RED CROSS BOMBED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 124, 7 March 1936, Page 5

RED CROSS BOMBED

DOCTOR’S INDIGNATION. “FIFTY DYING ON MY HANDS.’* NEW CASES CANNOT BE TREATED (United Press Association—Copyright.) (Received This (Day, 11.20 a.m.) DESSYE, March 6. Dr. Molly (senior medical officer) was performing a delicate abdominal operation when a bomber circled over the Red Cross unit at Quoram and commenced bombing the Red Cross station. “The Times’ ” and other correspondents narrowly escaped, bombs bursting nearby. The astonished doctor r shouted : “Dirty pigs! They are bombing us!” It is impossible to treat dozens of new patients as all the undamaged lorries are required to evacuate the earlier cases. Dr. Molly declared: “Fifty 1 are dying on my hands as result of the cowardly, despicable action, disgracing the white race.” The Emperor personally telephoned to Dr. Molly: “I cannot find words to express my extreme sorrow.” Dr. Brown (International Red Cross delegate at Addis Ababa) telegraphed to Geneva: “Premeditation of Italian action undeniable.” BRITISH OBSERVER KILLED. CARAVAN CARRIES BIC FLAG. EMPEROR’S PROTEST TO LEAGUE (Received This Day, 10.5 a.m.) ADDIS ABABA, March 6. Major Gerald Burgoyn© (Corp. Pursuivant of Arms) was killed by a bomb from an Italian ’plane while acting as transport officer to the Ethiopian Red Cross, while retiring with Ras Kebada’s troops from Amba Alagi to Quoram. It is understood that Major Burgoyne’s caravan bore a prominent Red Cross flag. Abyssinia has sent to the League a strong protest against the bombing of the Red Cross. The Emperor’s American advisers are preparing a communique completely denying the Italian claims of big victories:

DEMANDS BY BRITAIN. s i IMMEDIATE INVESTIGATION. PREVENTION OF REPETITION. (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 6. The British Ambassador at Rome ({Sir Eric Drummond) has been instructed to lodge with the Italian Government an immediate protest in regard to the bombing of the British ambulance. The Italian Government is being requested to order immediate investigation, and in the meantime to issue strictest instructions against a recurrence of the incident. British Official Wireless.

REPORT BY SENIOR OFFICER. NO BRITISH CASUALTIES. LONDON, March 5. In a report to the British Government on the bombing of a hospital unit at Kworam, Dr. A. M. Melly, the senior medical states that aeroplanes circled over the British Red Cross unit nine times, and flew over the camp, which was square, instead of circular like the Abyssinian camps. One of the SO bombs dropped struck the Red Cross ground-flag, 40 feet square, in the middle of the camp, destroying the operating and sterilising tents, and three ward tents, killing three Abyssinian patients and destroying motor-lorries. The raid was evidently intentional, as aeroplanes had often previously flown over the unit. The nearest military encampment was two miles away. An Abyssinian communique states that an aeroplane, after bombing Kworam and killing four children and two women peasants, flew low over the British camp, haying ascertained that it contained no rifles or anti-aircraft guns. Four patients were wounded and three killed Three Kenya orderlies were wounded. It is believed that there ore no British people among the small number of casualties. An Italian Government spokesman said that effective air raids had been carried out near Kworam, after headquarters had been informed of an important munitions depot organised there. The Italians could not be held responsible for the accidental bombing of the ambulance, since they were not aware of its presence. Moreovei, Article 7 of the Red Cross Convention declared that whenever a Red Cross unit committed an act of war it cost the lied Cross immunity. This was considered to apply to the Kworam incident.