WORSE THAN BOMBS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 183, 3 August 1940, Page 16

WORSE THAN BOMBS

I MACHINE-GUN FIBB. j REFUGEES MOWN DOWN. CANTEEN TAH M BTOBT. (Special.—By Air MaiL) LONDON, June Si Lady Warrendcr, wife of Sir Vjetw Warrendcr, Parliamentary and Kinaacja] Secretary to the Admiralty, has arrmd back safely in London from Fraacr where she has been in charge of a edfcteen van with the Polish troops. With the three women who staffed Jhe vat—. a "Fauy" oJliccr who was wounded ia the last war, and two jjirl drivers— Ac - had crossed the Channel in a honfta! ship. "Our van was stationed At a camp i* Brittany," she said this week. "We fcaj no news there about the general sanation. I drove 100 miles to a town to telephone to my husband from whom 1 had had a cryptic message. "When 1 arrived the place was behe bombed. Refugees were ha»ti!v pjrkica few possessions and hurrying froiii tke town in cars, carts and on foot. Tfcr confusion was indescribable. I hthwj a friend to pack and clear out. She was the wife of a Polish official with thrae children aged two, four and eight. I realised that 1 ought to get ny B away, too, so without stopping t« rert, I drove to another town to get my order* from a British colonel, lie told Mete leave at once. I got into the car cu more and rushed back t* the cmap u collect my staff. We reached the cwt and came straight over to an Eagtfafr port. I had to abandon my van aai e*r and £800 worth of stock.* But I hra - managed u> save about £500 of met canteen money." "Tiresome , * was the word lady Watrender applied to Nazi bombing attack* What she minded most was maeluae-gu fire. "It comes down like rain and that is no escape," she said. "I was driving a British officer aim a road packed with thousands of piUftl refugees. The Germans came over aai dropped bombs on the slowly aovisc columns, and then they started aacauM** gunning. I shall never forget the sMft '4 of those women and children relenUcMh; mown down by bullets. , *