FAMOUS PEOPLE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 56, 16 March 1943, Page 2

FAMOUS PEOPLE

LT.-GEN. SIR W. POBBIE FORMER MALTA GOVERNOR Malta's former Governor and Com-mander-in-Chief, General Sir William Dobbie, is seen in a recent 'illustration, broadcasting to British Broadcasting Corporation listeners about the world's most bombed island . As is well known, Sir William, during his Governorship, made the welfare of all on the island his keen concern. He visited the islanders- in the natural rock-shelters, he. encouraged their galla nt spirit of both the olvil and the lighting population and. did all possible to mitigate the hardships and inconveniences they had perforce to suffer. His retirement has not lessened his interest in the island, to which the lv:ng awarded the George Cross to mark its people's persistent courage and endurance. During his term of office, Sir William Dobbie took a close interest in the; BBC Sunday programme "Calling the Forces in Malta.'' Of tlvis Alick Hayes, producer of the programme,, had first-class evidence. This programme for the troops includes a feature of intimate interest to the men—"Home Town." It is run by a true cockney character, Ronnie Shiner (a former Lance-Cor-poral in the Mountics).. Each week he calls men from a given town, which he has specially \isitcd and gives them items of news about their families and their homes. Hayes (an ex-soldier of this war) once wrote to the then Governor to ask whether he and Shiner might ' include a visit to Sir William's "home town." They received an answer written in the General's own hand. It was many years, it said, since Sir William had lived in England (he was for some time in the East before he was appointed to Malta) and he no' longer had a "home town." But,, he added, his son was in Britain and he was asking him to communicate with Hayes.. Accordingly, the producer and Ronald Shiner were invited to lunch with Lieutenant. Colonel Dobbie, at a London club. The two ex-N.C.O.'S were in some trepidation lest the ; atmosphere should be very "brasshat..* Their host—a sapper—proved to uc a very genial one, keenly interested in gardening, which is Shiner's favourite hobby. When the sweet proved to be rhubarb,, the conversation, to Haye's astonishment, became a duologue between the other two as to the best. Avay to grow it and the relative merits of hot versus cokl manure.