1958-08-08 — Page 4

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OLA

ORA

"DOWN)

THE CHINA MAIL FRIDAY, AUGUST 8, 1958,

WAAAZDA

TALSMELE

|_ong_

AND

AIME

ORH

DISTANE

00

"I hope that's not my ropa: he • withing he's smiling."

I reach the British families

TODAY I can tell the

story of the 1,400 British men, women. and children who are totally cut off from the world by a hostile ring of Iraqi men and armour at this huge staging base. A story of bravery and determination.

Most important is that this small band of Britons is safe.

Scores asked me to assure their familles in Britain that they have not writen because there are no mail services.

in

HAGDANIYA

desert siege

SYRIA

E PERDIE

RAQ

JORDAN

KAYDI ARABA

from

RICHARD KILIAN

RAF AIR BASE,

HABBANIYA, IRAQ.

I learned of the woman walk- Group Captain Edwards went Ing down one of the broad, om "Naturally, our signals were green, cucalyplus-lined street cut, but only after three days of who was molested by a cocky Tragi coldier drunk with a newly found self-importance.

You drive 530-miles across this featureless cradle of civilis- tion which nestles between the

Senior Tigris and the broad muddy Euphrates to reach "Hal" as it is called.

All along the road are tank concentratiors and men huddling under lorries from the deadly

sun.

the

As you approach Hab numbers rise sharply. for Iraq is afraid the West will are the base as a staging point against the new Government.

.The V.C.

Inside I went to see the

British oflleer, senior

voice and three rainbow rows of battle ribbons on his khaki, tunie.

Settled behind lagers in his brick fangalow, we talked,

"The stuation here has been You never Lease but quiet. knew what wys-guing to happen. Morale is high."

Brewer, was pulled

from an

getting messages out, 1 had des troyed our code immediately and went on using the Nato code. Our last signal wes for a charter plane to take the

A request

I learned of many insults and spitting at British wives.

I learned of Wing-Commander peuple away,

He even had with his

a signal from Tony Andrade who, diver

Atreiftiman the Prime Minister in London," From a signatman sergeant, lounging by 22 50-metre-long pool, I Omple swimming learned why the signals stopped. "We had started sending the

The quick usual

brown fox and jumped over the lazy dog's

RA.F. car hear. Bagdad on the any of the revolution by a mob and beaten and stabbed,

Code destroyed

The cor WON burned,

servicing

Hunters, in instruc- ting Iraqi pilots. About half were involved in maintaining a staging post,

Now the only people working administration. Others are n

are busily engaged in anything from organised sports i quizzes. We must prevent rest- lessness.

Civilians

-

As 1 write this I knew Britain WIE) have to evacuale Habbaniya, leaving behind one of the finest bases with two run- ways, 13,000 yards long. was agreed to in 1955

This

Civilians at Habbaniya in- elude Air Ministry meteorolo gists, and Thomas Murdock, Bagdad representative of Dun lops, and his wife, who caught ak Habbanlyn week- ending when the rovolt came.

were

I met the wives, wearing fresh cotton frocks, talking about their deeneal help. They have been marvellous," said Mrs. Hugh Forth, wife of the second in com- mand.

these

women Not many of

their men. "It want to leave

be necessary." sald

But they are the failure of Andrade saved [rom being back. The test given to typists may electrical power and water ripped to pleres by brave in training Never got past the Edwards, "for some to go. It purification

machinery within Lebanese girl who stopped the six weeks-weeks which could mob, Ironically, Andrade, an make Habbaniya fall.

equipmral distribution officer. was visiting Iraq on a job for the Traql Government,

During my visit I learned of nekdents which have helped to Group stiffen The resolve of the Captain Hugh Edwards, VC, a people thousands of miles. from Banky Australian

soft home.

with

Cummings

My

Most of our men there are working for the Traql Govern- ment In one way or another.

