BRITISH AID

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 December 1940, Page 7

BRITISH AID

FLOW OF MATERIAL FROM EGYPT EQUIPMENT FOR WINTER CAMPAIGN. VARIED CONSIGNMENTS. LONDON, December 5. - The “Daily Telegraph’s” Cairo correspondent says Britain is equipping a large part of the Greek Army to withstand the winter in the Albanian mountains. Britain’s effective resistance is still largely aerial, but a steady stream of material is flowing to Greece from Egypt. Greek naval personnel will be warm in strong British boots, of which thousands of pairs have been dispatched from the Middle East, while Greek soldiers are wrapping themselves in British blankets. Since the recent urgent dispatch of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, we have also been sending big quantities of barbed wire and sandbags. Hospitals are being established, and badlyneeded medical supplies are pouring across the sea.

HEAVY TOLL TAKEN OF ITALIAN PLANES. BATTLE ON WEDNESDAY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.12 a.m.) RUGBY, December 6. It is now confirmed that, in an air battle between a formation of R.A.F. fighter aircraft and a large number of enemy fighters CR42’s and Gso’s in south-western Albania on December 4, eight enemy aircraft were definitely shot down and destroyed. Seven others, severely damaged, were, seen to be in difficulties and several more were also damaged. All our pilots and aircraft returned to their bases. NO DESIRE TO FIGHT ITALIANS SEEK REFUGE IN YUGOSLAVIA. An Istanbul report says that 6000 ■ltalian troops are now interned in Yugoslavia. They chose to be interned when the tide of battle turned against them. Italian officers said that the troops had no desire to fight. The Istanbul reports adds that Italian soldiers have had to be separated from Albanians because of frequent quarrels. Another report states that when a German journalist visited Albania to report on the fighting he was given an escort of 25 Italian soldiers. When the Italians were forced back they accompanied him to the Yugoslavia border and insisted on accompanying him across, thus accepting internment.