PURCHASE OF PLANES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24400, 11 September 1940, Page 7

PURCHASE OF PLANES

GIFT' FROM OUTER HEBRIDES \ ■ '■ ” ‘ ' •'V ‘1: i . , .. . ISLANDS’ FINE RECORD ’ ' ’• ' ’ ■ ’ * ■ \ I British Official Wireless) RUGBY, Sept. 9. (Received Sept. 10, at 7 p.m.) The .spirit of the- British, people and tlieir determination _ to rid Europe of the curse of Nazi oppression are illustrated by the action of the population of the islands of Lewis and Harris, who are mostly fishermen and crofters, in sending, over £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, in the Outer Hebrides, are p?oud to convey to you their unswerving loyalty and devotion to the 4 national cause. Since September these islands have claimed the high honour of having more men proportionately in the fighting services than any other part of the Empire. Many villages have had f 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, wishing to mark that record of those on active service, have to-day forwarded the sum of over £6400 to the Ministry of Aircraft Production for the purchase of fighter planes to be called the Lewis arid Harris fighters. This sura 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 £ 1, declaring that he had riot £1 to give but he would sell his croft to get it.