AIR MARSHAL LIBELLED

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30100, 6 April 1963, Page 11

AIR MARSHAL LIBELLED

Damages Out Of Court (N Z.P.A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, April 4. A Royal Air Force air chief marshal blamed in a book for allowing three German warships to escape from France in 1942 was actually in South-east Asia at the time, the English High Court was told today. Mr James Evans, counsel for the officer, Sir Richard Peirse, said the allegations concerned the escape of the wrships, Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen from Brest to Germany in February, 1942. The offending statements were contained in the book “Wings of the Morning” by lan Cameron. The publishers had withdrawn the book and Sir Richard Peirse had been paid substantial damages to settle the libel action out of court, said Mr Evans. Sir Richard Peirse had been inaccurately stated in the book to have been air officer commanding Britain’s Bomber Command at the time. The author claimed that Sir Richard Peirse had released for other duties two-thirds of his bomber force standing by to attack should the warships attempt to break out through the English Channel. He was also accused of reducing the state of readiness of the remaining bombers, counsel said The publishers and the author now accepted no foundation existed in fact for the attack on Sir Richard Peirse who at the relevant time was in Indonesia with quite different responsibilities. He had served as air officer commanding Bomber Command but at a different period (1940-42). Sir Richard Peirse was air officer commanding-in-chief India for part of World War II (1942-43), and Allied Air Commander-in-chief Southeast Asia Command (1943-44), counsel said. Counsel for the defendants apologised in court on their behalf. The secret of sucess is constancy to purpose.—Benjamin Disraeli. Subsidy Costs. —The cost of subsidies and other financial support given by the British Government to farmers works out at about 2s 4d weekly for every man, woman and child in the country,—London, April 5.