*TH

"Relax folks! Like some other guy said; way back, I'm just being a policeman!”

word fox. They thought it was a new coded signal."

Fair-haired, brorized children ere 100 1 Halbaniya -cavorted innocently in the clear water under the 110-degree sun,

--There

too difficult to know is just what is going to happen."

At the cinema

"What's on at the cinema?” one officer asked in a loud voice, Came the reply: The Bridge on the River Kwai."

There was laughter. But It is true the Bm of captured Britons is playing at the Astra Cinema.

WHEN'S A SCOTSMAN

NOT A SCOTSMAN?

FOR

OR generations Scotsmen have been having it both way. In droves they have been leaving Scotland, denuding the Highlands and thinning out the plains; but wherever they go they like to remain Scotsmen at heart.

Those who settle in England and the law leads some licence to their divided loyalties. It is reluctant to presume a lasting ronunciation of the fatherland and a fresh choice of domicile.

But no longer. Not, that is, if the Domielle Bill, now before the House of Lords, reaches the Statute Book,

Picture the long-familiar sceno. Across the border sleady stream of Scotsmen headl south in search of fame and fortune. Young men, ben! becoming statesmen, civi! Servants, men of Industry, swell the mighty trek.

11059.

4

It has been a notable exodus. Nothing like it cluce the Israel- lles left Egypt for the wilder- As famous Scot, Sir Jamer Barrie, Once wrote: "There are few more Impressive sights in the world that Sculeman on the make."

NOSTALGIA

By IVAN YATES

J

pool did not impress them. To Lord

Thankerton, Indeed, cuggested little more than inani-

ten

Hes with the city. It was felt, were due to a dis- inclination to move.

THE LAW

While making their way in England Scotsmen protest their es ential Scottishness. They may draw the line at the kit and the sporran. They may turn their backs on the pipes. But on Burns Night they parade and in strength

wwh down. their haggis and cock o' leckle

So the law was interpreted. with whisky.

Mere length of residence did The younger ones foregather not establish domicile. Quality

also in their Cale- of residence had

to be in the suburbs donlun Sozieties and reel around taken into account, with many a bowl and whistle.

A foolish decision? Lawyers, On high days they hold nostal-

and

10S3 The it is true, look at it askance. gie ceremonies

But It represents the law. caber with a will.

Sume" London Seut men pre- serve a lodging in the Far North Ramsay MacDonald always hul his Lossiemouth to retreat to col- away from his Socialist lengues and his friends at court. And Archbishop Lang, the most rmbitious prelate of the een- tury, found spiritual solace year after year at Ballure, where the weight of his worldly cares WOR lifted from his shoulders and humility submerged his pride.

But most exiled Scols have ny such link with the land of their birth. The English law of long domicile, however, has striven to provide one. George Bowle, a Liverpool Sen! who died in 1927, it leaned over backwards to do so.

Howie

in 1845.

work he traveller.

was born in Glasgow Though never fond of became a commerelat But when he was 37 he decided to retire and live on his family.

For the last 45 years of his ilfe he did no work. In 1892 he moved to Liverpool, where his brother and sisters had settled. und lived first in lodgings and, after his brother's death, in his house.

HIS WILL

Beer rationed Edwards sold: "We are being forced to ration beer to me pint a day and there is n longer any selection in the food, It was altogether to appro- Just one course. All our food priate. Sald one officer who had came form our supply depot at already seen the film while on Basrah, We have two officers leave: "You chaps will laugh at

He never set foot in Scotland { and 28 men there. Of course we the heat and our troubles here

Not even his mother's have had nothing since the when you see what Alec gain,

funeral induced him to relum. revolt, but our apples here Guinness went through."

Indeed, he only left England were good.

