is not a singer forgets the lyrics he is singing, there is nothing he can do.
In New York, she says you are just one of the crowd at two in the morning and so one gives you a second glance.
There are oddly assorted groups too, Harry Truman and
All of us are conscious of Helen Hayes, Teddy Wilson, the coloured jazz pianist, and Ethel une added responsibility, the
at keeping Merman. There would be Joli responsibility Mills standing in the wings and show going. Sters are made to Maggie Leighton sitting in the feel more important in New
York than in London,
stalls,
BIG RISKS
WE had to fix a code system of W bells from the stage door to Tho Reluctant the dresing-room to sift out that two of my recent recom- we'd lose half of the boys în a Debatante"・・・ came first and the visitors--the ones we knew
from the ones we did not..... with it Wilfrid Hyde White.
"You know anything about. this Mustang. Wingco?"
mendations had been approved, week." ...Flight-Sergeant Shouldice had been appointed to a commission the promotion of Flight- anus Lieutenant Conrad to squadron- leader was notified.
LITTLE TEARS
"Not much," I said. "I hear į one of the 83 Group wings is going to get them and they have
p
an
IN SUSPENSE
HERE are 31 chaps in the orchestra pit pounding away
the Rothschilds.
A many-sided character, this Burgess, and an amazing man.
You have been reading about him in the SUNDAY, POST- HERALD his story in THE BURGESS STORY, by Tom Driberg, and it is one of the most. extraordinary documents of our times.
Next Sunday comes one of the most startling in a long series of revelations. Guy Burgess,
They are made to feel they and he is in an agony of whose decision to leave his Foreign Office post in London and work
for the Communist cause in Moscow was the sensation of the post-war
carry the show and the risk of suspense. Onancial failure here is so tremendous that an actor feels
he must make sure the show is
a hit. It it is not, the respon-
I was like that At the years, was in the Secret Servicel begining.
For whom he worked and why is revealed in the next instalment ability is on his shoulders. way are settling down, Today, of THE BURGESS STORY,
'·
Now the 19 Britons on Broad- Willic Hyda White received his overcoat with an
There is a great scramble and winter
fight for success in New York strakhan collar from London. Make sure of your POST-HERALD
The battle is keen and wored Postage was £6 105, and by every means.
Customs duty was £12.
Willle's cost is famous In London and he feels he will
„It 'here because, the play need t
run.
le protesting
Ono night the system went After they had. been wrong kept waiting for half an hour the doorman rang through and
NEW ACHES WILLIE lost his voice on tho zaid: "There are two people Lunts.
will They [Months later Conrad turned a tremendous radius of action. I morning of the first night and calling themselves the
Bul hale Fontanne and WHEN it became clear that that duty. up again. He had parachuted hear they can easily fly to Berlin everyone was in a panle anyway Should I let 'em in?"
because thras American plays wero Lynn had opened In the same week as Alfred Lunt, the leaders of the "My Fair Lady" was a hit, I on to a haystrek near. Dunking and Back,"
was approached to sell the two the time when we shall return and got back to England
"Can they now?" exclaimed "Debutanto and two of them U.S. stage through Spoln.]
the Canadian, I could read his were off already and the other.
any different hats in
protesting about.
on Sunday
»Bayers «4
All of us are thinking of TONIC
here among the allowed. The price 1 was offered/ wear? York OK Bize ?. inpažints'
grówn ·up od the few steps into my Mustang, fill it up with petrol was a hit-end pecially Wille. British Wo see more of one, was 293 da paliyes pounds woul
He came round to sed me and another here than we do in £10 102 n seat, I refused cacit day, and he'd either get caravan and said
himself killed or would finish aid: "I am very surprised, London. It is 20 years, since but that could never have the "Got some news for you, up with more Hun than the because what they seem to want Terence Rattigan and I worked happened in London.
When therd antecess Johanic. How would you like rost of us put together here Bastuation with a man together for French With
wild an incurable, inces and Tears During the last"
ibeto is no bitterness fr everyone danding, around him weeks I have seen more of Ter
eselse. 'Buccèés lé: singing for he's Jolly good in New Yore than, Insall tho
After, thi ly hit the plays and to
One day Bull MeBrien climb. thoughts. Clive him a long-range got the bird. But “Debutantauaricommunity." feeling has/frés : scale: a performance-1 am to London. We are none of u8|
Screwball Beurling in your litt
cutat?"
"I: Rhall have to think about that one, air" I replied "110":
Jesturtada.coming
_We are not going We are proud fa London on Broadw hereume when there are
York' showe
erican..
THE BOYES & CH
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