ATTACKS ON BRITAIN

Grey River Argus, 3 August 1940, Page 7

ATTACKS ON BRITAIN

BY GERMAN AIRCRAFT Towns Bombed [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, August 1Th e Ministry of Home Security reports that apart from a single plane which bombed Norwich, enemy activity to-day was confined to occasional flights over the Engiisn Channel. LONDON, August I. The Air Ministry states: A single enemy plane bombed Norwich to-day. Industrial premises were damageu, and there were a number of civilian casualties, including several killed.

LATER. Five were killed in the Norwich bombing. The Norwich air-raider appeared suddenly from clouds. If machinegunned the town and dropped bombs, then gave a parting burst of gunfire, before making off. One bomb demolished part of a warehouse. Another, a few yarns away, hit a building, hurling parts of it a considerable distance. A third bomb wrecked a restaurant, whicn shortly before was full of people. The explosion lifted off the roof, and shattered windows a quarter or o mile away. ANOTHER RAID. LONDON, August 1. A German plane raided a southeastern town this afternoon. Bullets shattered shop and house windowsA bomb started a fire. There were som e casualties. Two German planes were shot down over the Channel this evening. One of our patrol fighters is missing. A Sunderland flying-boat of the Royal Australian Air Force three times repelled enemy air attacks on a convoy it was escorting yesterday An aircraft of the Coastal Command, engaged in a reconnaissance ovet Norway, failed to return Sir J. Anderson, in the Commons, said that 42 of the persons killed in air-raids during the month beginning on June IS were women, ana seven were children under the age of 16 years. Ninety-one of those injured wer e women and 16 were children. THE GERMAN VERSION. BERLIN. August 1A. communique states: The weather hindered air activity yesterday. We i bombed an armed merchantman . ffi the Channel, and west of the Scillies Night attacks were directed against shipping and port equipment in the south of England, also against searchlight positions, and caused explosions and fires. Messerschmitts, without loss, engaged Spitfires near Dover. THURSDAY NIGHT RAID. LONDON, August IEnemy planes were over the northeast of Scotland and the south-west and south-east of England to-night. Thursday Night Raids ENGLAND. WALES AND SCOTLAND. FEW CASUALTIES. (Received August 3, 12.2 a.m.) LONDON. August 2The Ministry of Home Security reports as follows: — During Thursday night enemy aircraft bombed a few scattered pointe in Wales, in eastern Scotland, and m East Anglia. Th e damage was slight, and the casualties were few. Leaflets containing extracts from Herr Hitler’s recent Reichstag speech also fell in some southern and soutnwestern districts of England. “Last Appeal to Reason” GERMANS DROP LEAFLETS. OVER ENGLAND. (Received August 2, 7.30 p.m.). LONDON, August 2. German planes late on Thursday night, dropped thousands of leaflets in England, containing the speech which Herr Hitler delivered on July 19. The leaflets were dropped in the south-east and the south-west of England. The leaflets are headed: “A Last Appeal to Reason.” They suggested that the British public had no knowledge of Herr Hitler’s speech.

ROYAL INSPECTION, [British Official Wireless] RUGBY, August 1 During a tour of north-east England the King and Queen visited Hui., and drov e down a street where German bombs had demolished one house and partially wrecked two others. The inhabitants of this street greeted Their 'Majesties, and told them their experiences. The King asked one 15-years-old boy if he was frightened, and th e child answered, with a smile, “No, sir ”

Many residents praised the efficiency of th e sic-el shelters. At one house, which was partially demolished by a bomb, a mother with a child of seven years was in a shelter, when what they described as a “terrific explosion” happened. They looked out and saw the ruins of their "house. Their Majesties congratulated them on their escape. The Duke of Kent visited an R.A.F. station in East Anglia, and met officers and airmen of General do Gaulle’s Army of free Frenchmen, who have taken part in recent operations over Germany. He made a complete tour of the station, in his capacity of welfare officer. The Duke of Gloucester visited d> fences and troops • on the southeastern coast. Field-Marshal Sir Edmund Ironside who was succeeded at the week-end a s Commander-in-Chief of the Home Forces by Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Brooke, has been placed on half pay of £1,629 a year while he is not employed, EVACUATION AREAS. [British Official Wireless.] RUGBY, August 1. Certain areas in East Anglia and

the south-east coast of England have been declared evacuation arias u> the Ministry of Home Security. Mr. Bevin, in the Commons, ’ discussing the establishment of an international labour force, said: Britishers will ‘have preference, but 1 am extremely short of skilled workers at present, and by using the skill or a number of these people, I will actually be putting Britishers to work. Sir J. Anderson announced that 192 German and Austrian refugees have been released. CHILD MIGRANTS. LBritish official Wireless] RUGBY, August 1. It is reported that the ol Argentina has pubhsned a aecr.v authorising the immigration into Argentina of a number of children from tile United Kingdom. This action is very much appreciated in London, wher e it is regarded as a very generous token oi practical sympathy. EMPLOYMENT SCHEME. RUGBY, August 1. The Minister of Labour announced, in the Commons, that he had decided, with a view to organising the manpower of the. Allied nations., and other well-disposed persons oi’ toreign nationality in Britain, to set up an International Labour Branch, as pai l othe Employment Department of tin.Ministry. The branch would have headquarters at a separate office in London, and would oe administered with the aavice and assistance of an advisory committee, which would include trade union representatives from foreign countries. Mr. Bevin said it would b e part of the function of the new Internationa; Labour Branch to obtain full knowledge of persons available lor employment, and to seek-suitable openings for them in industrial or other work. EMERGENCY COURTS. RUGBY, August 1. The Commons agreed to an amendment to the Bill setting up Emergency Courts, whereby all cases in which the death penalty is inflicted, will be reviewed by a tribunal consisting of not fewer than three persons who hold, or have held, hign judicial office. This tribunal wotuu also review such other caws as the regulations provided.

Sir J. Anaerson said that the regulations proposed to be made under the Bill would be submitted for informal discussion, between representatives of the Government ajffi certain members of Parliament Answering questions in th; Commons, during th e consideration of tne Lords' amendment to the Bill sett.iiy up Emergency Courts, Sir J- Anderson said it was proposed that stepe should be immediately taken to provide such a number of Emergency Courts as are likely to be required, but the actual coming into operation of any Court would be dependent on the declaration by the appropriate Ministry of State, of an emergency in any particular area. Sir J. Anderson added that thregulations under the Bill were ready, and h e hoped that the promised consultation on them would be enterea into at once, so that they could be passed in the course of next week. PURCHASE TAX. RUGBY, August J. The Chancellor of the Exchequer stated, in the Commons, that the revenue estimated from the application of the purchase tax in a full year, to newspapers and books, was between £3,250,000 and £3,500,000 from all newspapers and periodicals, and between £1,000,000 and £1,250,000 from books. OVERSEAS GIFTS. RUGBY, August 1. Included in £12,000 which has been contributed in Fiji to the Bombei Fund are contributions from the employees of the Theodore Mining Group. At meetings held by the mining employees, it was agreed that the European employees should contribute three days’ pay each, and the Fijian, Indian, and Chinese employees should contribute on e day’s pay each. The response is rightly regarded as being extraordinarily fine. A total or £lO 000 has been subscribed in three days in the Bahamas, for purchasing Hurricane fighters. Lord Lloyd has conveyed the Government’s thanks to the Bahamas War Committee A further donation of £1250 from the Cyprus Fighter Plane Fund h.as been gratefully accepted by the British Government