BRITISH CASUALTIES

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 109, 1 February 1940, Page 10

BRITISH CASUALTIES

First General List ACCIDENTS AND DISEASE (British Official Wireless.) (Received January 31, 7.5 p.m. I RUGBY, January 30. The Secretary for War, Mr. Oliver Stanley, stated in the House of Commons that casualty lists will be published from time to time. They will lie of arbitrary length, covering casualties in all the war theatres and not referring to any particular engagements. There are usually no indications of the date and circumstances in which a casualty has occurred. The first list, covering the period to December 31, will be issued tomorrow and will contain -10 names of persons killed and wounded to that date. The list will also include 720 deaths from accident and disease at home or overseas during the same period. Those dead include GO officers, 673 other ranks and one nurse.

Mr. Stanley said there was no undue number of deaths from disease, the number being about what was to lie expected in (he circumstances, though there had been a number of regrettable deaths from traffic accidents. It is announced that those reported as having died were victims of accident or disease at home and overseas. . According to informed quarters the London death rate per thousand men serving has remained practically stationary over the four war months and is only slightly higher than the pre-war average. Some 70 per cent, of the accidental deaths occurred in Britain, for which the black-out has been to some extent responsible.

It is officially announced that Lieutenant F. G. Everitt. of the Royal Norfolk Regiment, died in Germany on January 9 from wounds received on active service. lie was the first British officer to fall on the Western Froid.

[lt was reported on Jauuary 9 that mi official announcement in Berlin said that the first British officer to be captured on Hie Western Front was an artilleryman who was found seriously wounded. He (lied in hospital. I BLACK-OUT SPEED LIMIT (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 30. Au order under tlie defence regulations imposing a speed limit of 20 miles an hour in built-up areas djtring black-outs has now been made by the Ministry of Transport and is to operate from February J.