BRITISH ARMIES PROWESS

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23943, 10 May 1943, Page 4

BRITISH ARMIES PROWESS

“FINEST TROOPS IN THE WORLD”

(BOW.) • RUGBY, May 7. That British troops are the finest m the world was the view expressed by Lord Croft, Under-Secretary of State for War, when opening an Army exhibition at Reading on Saturday, He said: "That is why the Axis, whose great armies we have so largely destroyed all over East Africa and the Western Desert, will soon be driven into the sea and out of the last yard of the continent of Africa. Our eastern pincer has come 3000 miles from Kismayu, in the southern point of Italian Somaliland, through Abyssinia, Eritrea, Egypt, Libya, Tripolitania, and Southern Tunisia—a feat unequalled in all military history. It has been supplied at a distance from 10,000 to 14,000 miles. Never before in all the great stories of war have armies fought to victory over such a vast span of ocean and land communications.” Lord Croft recalled that the British had fought the Gormans in Norway, Belgium, France, Greece, and Crete. In all these campaigns, he said, though hopelessly outnumbered, the British nevertheless upset the rhythm of German strategy and simultaneously triumphantly conquered the whole Italian Empire. We fought decisive campaigns to liberate Madagascar and to reconquer British Somaliland, and by hard fighting we restored Syria to the Fighting French. We advanced into Southern Persia and we sent forces to join our Indian armies in the defence of India. We fought two hard campaigns in Burma.

"Wo fought at Hong Kong. Malaya, and Singapore. These latter outposts for a time," Lord Croft added, “arc in enemy hands. When we have settled with Enemy No. 1. we will go and aid the gallant Anzacs and Americans in the East and purge the world there also of the human rattlesnakes which have brought so much misery to mankind,"