HEAVY FIGHTING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 September 1940, Page 5

HEAVY FIGHTING

EXPECTED THIS MONTH

Mr Winston Churchill’s Forecast

BRITAIN WAITING GRIMLY AND GAMELY

RESULTS OF ENEMY AIR RAIDING

Referring’ in a speech in the House of Commons, reported by Daventry, to the defence of Britain, the Prime Minister (Mr Winston Churchill) said preparations to meet an invasion were going’ on everywhere on a gigantic scale. They must not think that the danger of invasion had passed. Storm, fog and daikness might alter the conditions, but some of these would cut both ways. Britain’s defences were very much better now than they were a few months ago. Neither side, said Mr Churchill, had put out its full air strength. The Germans had put forth a larger proportion of their total air strength than Britain had been called upon to use and Germany’s attacks had proved very costly. Heavy fighting was to be expected this month, said Mr Churchill, as the enemy needed very badly to get a decision. All the responsible officers of the R.A.F. had firm confidence in being able to withstand a much increased scale of attack. Britain, he said, would stand up to the position grimly and gamely. Passing on to refer to civilian casualties and damage to property, Mr Churchill said that in August 1075 civilians had been killed and a slightly larger number seriously injured. As to damage, 800 houses had been destroyed or damaged beyond repair during August. A large proportion of the 1000 houses previously announced as having been damaged at Ramsgate were not completely wrecked and could be repaired. The 800 destroyed throughout the country were out of a total of 13,000,000 houses in Britain.