IN BRITISH HANDS

Evening Star, Issue 25469, 27 April 1945, Page 5

IN BRITISH HANDS

CITY OF BREMER FALLS GREAT WELCOME FROM CIVILIANS SCDTS STRUT AMONGST THE RUBBLE (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, April 26. The ruins of Bremen are in the hands of the British Second Army. The enemy is still holding out in the dock area, but is under heavy attack. Bremen is described as a " rubbish heap," and amid the ruins Scottish troops are now playing "their bagpipes. It was owing to the dash, spirit, and valour of Scottish and English troops that Bremen was taken without an excessive number of casualties. The whole of the city, on both banks of the river Wesen has been cleared, and good progress is being made in mopping up the dock area, cables a correspondant in the city. News of the surrender spread rapidly 'through the city, and people appeared on the .streets as if from nowhere. In the centre of the city the people stood in groups at most street corners. At some points it was more like the liberation of an Allied city as the people waved and cheered to the troops, and offered them wine and bra udv looted from store.s.

As the troops pushed into the centre of the city they were met by police and officials, who rushed into the roadway, shouting: " Please, we want to surrendci."

The people began to dribble into the streets from the shelters. Tt is said there are still 300,000 civilians in the city who have been living in the cellars and big community shelters. The troops said that a,s they advanced through the city during the night they saw onlv a few civilians, some of whom fired on them. They also caught a party of women trying to lay mines in a street. The majority of the people appeared to be extremely relieved by the arrival of the British troops. One of the burgomaster's assistants said the main force of the enemy pulled out,of the city during the night.