PRISONERS IN ITALY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20493, 1 March 1941, Page 5

PRISONERS IN ITALY

BRITISH AIR OFFICERS “LUCKY TO BE ALIVE” KINDNESS OF CAPTORS (British Official Wireless.) Reed. 9 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 28. Flight-Lieutenant .1. L. Leeming, one of the founders of the Lancashire Aero Club who, with Air ViceMarshal O. T. Boyd, was taken prisoner when the aircraft in which they were flying to Egypt was forced to land in Italy, has written a typically cheerful letter to Royal Air Force friends at home. The letter was reproduced by the Air Ministry , news service. “We are, of course, very depressed at what happened,” Flight-Lieutenant Leeming writes. “However, it might have turned out much worse. We are lucky to be alive and so well treated. The people here have been very kind and we are comfortable. We play cards and draughts. We have made ourselves a draught board and are teaching ourselves Italian and we walk. It is 95 paces around the garden and it takes 50 seconds to walk. Yesterday we calculated wo walked five miles.” Flight-Lieutenant Leeming was personal assistant to Air Vice-Marshal Boyd who was on the way out to Egypt to take up duties as deputy air officer commanding the Royal Air Force in the Middle East when he was taken prisoner. He is the author of a well-known children's book “Claudius The Bee.” The letter was written on January 1 and reached England a few days ago.