WHITE FEATHER FOR DUKE

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 7

WHITE FEATHER FOR DUKE

INSULT WAS IGNORED The Duke of Kent, it was disclosed, was presented with a white feather early in the war. The story of the insult was released recently among a number of other news items previously withheld. The Duke was digging in the garden, of his country home while snatching a few hours’ leave, when the enemy sirens shrieked. Observing enemy planes approaching, with the white puffs of antiaircraft shells bursting around them, the Duke took cover jn a shelter. After the raid he' came out into the garden to find shell splinters near the spot where fie had been digging. And then he remembered a letter a servant had handed him a few minutes before the raid. He had put it in his pocket unopened. In the envelope, forwarded from his London house, the Duke _ found an anonymous note—and a white feather. “ Why don’t you do your hit like your brothers?” was the message scrawled on a piece of notepaper. The Duke said nothing. He went back to his job.. Another event about which secrecy was maintained occurred some few days before Italy entered the war. A British convoy was on its way home to Britain when a neutral Italian ship approached. The commander of the convoy said: “ That’s had luck. I’ll bet that will bring the Germans on top of us.” . Sure enough it did. A few moments later a squadron of Heinkel bombers appeared overhead and started.bombing. They kept it up for more than an hour, but no ship in the British convoy was hit-only the Italian, which was blown to pieces. 1