THE DUTCH FORCES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 226, 16 October 1940, Page 2

THE DUTCH FORCES

EXPANSION IN BRITAIN ALL ARMS ACTIVE The expansion of the Netherlands Legion in this country proceeds apace, says the London Daily Telegraph. All Dutchmen Jn Great Britain between the ages of twenty and thirty-live have been medically examined, and recruits are going to camp. Arms have been bought by the Netherlands Government, and there are more than sufficient Dutch officers and N.C O.'s available for training the recruits. The experienced Dutch soldiers who succeeded in escaping to this country after the capitulation of the army in the Netherlands are already actively engaged in military duties, together with British troops. They are keeping watch on a stretch of coast line and are guarding a number of aerodromes. The main Dutch camp is now com pletely run oy Dutchmen. A. British liaison officer and his telephonist are the only "foreigners" in this Dutch community. The. morale of the soldiers, already good, is improving as a result of generous gifts from Dutchmen in this country to their compatriots under canvas. The Dutch home fleet has been more fortunate in that respect. As is known, the great majority of the units of the Dutch navy sailed for British harbours after the collapse of the resistance in the Mother Country, and the reorganisation was completed some weeks ago. Helped at Dunkirk. Dutch units took an active part in the evacuation of the B.E.F. from Dunkirk, with slight loss, and have since been in contact with the on several occasions. T'hey sail under British orders, and have a British liaison officer and signalman on board.

It will be remembered that Mr Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty, mentioned that he sent a signal to the Dutch Admiralty on the occasion of a particularly brilliant and daring piece of seamanship by Dutch naval units, and other proofs of appreciation by higlily-<placed authorities at the British Admiralty have been received. The action of the Dutch Home Fleet, which has been entrusted with hazardous tasks has not been possible without some, loss, but this will be speedily made up for by the completion of several vessels under ! construction, which have been towed from Dutch harbours to British ports with their full complement on board. It has been found pos-> sible to provide the Dutch units with ammunition for their guns, as some German bombers have already found out. „ The Dutch Air Force has been as active as the Navy., Dutch crews and their planes have been drafted into the British Coastal Command, and they have done well. There, too, some loss has been sustained, but not in comparison wiah the expansion of the service.