HON. F. JONES

Grey River Argus, 11 June 1943, Page 6

HON. F. JONES

SEES DOVER’S BIG GUNS.

AND N.Z. SERVICEMEN. LONDON, June 9.

Hon. F. Jones glimpsed France through the haze when he visited Dover defences. He saw big guns which frequently engage m longrange duels with the Germans. One gun fii'ed several practice rounds, enabling Mr Jones to watch the speed and efficiency with which they are manned and handled. Mr Jones met Warrant Officer D. Greenslfide of Dunedin, who was awarded the M. for efficiency while serving with the battery. Mr Jones boarded a motor-torpedo-boat commanded by Sub-Lieutenant K. H. MacKenzie of Christchurch; and with Lieutenant O. V. Fisher, of Auckland; and. Sub-Lieutenants I. G. Wilson (Christchurch), A. H. Newton (Wellington), visited a mo-tor-boat base where crews are always ready to dash out into the Channel at a moment’s notice. On the following day. Mr Jones visited H.M.S. “King Alfred,” where some nine hundred members of the R.N.Z. N. have been commissioned. He called at an Australian and New Zealand reception centre, where airmen go on arrival from Australia and New Zealand, also Canada. He talked with 130 New Zealanders, who had recently arrived. Mr Jones paid a special visit to the famous Biggin Hill Station, to meet Wing-Commander Alan Deere, DS.O., D.F.C. and Bar; SquadronLeader J. Clouston (Wellington) and Flight-Lieutenant J'. Checketts (Invercargill). „ . Mr. Jones, whose stay in Britain is drawing to a close, met the Queen at the Allied Nations Summer fair for the Red Cross. Her Majesty said she had heard that Mr. Jones recently returned from North Africa, and his tour. Her Majesty also ta.-rnd to Mr. and Mrs. Jordan. Many New Zealanders assisted at the British Commonwealth stall. Mr. Jones recently' met Mr. Attlee. General Alexander, Air Vice-Marshal R. A. Cochrane, Lord Bledisloe, Lady Jellicoe, Air Marshal. Sir Arthur Longmore, and Lady Wiilingdon. Mr. Jones heard the sirens sounding the alert on both daylight and night raids while in England, and cancelled plans saved nim several possible exoeriences. For instance at Gibraltar, he nearly) caught the American flying boat which is still reported missing. He was going to an east coast town- when a message from General Freyberg resulted in his cancelling the appointment , ano going to North Africa' instead. That day, the town was bombed and twenty-four A.T.S 1 . were killed. Recently, Mr. Jones was invited to a south coast town, but was unable to accept. On the same day, bombs killed several people in that town. At Plymouth Mr. Jones saw a German raider at twenty thousand feet and also heard an alert at Dover. Several times he listened to London’s guns. ______