REMOTE ISLANDERS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 243, 11 September 1940, Page 7

REMOTE ISLANDERS.

NOTABLE WAR EFFORT. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, Sept. 9. The spirit of the British people and their determination to rid Europe of the curse of Nazi oppression are ill ustrated bv the action of the population of the islands of Lewis and Harris (in the outer Hebrides), who are mostly fishermen and erotters, in sending more than £6OOO to Mr Churchill to be devoted to the purchase of an aeroplane. „ , ... In a telegram to Mr Churchill, which he gratefully acknowledged, the Islands’ Spitfire Committee says: “On the anniversary of the declaration of war the people of Lewis and Harris arc proud to convey to you their unswerving loyalty and devotion to the national cause. Since September these islands have claimed the high honour of having more men proportionately in the fighting sei-vices than any other part of the Empire. Many villages have had close on 20 per cent, of their total population on service since the outbreak of war. The casualties have been three times higher .than for the country as a whole. The people still at home have to-day forwarded more than £6400 to the Ministry of Aircraft Production for the purchase of a fighter plane to he called the Lewis and Harris fighter. This sum was collected in a single week with the enthusiastic support of the islands’ crofting and fishing communities.” » ' Typical of the spirit which accomplished this result is the comment of a crofter who contributed £l. declaring that Tie bad not £1 to give, but he” would sell his calf to get it.