ARMOURED CARS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 February 1941, Page 5

ARMOURED CARS

VALIANT WORK IN MIDDLE EAST WILDERNESS ADVENTURES. GAZELLE AND BUZZARD AS DAILY FARE. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. February 22. With gazelle and buzzard as daily fare, often short of water during long absence from the base, often penetrating hundreds of miles behind enemy lines, sometimes surrounded by the enemy and forced to tight their way out —R.A.F. armoured cars in the Middle East Command have a job no less dramatic —though less generally known — than the actual flying personnel. Working as a rule in groups of three, they seldom use roads or tracks. Their battlefield is an unchartered wilderness. Typical of their adventures is one described in the Air Ministry news service. Recently an armoured car had mechanical trouble when more than 100 miles from the nearest base unit. The water supply was low and the men had been rationed to one cupful each daily. They could have lasted only four days. The enemy was near at hand, and at any moment might have learnt of their whereabouts. At the risk of disclosing their presence they lit a fire. Eventually the column of smoke was seen by a R.A.F. reconnaisran.ee aircraft, which made a landing. A party of Italians on patrols saw what nad happened and surrounded both aircraft and armoured car. A miniature battle ensued, in which not only was the enemy put to flight, but prisoners were actually taken. The aircraft had been damaged by mach-ine-gun fire, and the situation was desperate. because the Italians who escaped wore sure to return with reinforcements. Capture seemed inevitable. The pilot and crew of the car worked feverishly on the aircraft and in one hour it was able to take the air. Help was brought and the position was saved.