PLANES AID REBELS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 17977, 3 January 1933, Page 2

PLANES AID REBELS

BOMBERS DROP POOD CUT OFF BY FLOODS LONDON, Dec. 5. Rebel tribesmen in Iran who only a few months ago heard the wlnrr of R.A.F. machines with dread, to-day hear them approach with delight. Thousands of Arabs, including most of the former followers of the Siiielc of Barzdrt and of Sheik Mahmud, two insurgent leaders in Iraq, are cut of by the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates. The Arabs, with their wives, children, camels and flocks, are marooned by flood water on narrow strips of rising around along tbe two river valleys, iescue is impossible. Relief can only come from the air. , Officers and men of the R.A.l*. in iraq Arri eS’ch day making flights carryjW with them loads of ‘Mood bombs wfiich they drop on the little encampments. The “bombs” are, divided into sections containing a parachute, a quantity of food,- Water and firewood. When the “bomb” drops, the parachute opens and the much-needed supplies float slowly to earth among the Bombing machines are being used to save the lives of the stranded tribesmen Each food container , weighs lzu bounds, and more than 100 are dropped each day, according to the size of tne encampments. Loudspeakers, which were installed in the B.A.F. machines during the fighting to enable pilots who spoke the language to urge the rebels to give in, arq again being put to uSe., The machines fly low over the camps, arid the pilots tell the refugees that food and water are about to be dropped, and warn them not to get in the way of the tell them that more supplies 1 wifi be coriiirig on the following days, 1 and warn them that the rivers are still 1 rising, qnd that it is still unsafe foi them to move.