JOURNEY OF 10,000 MILES
R.A.P. PUTS ON A SHOW
(Rec. 11 a.m.) RUGBY, Feb. 7. Mi-. Churchill has returned to London after his visits to Casablanca, Adana, Cyprus, and the Middle East, occupying him nearly a month. At Paddington Station he was met by Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, the Turkish Ambassador, High Commissioners, and many high officers. The keenest expectancy has been aroused by the staff conferences with American, French, and Turkish leaders, but although there is a hope that Mr. Churchill may be able to say something about them in Parliament, it is realised that their exact significance will not be revealed until the decisions taken have been translated into action. Mr. Churchill arrived in London by train, but most of his 10,000 miles journey was made in a specially-adapted Liberator, fittingly named "Commando." On its nose it snowed a "milestone" of its recent travels, with the Turkish Crescent now added to the Hammer and Sickle which commemorated the Moscow visit last year. There was a spectacular scene as Mr. Churchill arrived at an appointed R.A.F.*sairfield. Suddenly over the airfield flew a squadron of Spitfires, weaving, circling, and, swooping past the giant Liberator. l As the Liberator touched down in a perfect landing, the squadron went over in close formation, and finally as Mr. Churchill stepped out they roared over very low, in perfect formation, dipping as they went in a parting salute. This escort had picked up Mr. Churchill's aircraft when it reached the English coast. The Prime Minister was welcomed officially by Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal and by the air officer commanding the group and the station commander. On the homeward trip Mr. Churchill as usual spent some time with the crew on the bridge, and for about half an hour after the take-off sat with the pilot, Captain Van der Kloot, the American who had taken him on so many previous journeys. After breakfast he again joined the pilots for the landfall, which was made exactly to the calculated minute, and was still on the bridge when the aircraft land^ed. He was accompanied in the airt craft only by his staff. General Sir Alan Brooke, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, had arrived some time earlier in another Liberator.—B.O.W.
JOURNEY OF 10,000 MILES
Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1943, Page 5
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