BRITISH FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 May 1940, Page 6

BRITISH FORCES

STAND IN DEFENSIVE POSITIONS BACKS TO CHANNEL PREVAILING SPIRIT OF CONFIDENCE. ATTEMPTS TO BREAK THROUGH THROWN BACK. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day, 1.15 p.m.) LONDON, May 20. A British war correspondent with the British Expeditionary Force in Belgium, says: “Fighting desperately, the British Expeditionary Force once more stands with its back to the Channel. If ever Britain needed the stubbornness made famous at Waterloo she needs it now. The Expeditionary Force continued its withdrawal yesterday to positions on which inevitably it will make a final stand; “The Germans have bombed and strafed them continuously,” the correspondent adds, “but losses have been slight, although ambulance trains are beginning to arrive in the back areas. One arrived with its carriages riddled with bullet-holes.

The British line in Belgium touches the vicinity of Ath, thence northward to the Scheldt Valley, to the North Sea, where the French and Belgians are putting up a magnificent fight. Farm carts and railway cars thrown into barricades across the roads hold up the tide of the German advance, which last night rolled seawards beyond Antwerp. ■ “The main positions of the British Expeditionary Force have been continuously attacked for the past week and backward movements have twice been carried out in order to align the front with the flank situation in France. German tank battalions, fighting desperately, strongly' attacked the British Expeditionary Force on the plains west of Brussels, but the advance is losing momentum. The British are holding a stronger line and have extended the German lines of communication. The British Expeditionary Force is confident. Its members know that they badly mauled the Germans at Louvain and threw back half a dozen attempts, to break through. “Tonight, miles behind the battle lines, the skies are aflame with burning munition and petrol dumps. Towns, villages and battlefields are flooded in moonlight and a great air battle is in progress.” CALMER- NOW NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE. ON STRENGTH OF NEWS FROM FRANCE. (Received This Day. 1.15 p.m.) NEW YORK, May 20. The Stock Exchange calmed down when the Allies were reported to have slowed down the German advance.