STIRRING MESSAGE

Waikato Times, Volume 127, Issue 21229, 27 September 1940, Page 8

STIRRING MESSAGE

GREAT AIR SCHEME WILL ACHIEVE VICTORY (OfTlcial Wireless) (Received Sept. 27, 3.15 p.m.) RUGBY, Sept. 26 Air Marshal Bishop, famous V.C. airmen of the last war, in a broadcast said it was a great thrill that he was speaking on British soil when only a few days ago he was in Canada. Recalling a quarter of a century ago, when he was “doing his humble best towards victory,” Air Marshal Bishop said they then had difficult and unequal fighting in the skies but, he continued: “Twenty-two years ago we drove the pirate Huns out of the skies of Europe. “The Empire,” said Air Marshal Bishop, “is on the march and with Britain through and through. As the months go by there will be trained pilots in thousands coming to Britain to do again what their forebears did.” Before speaking of the Empire air training scheme, which he said was far ahead of schedule. Air Marshal Bishop said: “The Empire plan will bring from our Canadian shores trained aviators of our sister Dominions, Australia and New Zealand, and our own Dominion, Canada. Men from all parts of the Empire will tram together as later on they will fight together. It will be an air force which will truly be an Empire Air Force, binding the glorious ties of Empire, which, in the words of Burke, ‘are as light as air but as strong as links of iron.’ ” To Meet and Conquer Hitler He concluded: “Tonight we think again of the Britain of 1805, girding herself to meet Napoleon, conqueror of Europe—as you gird yourselves now to meet Hitler, conqueror of half Europe. The role that once belonged to the mother of our Empire alone 'now belongs to all the Empire. A heavy load of responsibility now falls upon the commonwealth of democratic peoples. “I repeat that from Canada I bring you good cheer, a message of courage. We who up till now have had the easier task admire more than ever the great and hard task which has been yours. I bring you the greetings of Canada—of Canadians who are with you until final victory is achieved. “We in Canada say that Britain yet shall stand and the Empire emerge from these times of trouble a greater, more vital, and more decisive factor in world history than ever before.” Australians in Canada A message from Melbourne states that the Minister of Air announced that the first batch of Australian air crew trainees to go abroad for immediate and advance training under the Empire air scheme has reached Canada.