MAGNIFICENT PART

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1941, Page 5

MAGNIFICENT PART

PLAYED BV BOMBER CREWS BRITISH AIR MINISTER’S TRIBUTE. BLOWS THAT ARE OPENING WAY TO VICTORY. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY. August 17. During last night, ihe Air Secretary, Sir Archibald Sinclair. met many pilots before and after they Hew over Germany. .He was accompanied by Lord Seeley, Air Under-Secretary. Sir Archi bald Sinclair first visited a Stirling sipuplroii. where he met the crews and was shown over one of the great fourengined bombers.

“Deadly thrusts at the military power of Germany are being made by the Bomber Command,’’ ho told the crew, “and in making these thrusts you fellows in the four-engined bombers have a big part to play. You are. playing it magnificently.'’

Later Sir Archibald Sinclair visited another aerodrome where the crews of Wellington bombers were being briefed before taking oft' for Duisberg. He heard all the instructions given the crews and then said: "It is the Bomber Command which is going to be the main instrument of victory. It was the fighters who saved us from defeat last autumn. It is the bombers who are going to smash the war industries of Germany and break the will to win of the German people. The work you are now doing and have been doing during the past, weeks is of particular importance because it relieves the weight of the attack upon Russia.

RELIEF FOR RUSSIA.

"The Government. Parliament, and, I am sure, the people of this country want to bring the greatest possible help to the Russians in their struggle. The pressure you exert on the economic life of Germany, these attacks on the Ruhr where you are going tonight, and where the great war industries of Germany are still centred, on the communications between the Ruhr and the east, your thrusts at the military power of Germany, will be a direct relief to the Russians in the battle in the cast. "If we go hammering at the Germans in the west, the time will undoubtedly come when the German people will insist that the High Command should bring back more aircraft from the eastern front to protect them and counter-attack us in Britain. That will relieve the weight upon the hardpressed Russians. That is the important task you have been carrying out lately and will be carrying out tonight. “I commend you for the courage, skill, and determination you have shown in doing it. The work you have done and are doing will be an example and inspiration to the new crews now coming forward for the greater Bomber Command which will be operating in a few months’ time. I thank you for what you have done and wish you gcod luck for the future and for tCK night.” RETURNING CREWS MET. Sir Archibald Sinclair returned to the Bomber station in the early hours of the morning to see the Wellington crews on their return from Duisberg.

A young officer rear-gunner told him how he had shot down a German fighter into the sea off the Dutch coast. This gunner had participated in 52 other bombing attacks and has shot down four German fighters and also got probables. The visibility was fairly good, with moonlight over the target, and the squadron had a successful night. The crews reported fierce fires at. Duisber.g, one of them a quarter of a mile long. The rear-gunner saw the glow of it from the Dutch coast. There was great opposition from the ground defences and many more searchlights than had been reported at Duisberg previously. Sir Archibald Sinclair waited till the commanding officer reported all his aircraft safely down, and then, in the dawn, he flew back to London. SOVIET AIRMEN GREETINGS TO BRITISH COLLEAGUES. PLEDGE IN COMMON CAUSE.

LONDON. August 18.

In the correspondence columns of “The Times" appears a letter which has been sent by cable to the editor from Moscow by 13 Soviet airmen. It reads:

“Allow us to convey greetings to our colleagues—the valorous airmen of Britain. Jointly with them we accomplish a common cause, retorting to each the Nazi aircraft with an answering blow and defending in air battles the honour, liberty and independence of our native lands and the freedom of all mankind.

“Admiringly we follow the action of the Royal Air Force in inflicting telling blows on the industrial centres and capital of the conceited Nazi Reich, refuting Goering's vaunting twaddle that no bomb would fall on the Ruhr. And the Soviet pilots, too, are fighting the; foe.

“Friends, British airmen, let us smite the enemy still more strongly. Let each Nazi plane daring to rise on its piratical flight be shot down and destroyed. Let us demolish the war plants and heavy industry of Hitlerite Germany. Let us utterly obliterate Hitler's gang of violators and murderers.

“Cordial greetings and wishes for the best of luck in our joint fight." The signatories range from a brigade commander to second lieutenants.