NEW BOMBERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 39, 26 November 1940, Page 5

NEW BOMBERS.

AMERICA GIVES DELIVERY.

FIRST TO GO TO BRITAIN.

WASHINGTON, November 25

It is learned that the Navy Department's permitting Britain to take first deliveries, of a new type of Consolidated PRY-5 long-range patrol bombers now coming off the San Diego assembly lines. It involves- no formal trade such as the recent Army deal.

The Consolidated Aircraft Corporation is assembling 400 bombers on twin lines, half for the United States and half for Britain, Australia and Canada. However, shortage of wings has prevented the continuous operation of both assembly lines, and accordingly it has been arranged that Britain shall receive all aeroplanes until the wing supply is corrected. The aircraft cost 100,000 dollars each and are reputed to have a cruising range of 4000 1 miles.

GIRL RESCUES PETS.

BRAVE WORK IN THE DARK.

LONDON, October 22

Dressed only in a thin nightdress with a gown thrown over it; a London girl one day this week worked through the early hours in darkness rescuing injured pets of people whose homes had boon bombed. With only a small torch to guide her, the girl, Miss Jean Morton, ignored bombs and shrapnel dropping round her. She worked foi* four hours excavating dogs, cats, and even birds trapped by fallen debris. Sheila, her pet Airedale, followed her wherever she went — barking signals where she sniffed out four-legged brothers and sisters injured or trapped. Jean did jiot stop until she was satisfied she bad done all she could. Then she returned to the animal centre in Fitzroy Street, where she works as veterinary assistant, donned her white overall and set to work dressing and bandaging more injured animals. “I could not have done it without Sheila,” she said. “She seemed to sense what was going on. ■ Wherever she spiffed out an animal she barked.”

While Miss Morton was speaking 20 people arrived with injured animals, some to bo Jean was on the job helping to put the animals painlessly to sleep and comforting their owners. Airedale Sheila, still on duty, stood near.

“Apart from animals outside, there were our own in the clinic who were frightened at the noise of bombing and gunfire,” said Jean, ‘“I gave each one a sleeping draught. That took a lot of my time. Altogether, I think I rescued four cats, a dog and a canary. Others were brought to me by their owners.”

One of Jean’s strangest patients is a tiny blackbird. It was brought in by its owner, an old man, Mr J. Langdon, who also brought his pet greyhound Peggy. Peggy, who refused to leave her home until her master had been rescued, was. uninjured. The blackbird was suffering from shock.