BRITISH IN MALAYA

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 92, 19 April 1941, Page 10

BRITISH IN MALAYA

NEW AMERICAN FIGHTERS

MANY ARRIVING

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright.)

(Received April 19,12.40 p.m.) SINGAPORE, April 18.

It is officially xevealed that a large number of the latest American Brewster Buffalo fighters have arrived ■in Singapore and are already in service with the R.A.F. in Malaya.

Correspondents today at one aerodrome saw dozens of Buffaloes on the assembly line. As fast as, they are compjeted and tested they are dispatched to Malayan fighter squadrons. These, with other British and American machines already in Malaya, make the air defences of Malaya infinitely more powerful thari- they have ever been before.

A news agency report from Tokio reveals that United States island air bases are being used for flight delivery of long-range Consolidated flyingboats from California for British defence strong posts in the south-west Pacific. The Domei report adds that well-known United States pilots who are participating in the deliveries include Clyde Pangborn and Bernt Balchen.

In Batavia the Netherlands. Foreign. Minister, Mr. Van Kleffens, and the Colonial Minister, Mr. Welter, announced that the Netherlands East Indies .navy would be reinforced as a result of the activities of Canada and the United States, and that the East Indies merchant fleet would also, shortly be expanded. The personnel of the Netherlands Government in London would be increased by experts from the Indies.