WAR ITEMS

Grey River Argus, 21 November 1942, Page 2

WAR ITEMS

[\British Official Wireless] LONDON, Nov. 17. Reports from Turkey say there is a. wave of grumbling and criticism in the German Army. Dr Ley countered this with a manifesto in “Der Angriff” which says: Thoughts about high strategy have- nothing to do with the ordinary soldier. He must nave a fanatical belief in the right and might of his cause, and stick to the strictest discipline. RUGBY, Nov. 17.

The George Cross has been awarded to Lieutenant Dennis Copperwheat, a naval officer whose act of gallantry averted a disaster at Malta. Enemy bombs had set fire to an ammunition ship in th e Grand Harbour at Valetta. Flames threatened to detonate the cargo of explosives and damage Valetta. Lieutenant Copperwheat while the air raid continued, led a party which put a launch alongside the burning ship, the plate of which were red hot. Some of the ammunition was

exploding. The party slung scuttling charges over the sides of the ship and then Lieutenant Copperwheat, singlehanded, set them off with an electric cable from an exposed firing position on the beach. Although he was lying face downwards, the explosion blew him head over heels, but he escaped injury Much of the ammunition from the ship was saved, and was soon afterwards dropped on Italv.