It was good to be with these "Our people were involved people. They know what they twice in the last 35 years of his life. Once on an insuccessful tapograhical surveying, in are doing even it their futures attempt to And work in the

taken out of their United States. operating Iraq's only ground have been

Once for л control approach system, in own control for the time being holiday trip to the Isle of Man,

ROUND-UP

GOOD NEIGHBOURS

CRICKET net on the laws of the Tate Gallery, London, at which soldiers from the nearby Milbook Military Hospital can Tate Director Sir frequently be seen having a practice knock-upi

Julin Rothenstein's way of saying "Thank You" to the Army. During the war when Sie John was bombed out of the Tate Gal- ly the soldiers at the hospital tool: him in and he was made an honorary member of the officers' mess. That was the start of the good neighbourly relations which have existed ever since between the famous picture gallery and the Army. Latest evidence of this Is the appearance of the cricket net. Explanation: the command- ng officer at the hospital asked permission to put up a practice net on the Tate lawns and Sir Jöhm, to uso his own words, was "only too pleased to say, Yes;"

TANKMEN RECRUIT

T"

THE ROYAL Turk Regiment,, descended from the first tank force in the world, is finding Its number of Regular recruits dwindling manth by month. This has been happening at a time when rhany regiments are reporting increased recruiting. The re- gimental Journal says that up to 1938 the Royal Tank Regiment never found it necessary to set about recruiting. Now there are 20 methanised cavalry regiments. Summing up the reasons for the inck of recruits, it says: "Perhaps the underlying cause is that the regiment neither Loasts nor advertises relying too much, on its un- surpassed record of achievement in peace and war." Now a call is going out to all members of the regiment to encourage recruiting. But the men must be the best that can be found "We do not want Just anyeste to join the regiment” members are told. "TOUGHENING UP" COURSE

TEN Hertfordshire senior polles cadets may undergo a "toughen

ing up" course in the Welsh mountains chering the encly autumn to develop their conse of Initiative and powers of en- durance. Their activities will include rock scrambling, ridge wniking and navingtion over difficult country with the old of mapa und compasses. They will go on forced marches of increasing dis- tances, and take part in mountain "rescues." Leadership tests will also be included in their training. As pollen-cocols are no longer called up for National Service it was felt that some, special form of training might be beneficial for the boys.

Liver-

Here, surely, was a pudlian. To leave Scotland in the prime of manhood and settle in Liverpool this argues) delermined purpose and TC- nunciation of a high order.

But a complication arose. R was discovered after his death that Bowle had left o will, unattested, in

By Scots

own hond. By English kw this will wes vold! for lack of witness. low it was valid. applied? Four which had

Which law

Infirmarines Jegacles

been left wanted to know.

Bowie's

It all depended on domiclie. Was it England, where

he had lived the Inst 35 years of his life? Or Scotland where ho of was born?

domiclie choice? Or n domicile of origin?

A

TIES

The law lumbered into action. And the ease of Ramsay v. Liverpool Royal Infirmary was joined Bowie had been heard to say that he never wished to set foot in Glasgow again. And— curely, crowning evidenco this -he had arranged to be buried in Liverpool.

But this last argument cut both ways. For he was buried alongside his brother and sisters in ground paid for by, hia brother. He never spurned free hospitality Further, he sub- scribed to a Glasgow wockly

newspaper. And had said and written that he was a Glasgow mon..

Five Law Lords heard the case in the House of Lords. Bowle's long rezidence in Liver-

Kafk

And that must bring comfort to many a Scot-in-exile as they toss the caber on Wimbledon Common and do the odd eight- Some in Ewell. The quality of their residence will be obvious --even to Law Lord.

But now the Domicile Bill

FE 1 comes to disturb them. passes into law the presumption will be established that where a man's home is, there shall his domicile be also.

Scotomen abroad, awake? Your wills hed better ue witnessed!

London Express Service).

Weekend Selection

By Friell

SAPPHIKE GRAMOPILINE ZMEEDLE INVENTED

GON NOMAH

arara

YANKS

GO HOME AS SOON AS POICE. EISCHHOWER

"So what! It was a man who invented long-playing records, wasn't it?"

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