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Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 120, 22 May 1937, Page 9

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B.BX. BROADCAST

DESCRIPTION OF FLEET ILLUMINATIONS i- -- - - ,-

ANNOUNCER IN TEARS

Dnltad Pres9 Association— By. Electric Telegraph—Copyright.

LONDON, May 21,

The British Broadcasting Corporation's description of the Fleet illumination's at Spithead last night faded c/ut sensationally, after four, minutes, although it was scheduled for fifteen minutes. The commentator was Lieu-tenant-Commander t. Woodrooffe. a membei of the corporation's outside broadcasting staff

Commander Woodrooffe began: "The Fleet is all lit up—l mean with fairy lights. When I say lit up, I mean outlined with tiny lights." :.:■•.

■'. Then there was a pause, during' which murmuring was heard. He resumed': "Now they are gone. The whole Fleet has gone. Two hundred ships were here a ■ moment ago, and now we are left between sea and heaven. The whole Fleet is blotted out. A few minutes ago'it was all lit up'with fairy lights, ahd now the whole damn—sorry—the whole thing has gone." .'-

< Here the broadcast ended abruptly. The corporation was immediately inundated with telephone inquiries asking why the description had ceased.

Commander Woodrooffe. who had broadcast a description of the. Fleet review earlier in the day, issued the following y statement to the "News Chronicle:—"l had been ; taking the strain of broadcasting from/ Spithead throughout the day, and I had been broadcasting the whole show tonight. When I went to the foretopof H.M.S. Nelson to give descriptions of the illuminations I was so overcome by the occasion that I literally burst into tears and repeated mypelf many times. TrTen I found I could say no more."

The "Daily Mail" says it is understood that the. governors of |the British Broadcasting Corporation are to consider the incident today.

Commander Woodrooffe joined the corporation as a special commentator two yters ago. -. .

Lieut-Commander T. R. !B. Woodrooffe was bn the New Zealand station some years ago. He -was appointed from H.M.S. Curacoa to H.M.3. Philomel and is a South African by birth. He' had- seen service in China and at Mediterranean bases before coming to New Zealand, and at the time of his appointment had. just returned from Smyrna. During the war he served' in H.M.S. Resolution . and' later in H.M.S. Tenacious.