CHURCHILL IS BACK

Southland Times, Issue 24832, 26 August 1942, Page 5

CHURCHILL IS BACK

SECOND CALL IN MIDDLE EAST (Rec. 9.10 p.m.) LONDON, Aug. 25. It is now revealed, with the return of Mr Churchill to Britain, that he paid a second visit to the Middle East while on his way back from Moscow. He visited troops in the forward battle area in Egypt and had many conferences in Cairo.. Mr Churchill passed through Persia on his way to and from Moscow and met the Shah. Mr Churchill arrived back in Britain by air at 8.40 o’clock on Sunday night. It is officially announced that he was accompanied by Mr W. Averill Harriman, President Roosevelt’s personal representative. Among those welcoming him was Mrs Churchill. ' The news of Mr Churchill s safe arrival home after his historic journey to Moscow and Cairo has been received with deep satisfaction. He was accompanied in addition to Mr Harriman, by General Sir Alan Brooke, .Chief oi the Imperial General Staff, Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Head of the Foreign Office, and Sir Charles Wilson, his personal physician. The party greeting him included Mrs Churchill, Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Portal, Chief of the Air Staff, his son, Major Randolph Churchill, and Air Commodore E. J. Kingston-McLoughry, D. 5.0., D.F.C. and bar, air officer commanding the Ferry Command group which provided the Liberator bomber for Mr Churchill’s journey. When the Liberator was coming over the Ferry Command aerodrome the moon was rising on a cloudy sky and the flare path was lighted. As the Liberator did its first circuit the party at the aerodrome walked over to watch the escort of Spitfires flying overhead. Although it was dusk the Spitfires were in thick formation, clearly silhouetted against the canpoy of clouds. Captain van der Kloot, the first pilot, brought the huge four-engined Liberator into a perfect landing. Mr Churchill looked extremely well and not in the slightest degree tired. He was dressed in an air commodores uniform. He embraced Mrs Churchill in an affectionate return for her welcome. Then he met the rest of the party. Within a few minutes he was driven to the special train waiting for him near the aerodrome and was soon en route to London. The chief pilot said that Mr Churchill had spent two-thirds of the return journey in the cockpit. The Prime Minister had travelled 14,000 miles by air on this journey. The Daily Telegraph, in a leading article, said: “We can be certain .of one thing—his journey was a prelude to battle and will help to make the battle, when it comes, a prelude to victory.”