HAZARDOUS TRIP

Evening Star, Issue 23666, 28 August 1940, Page 8

HAZARDOUS TRIP

AMERICAN LEGION S VOYAGE OUT OF DANGER ZONE NEW YORK, August 27. (Received August 28, at 2 p.m.) The American Legion, now 600 miles off New York, was picked up by two American destroyers. The 870 refugees cheered the destroyers' arrival after a hazardous trip in which they were first escorted by Finnish patrol ships through a Russian minefield, and then by British ships and planes through minefields in the Scotland area. The passengers wore lifebelts constantly and held repeated boat drills. ROUTE ACROSS SAHARA TO DE OPENED BY FRENCH LONDON, August 27. (Received August 28, at 2 p.m.) The Lyons radio stated that the British. blockade of Atlantic ports stopped French traffic . between Marseilles and Dakar, and between Dakar and Algeria. The French authorities were consequently trying to divert traffic from sea to land connections. The main route across the Sahara would be opened. SHIPPING LOSSES SLIGHTLY ABOVE WEEKLY AVERAGE LONDON, August 27. (Received August 28, at 10 a.m.) Mercantile losses for the week ended August 18 were:—British, 10 ships, 41,175 tons; Allied, one ship, 7,590 tons; neutral, two ships, 4,134 tons. This tonnage is slightly above the weekly average since the outbreak of the war. It is authoritatively stated' that the German claim to have sunk a destroyer of the Viscount class is untrue. INMAN OCEAN RAIDER PROBABLY ARMED MERCHANTMAN NARVIK LONDON, August 27. (Received August 28, wit 1.30 p.m.) The ‘ Daily Telegraph ’ says it seems reasonable to assume that .the raider which, according to reports from the Mackay Radio, shelled the British Commander in the Indian Ocean is the armed merchantman Narvik, which engaged the Alcantara. She apparently followed a similar course to the Graf Spec. TWICE DECORATED AIRMAN'S FINE RECORD LONDON, August 27. (Received August 28, at 10 a.m.) The D.S.C. has been awarded to Squadron-leader M. Crossley, of Warwickshire, who has destroyed 18 enemy planes, and possibly another five. He won the D.F.C. for gallantry in June. The citation on Squadron-leader Crossely’s decoration says that he has flown almost continuously since the start of the war, and since May has participated in engagements over Holland, Belgium, and France including patrols over Dunkirk and St. Valery during the evacuation operations. Earlier this month, he destroyed two Junkers 88 over Portsmouth, and assisted in the destruction of another over Croydon. During the latter engagement he encountered another Junker 88, and having expended all his ammunition acted as an above guard until two of his section finally destroyed it. Next day he destroyed three enemy aircraft. Crossley, who was born in 1912 and educated at Eton and the Chelsea College of Aeronautical Engineering, was awarded the D.F.O. in June for gallantry when he sighted a patrol of 17 Heinkel Ill’s and as the result of the engagement seven enemy bombers were destroyed of which Crossley brought down two. AUCKLANDER HONOURED AWARDED D.F.C. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 27. (Received August 28, at 11 a.m.) R.A.F. awards include the D.F.C. for Pilot-officer J. A. Gibson, of Auckland. The citation states that while patrolling over Dover he engaged and destroyed a Junkers plane and was afterwards himself shot down. Although his aircraft was in flames, he steerd away from Folkestone, not abandoning the plane until he had descended to I,oooft. He has now destroyed eight enemy planes.