FIGHTING BACK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 225, 14 October 1940, Page 2

FIGHTING BACK

"LONDON CAN TAKE IT" HIGH SPIRITS OF PEOPLE Some of the impressions he ji r ,as gained of war-time London since his arrival there a few weeks ago Overseas Commissioner in charge of Patriotic Funds, were given by Coolnel F. Waite, M.L C., in a broad cast address from Daventry. Colonel Waite, besides giving some vidicl accounts of air battles he had seen over the English emphasised the wonderful spirit of determination and courage with which Londoners were facing the constant bombing attacks. •'England, and particularly London," he said, "is fighting back. There is no defeatism here, and Lon doners are proving not only that they can take it but that they hand it back. ' Hitler was supposed to have invaded this country on August 15, but there is no sign of him yet. Wherever the little man is, he is not here. He is probably being treated for what psychologists call •frustration.'

Colonel Waite said that on his arrival in England he noticed that there was plenty of food. In the port at which his ship arrived he saw shop windows full of fish and it was fresh fish, because he smelled it to see. And it proved that the fishermen of England were carrying on in spite of Hun submarines, Hun bombers and their own British mines. It was the same with food. Very few commodities were rationed and one could go into a restaurant and order a full meal without any trouble. j Damage Comparatively Small, "The second battle of London . started the day after I arrived," Colonel Waite said, "and although the sound of smashing houses and buildings wfis appalling, London is so big that the amount of damage is comparatively small and the military damage negligible. "The suffering of individuals is j real, of course, arid the effect of raids on densely populated parts of the city is terrible, but London is fighting back." He saw his first dog fight over London during a raid, and the machines looked like silver mpths away up in the blue sky. And at night there was- a huge glow overhead which was caused by big fires in warehouses near the river. The German bombers tried to widen and deepen the area of fire, but literally hundreds ot fire-fighting units went into action at high speed. Colonel Waite said he had been in a picture theatre during that night raid and the film had been stopped for long intervals on several occasionsj but he had seen it through, ' and had then gone home and "slept ] like a lop." 1 | "For three days last week, " he said, "I visited. Kent and the south- 1 east coast and there. I' saw Messer- ' schmitts in all conditions. In one j place I saw six that had been brought down by our fighters. There

was certainly no doubt about the number of-Nazi 'planes that had been shot down that day. They lost over 100. Our "fighters met the raiders long before they got to London, believing that attack is the best defence, and I saw them diving and swooping all over the sky. Four planes, three of theirs and one of ours, fell as I watched the fight." Colonel Waite also spoke of the I New Zealand troops in England. There were few in London just now. most of them being in the field, but those, who were there made good use of the jScav Zealand Forces' Club, where they were well looked after by New Zealanders living in London. They Avere well fed and happ3 r , and were just waiting for the Hun. It Avas unusual that at the present time the soldiers Avere out in the country away from the <*ir raids Av,hile the civilians Avere being bombed by day and night. At j any moment, ot course, the position | might be reversed. The Real Heroes. "The real heroes and heroines," said Colonel Waite, "are on the Lon don front. There the anti-aircraft guns bark and throb all night, while the bombs crash on the city. t)ne has to be very tired to get any sleep at. all, but the spirit of the people remains high." He paid a tribute to the unceas-' ing work under difficulties of the I London bus drivers, the bomb disposal squads, and the Home Guard, rhe last-named, he said, used to have fun poked at them, but they -ompiised a formidable force, arm-

ert with rifles. Iji the darkness of night they went to their posts and guarded bridges, high ground and other strategic points. They would not let the Hun past, beacusc they were Englishmen. And Sir Alexander Godley was a full-fledged private in the Guard and proud of it. "The quiet heroism of the women of London/' said Colonel Waite in conclusion, "is a thing to wonder at and it has permitted the men to see just how these womenfolk conw duct themselves at a time like this. I can best sum up the spirit of the Londoners by telling you this story. The King visited the East E!nd of London just after the bombing of Buckingham Palace, and a called out to him, 'You are a great King. Quickly the King replied, 'And you are a great people.'"