RESTRICTIONS LIFTED SAPPERS’ ACHIEVEMENT

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22245, 14 January 1944, Page 2

RESTRICTIONS LIFTED

SAPPERS’ ACHIEVEMENT

SHOP WINDOW PROTECTION* CANBERRA, Jan. 13 Baffle walls and shop window and glass protections may now be removed in all Australian areas south of the Tropic of Capricorn, which runs about 350 miles north of Brisbane. This decision has been made on the recommendation of the Commonwealth Defence Committee, whose advice has previously been against the removal cf these precautions. If the cost of removing protecting walls and window screens exceeds £25 a Government permit must be obtained.

GREAT WORK IN ITALY (Received Jan. 14, 1 p.m.) LONDON, Jan. 13 During seven weeks over a stretch of 22 miles British and South African sappers in Italy built six bridges and three tunnels and put down 6000 lengths of rail and 46 sets of points and crossings. A 24 hours’ job is carried on and where German railway wrecking machines have been used the sappers have to make good the total destruction not only of bridges, railway and tunnels but sleepers. In one section of 12 miles enemy wreckers were most active. Twelve bridges were blown, including one of 24 spans, and 300 lengths of rail, and 25,000 sleepers were destroyed. In addition over one section of the track more than 1000 mines were taken up.