RAF. FLIGHTS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 26 October 1939, Page 5

RAF. FLIGHTS

RECONNAISSANCE WORK OVER GERMANY BERLIN, HAMBURG AND MAGDEBURG VISITED ALL PLANES RETURN *17.?. A By Electric Telegraph— Copyright! (Received 26th October, 10.45 a.m.) LONDON. 25th October. Further Royal Air Force reconnaissance flights over Germany were announced last night. The Air Ministry communique stated that reconnaissance flights had taken place in the past 24 hours over Hamburg. Berlin, and Madgeburg, which is 88 miles south-west of Berlin. Madgeburg is a prominent industrial centre. The first place among its industries is taken by the ironworks, one being a branch of the Krup\i firm, which produces armour and machinery. It is understood that all the Royal Air Force planes which made the night reconnaissance flights returned safely. Referring to the Royal Air Rorce reconnaissance flights last night over Berlin, Madgeburg and Hamburg, evening newspapers find food for reflection in the fact that at the very hour when Herr von Ribbentrop at Danzig was boasting of Nazi might as exemplified in the overthrow of Poland, Britain’s air power was again being demonstrated to the German people unmistakably, but mercifully. BRITISH MACHINES SUPERIOR Praise for the Royal Air Force is accorded by a writer in the “Petit Parisien.” Commenting on a recent air battle over the Western Front he said that the British planes had to date proved far superior to the German Messerschmitt. The writer added that the German squadrons had not shown very convincing results. R.A.F. CASUALTY LIST WELLINGTON PILOT KILLED IN ACTION (Received 26th October, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, 26th October. Flying Officer C. H. Clark, of Wellington, killed in action, heads the Air Ministry’s seventh casualty list which does not contain others from the Dominion in the total killed in action. Four were killed on active service, eight are missing and eleven are missing, 'believed to have been killed.

PILOT OFFICER EDWARDS LETTER FROM GERMAN PRISON CAMP (Received 26th October, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, 25th October. Pilot Officer Edwards, the New Zealander who was captured by the Germans after the Kiel raid by the R.A.F.. writing from a prison camp to friends in London raid he found the German officers and men “good scouts.” He was treated very well and the camp was comfortable, containing a fenced area for exercising. His chief pastime was bridge. Pilot-Officer Edwards asked his friends to send tinned meats, paste and cigarettes MINISTRY OFInFORMATION DEFENDED BY LORD MACMILLAN FURTHER CHANGES PROBABLE fbritisb Official WfreleMl (Received 26th October, 11.0 a.m.) RUGBY, 25th October. Lord Camrose, assistant to the Minister of Information, in the House of Lords announced that he was relinquishing his official position in the Ministry of Information which should now function smoothly if Lord Macmillan was given a fair chance. He added that the number of responsible officials was being reduced by 30 per cent. This discounts the report that Lord MacMillan is resigning. He was probably confused with Lord Camrose. Lord MacMillan, defending the Ministry, said that rearrangements reduced salaries by £46,000 annually. Further changes might be expected, including more assistance from journalists. The Ministry had achieved the doubling of the number of press attaches abroad, of which Britain had eighteen before the war. “My opposite number, Dr. Goebbels. had as many, with hordes of agents in Germany and spent at least £6.000,000 annually on propaganda in the past six years,” the Minister stated. AUXILIARY PIONEER CORPS 35-50 AGE GROUP INVITED TO JOIN (Received 26th October, 11 a.m ) LONDON, 25th October. The recrutiing authorities have incited men aged 35 to 50 for an auxiliary Pioneer Corps to ensure the continuity of supplies to the troops at home and abroad. TREATY WITH TURKEY EARLY RATIFICATION DESIRED MR CHAMBERLAINS STATEMENT I British Official WireleMl (Received 26th October, 10.0 a.m.) RUGBY, 25th October. Replying to Mr C. R. Attlee, Leader of the Labour Opposition, in the House of Commons, Mr Chamberlain, Prime Minister, said it was usual for treaties to be laid before the House for twentyone days before ratification, but “in view of the exceptional circumstances of the present case it is desired that the Anglo-Turkish Treaty should be ratified as soon as possible. We therefore propose to submit the treaty for His Majesty’s signature at once, and exchange instruments of ratification at Ankara next week.” ARGENTINE MEAT SHIPMENTS TO BRITAIN fU P A.— By Electric Teleeranh._ry»pvrisrhtn LONDON, 24th October. It was announced in the House of Commons that an agreement had been reached covering the shipment of 200,000 tons of frozen beef and lamb from Argentina during the period from Ist November to 31st January. SPIES IN FRANCE ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH LIFE IMPRISONMENT FOR OTHERS PARIS. 25th October. Louis Nade, railwayman, aged 50 was sentenced to death to-dav for communicating military secrets to the enemy. A military court also sentenced three spies to life imprisonment.