Parachutes Just A Nazi Trick

Northern Advocate, 16 August 1940, Page 5

Parachutes Just A Nazi Trick

[British Official Wireless] (Received 2 p.m.) RUGBY. August 15. It is understood in authoritative quarters that the dropping of a number of parachutes by enemy aircraft during the night of August 13-14 has been further investigated. A large number of parachutes were dropped in widely separated areas. Some fell in their containers, others landed on roof-tops or in the tops of trees. In many instances the harness find not been undone. Seen Falling. In some places empty parachutes were seen falling and the Home Guard were on the spot to pick them up on landing. In addition, bags containing instructions purporting to be operation orders were found. At least one bag was dropped in a place and under circumstances which made ft obvious that the Germans intended the bag to fall into the hands of the military authorities. Documents contained in these bags have been examined and they are clearly not genuine instructions. German Intentions. It is evident that the whole incident has been organised by the Germans partly for the purpose of spreading alarm, which it has noticeably failed to do. and partly as an aid to their defeatist propaganda, which they, for a long time, have been attempting to carry out m this country by wireless and other means. If any further evidence than this were needed it could be found in a false account of the affair by a German broadcasting station masquerading as a British broadcasting station, which evidently had been prepared before the incident took place. Failed to Undermine Morale. The whole incident is considered by authoritative quarters to be no more than an effort on the part of the enemy to undermine the British morale. On the contrary it provided outstanding proof of the vigilance and efficiency of the organisation, including the Heme Guard, designed to deal with possible parachute landings.

Troops on foot and in armoured cars and lorries mounting Bren guns are searching the Midlands and Scotland for German parachutists. Patrols and Home Guards from villages around a Midlands market town reported grey shapes floating from the sky at midnight on Tuesday. All the parachutes found were complete with harness, and two were neatly folded. Church bells broke the silence of weeks as they tolled out the warning: “Beware of parachutists.” Believed to be Hoax. A Home Guard in Ihe Midlands saw a parachute drop a few hundred feet away from him. He crawled under cover to the spot, but saw no trace of a parachutist. It is now believed the parachutes were dropped as an invasion hoax, designed to cause panic. The German radio today launched violent threats of invasion against Britain. The recent air raids were described as a necessary preliminary to invasion. "Troops who go to England will comprise infantry, artillery and motorised units,” stated the broadcast. It derided Britain's shore defences, and recalled the uselessness of the British fortifications on the FrancoBelgian- frontier.