Daily Post - 23.07.1942, Page 3
DAILY POST
Tnne In To This - If You 6an!
There are only two sorts oj soldier, sailor or airrnan, those who
are on leave and those who are waiting jor it.
ROYAL INSPECTION OF “PARATROOPS”.
Queen Elizabeth watching one of the initial stages of “paratroop’”'
training. Troops dropping from a fuselage at the training centre^
R. A.F. Cadet Tumbles From
Plane
Lands Astride Fnselage
(From Reuter*s Correspondent Touring:
A.F. Training Posts in U. S. A.)
A training ’plane jrorn Tuscaloosa airjields (Alabama) hit
a patch oj turbulent air with R.A.F. Cadet Derek M. Sharp, jrom
Yorkshire, at the controls. The instructor in the jront cockpit
tumed to shout an order, but Sharp was missing. He had tumbl-
ed out oj the ’plane. Clutching a wire as he jell he dragged him-
selj back astride the juselage with his back to the cockpit.
The following paragraphs
apply to the latter. Whether
“you’ve had it” or are waiting
for it (according to your posi-
tion on the roster) advance
knowledge of the BBC pro-
grammes in the next few days
will give you eager anticipa-
tion or acute nostalgia; in eith-
er event you will be able to tune
into the following in the next
few days .... (a) if operation-
al commitments permit, (b) if
atmospheric (or to American
comrades in arms — “static”)
permits or (c) if you want to
-anyway:—
* * *
Red Cross Radio Contest
6.30 p.m. on Saturdays on and
from twenty-second contest,
Forces, July 25 and Home Ser-
vice, July 27.
* * *
Seenes from ‘Quiet Week-
End’, with Marjorie Fielding,
George Thorpe, Glynis Johns,
Hugh Burden, Frank Cellies
and Jeanne Stuart. ‘From the
Theatre in Wartime,’ Home
Service, July 22.
* * *
Novel gramophone records
programme by Alfred Dunn-
ing, ‘Give us the Music — And
We’ll Finish the Job,’ Home
Service, July 22.
* S: *
‘Master of Melody,’ Home
Service, July 24, radio survey
works of Victor Schertzinger,
with illustrations from ‘The
Love Parade,’ ‘Rhythm on the
River,’ ‘The Fleet’s In’ and his
other well known films.
HERE’S HOW
Another note to Ameri-
can comrades. According to
your temperament, and only
if you are on furlough in Eng-
land, you can enjoy some of
the undermentioned pro-
grammes by mailing a swift
message to Broadcasting House,
London. And then again, much
depends not only on your tem-
perament but that of your mess
mates. The well known “Yoo
Hoo Dad” or the girl friend’s
“Best Wishes” delivered at a
breathless gallop have been
greeted by hoots of deri-
sion in many an ill-conducted
mess. However, if you want to
take a chance, this is how you
do it.
Every Saturday night the
BBC sends out a short-wave
broadcast from the Ameiýcan
Eagle Club in London, and this
is rebroadcast throughout the
United States. Relatives of
men who are going to speak or
send a message are notified in
good time and after every
broadcast letters from the citi-
es, the small towns and the
‘main streets’ of America flow
into the BBC offices in New
York.
One letter said: ‘I had time to
notify the folks, thanks to your
letter, and I guess more of the
people of this town listened to
London to-night than ever be-
fore.’
Reception conditions aren’t
always perfect: “There was
some static one night,” said an-
other letter, ,,but when our boy
Jimmy came through it seem-
ed to clear up just for us. Our
boy is a long way from Texas
and home and to hear his voi-
ce meant much to us.” There
was a cable from Denver,
Colorado: “Confused time Sat-
urday. Missed son’s broadcast.
Please let him broadcast again.’
Another letter ended: “Even
his dog recognised his voice.”
(Continued from Col. 4.)
ficers acting mainly in a liais-
on capacity.
I have seen Britain-in-minia-
ture at these lavishly-equipped
schools. Here, expressing great
satisfaction with his life, is
Leading Aircraftman M. F.
Tighe, of Bridport, Dorset.
Leading Aircraftman Arthur
Fletcher, of Liverpool, describ-
és himself as “well and happy,”
and Pilot Officer T. O. Walms-
ley, of Northwich, Cheshire—
not yet 21 and described as
“one of the best aviators among
the British”—talks of the train
ing “Harvards” as “lovely
ships.”
Just about to take off on a
cross-country flight, Leading
Aircraftman Kenneth Mc-
Culloch of Crosby, Liverpool,
tells me: “I am having a good
time, but I am anxious to get
back to my wife—and to my
baby, whom I have never seen.”
Anglýsið i Daily Post
“Jump with your parachute,”
the instructor signalled as he
climbed to 2,000 feet, but the
Yorkshire lad gave the thumbs
up sign and remained squatt-
ing astride the tail until the
machine was brought to earth.
A week later another cadet
hit the wing of Sharp’s ’plane
about six inches from his head
while landing. Sharp climbed
out, looked ruefully at the da-
maged wing, and said, “I won-
der just how long this can last.”
CAMPS 1N ALABAMA, GE-
ORGIA AND FLORIDA
This is the favourite story
told by the British lads who
are being training for the RAF
in the skies above Alabama.
Georgia, and Florida. A tour
of the string of schools in
Alabama—primary, basic, and
advanced—has convinced me of
the truth of the summing-up
expressed by Wing-Commander
H. A. V. Hogan (senior of all
the RAF administrative offic-
ers here): “The British cadets
have behaved themselves well„
surprisingly well.”
Arriving monthly from Ca-
nada, the cadets are given a
four and a half weeks’ “accli-
matisation period”, during
which they become accustomed
to American food, weather,
and “phraseology.” Then, cloth
ed in lease-lend uniforms by the
United States (only the cap is
British), they embark on their
three phases of training. There
are four primary, two basic, and
three advanced schools in th&
South-Eastern States, caUed
the South-Eastern Army Air
Forces Training Centre, and
f commanded by Brigadier-Gen-
eral George E. Stratemeyer, an
American
LAVISHLY-EQUIPPED
SCHOOLS
Training and discipline are
are entirely in the hands of A-
merican officers, with RAF of-
(Continued in Col. 2.)