ITALIAN PLANES CAPTURED

Southland Times, Issue 24165, 29 June 1940, Page 5

ITALIAN PLANES CAPTURED

Skill Of British Pilot

BOMBER CREW TAKEN BY SOMALIS

(British Official Wireless) (Received June 28, 7.30 p.m.) RUGBY, June 28.

According to reports from Aden considerable interest has been created locally by the presence of a captured Italian bomber which was recently flown 150 miles back from a place in the desert where it had been forced down by a British pilot who first captured the Italian crew of five. There was a large crowd all day round the trimotored Italian aeroplane. Incidentally, ■the action of the British pilot in taking off from the desert in an aircraft of which he had had no experience, drew a tribute of professional admiration from the Italian pilot. He called his captor “Homo fantistico.” It is also reported from Aden that news was received there that another Italian bomber after the same unsuccessful raid towards Aden on June 12 made a forced landing in French Somaliland and was seen by a pair of Somali militiamen. Despite fire from the bomber’s machine-guns, the Somalis gradually crept up and forced the three suviving members of the crew to surrender. One Somali marched them to the nearest post while the other guarded the aircraft.

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS IN LONDON (Received June 28, 7.30 p.m.) LONDON, June 27. Sir Hugh Walpole, who was born in New Zealand, acted as guide to a party of New Zealand soldiers sightseeing in London. Sir Hugh showed them over St. Paul’s Cathedral and the Tower of London, the House of Commons and Westminster Abbey and many other sights. The New Zealand War Seirvices Association also conducted parties on river trips and elsewhere. The Secretary for War, Mr R. A. Eden, visited the New Zealanders at their camp. He met Major-General B. C. Freyberg, talked with the officers and men and watched the training. Later he paid a brief visit to the Australian unit.

The first Anzacs to meet Royalty in England were about a score of men who were writing letters in the Victoria League Club, London, when the Queen visited the club, which is open only to rankers of the Dominion forces. The New Zealand High Commissioner in London, Mr W. J. Jordan, and Mrs Jordan, were among the members of the committee who welcomed her Majesty. A number of officers formed a guard of honour. The Queen talked with most of the Anzacs and was photographed with them. BELGIUM NEGOTIATES WITH ENEMY (Received June 28, 10.30 p.m.) BORDEAUX, June 28. The Prime Minister of Belgium (M. Hubert Pierlot) announced in a broadcast that as France was no longer fighting the Belgian Government was now negotiating with Germany and the authorities in Belgium with the object of securing the repatriation of Belgian officers, men, civil servants and refugees.