LOSS OF GLORIOUS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 25, 9 November 1940, Page 3

LOSS OF GLORIOUS

QUESTION IN THE COMMONS. DANGEROUS INFORMATION. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, November 7. In the House of Commons, on the motion for the adjournment, Mr R. R • Stokes (Labour, Ipswich) sought further information in regard to the loss of his Majesty’s ship Glorious. He said that 1200 men went down, and their relatives were entitled to know what had happened. The ‘German cruisers must have been absent from their base for several days. Mr Stokes asked whether the Admiralty knew of the movement of those ships. As the Grand Fleet was within 800 miles of the scene of the sinking, did the commander of that fleet know of the movements of the Glorious, also were signals sent from the Glorious. If so, what action was taken.

Mr Stokes also asked whether the Operation Division of the Admiralty staff was fully informed of the ship’s movements, whether Air 'Marshal Commanding the Coastal Command, ViceAdmiral in Charge of Submarines, and the Officer Commanding Aircraft wore informed of tpe movements of the Glorious.

The First Lord of the Admiralty (Mr A. V. Alexander), replying said: “It is impossible to reply to the operational questions asked by Mr Stokes. We are fighting against a most unscrupulous enemy who certainly is not prepared to give us the kind of information on operational matters which is sought in this debate. ‘Regarding the Glorious and her two attendant ships it is true that the survivors numbered only 39 but the German wireless claimed to have picked up hundreds of prisoners. We had the names of only about half a dozen such survivors.”