BATTLE WITH MARINES
THREE BOYS DEFY PLATOON STOLEN RIFLES AND AMMUNITION (ReC. 7.45 p.m.) LONDON, Feb. 20. Three boys aged between 12 and 14, armed with three rifles and 400 rounds of ammunition, defied a platoon of 36 Royal Marines, led by two subalterns, for two days and one night in the Welsh mountains. The boys broke into an armoury of the marines camp near Barmouth last Thursday and took the rifles and ammunition. A brigadier’s batman chased the boys but when bullets began to whiz rpund his head he decided to seek the aid of the regimental police. They also retired in the face of rifle fire. When the fire brigade was called it was unable to do anything. The boys, after shootmg two fowls belonging to a local farmer, dug themselves in a disused mountain mine. The marines tracked* down the boys on Fridav when a spectacular battle began. *The boys fired real ammunition and the marines blanks. ... The marines eventually retreated and took cover. A subaltern sent for the aid of a captain but the boys at this point found the ammunition running low and flew the white flag. They were surrounded and marched away under a strong escort of jnarines.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19440221.2.24
Bibliographic details
Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 3
Word Count
204BATTLE WITH MARINES Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24187, 21 February 1944, Page 3
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in