STRONGEST ARMY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 247, 18 October 1941, Page 7

STRONGEST ARMY

IN WESTERN DESERT "Terrific Battle" Expected Before Long C.P-A. ant Bnittab Wireless. Rec. 1.30 p.m. LONDON, Oct. 17. The most powerful army Britain has ever assembled in Africa lies spread over the Western Desert, says the special correspondent of the Associated Press of Great Britain. The correspondent adds that he has no special information, but believes it is safe to predict that a terrific battle is going to be fought along these North Africa shores before long.

The R.A.F. Middle East communique, quoted by British Official Wireless, says heavy bombers raided the harbour at Bengasi during Wednesday night. Fires broke out an the moles. The aircraft also raided the aerodromes at Berka and Martuba, in the Bardia area. A force of naval aircraft bombed an enemy dump south of the Bardia-Tobruk road, as well as a wadi near the town.

In the central Mediterranean . aircraft attacked an enemy merchantman being towed by a tug off the coast of Tripolitania. Owing to bad visibility the result of the attack could not be observed. From these and other operations all the aircraft returned saiely. Chaplains ia War Zoae Tobruk has other visitors besides dust storms and enemy shells. Each month the R.A.F. chaplain ""calls." He is one of three R.A.F. chflplains— Church of England, Church of Scotland and Roman Catholic—whose "parish" in the western desert and North Africa is bounded only by the enemy lines and the sea.

The clergy are constantly jogging in their small self-contained units over the rough tracks and stonestrewn wastes, visiting squadrons in remote places from an advanced base. The Roman Catholic priest comes from Glasgow, via Ireland, the Church of England parson from the south of Scotland, and the Church of Scotland Minister from Paisley, near Glasgow. They hold services when and where they can. The Roman Catholic priest has an altar on a lorry, and in wadis and in sheltered dips in sandhills Mass is celebrated.

The sermons the padres preach are simple and topical. Apart from their services they look after the welfare of the troops and dispense books and other gifts from Britain and elsewhere.