Past and Present
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The Prime Minister, has received a gift of a new Daimler Motor Car and with it goes £30,000 toward petrol and upkeep. The 'gift' has been given by a benefactor who has just been awarded a Baronetcy. No doubt the appalling rise in fuel prices has sparked this generous act! It is not known even to this Lady Reporter, whether Mr. Ramsay MacDonald is expected to drive himself in the wretched vehicle. |
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Dawn September 25 1939
signal to Base, repeated Admiralty..... from British Submarine...position off Horn Reef
"unable to submerge...casing damaged...PRIORITY escort to return Base"
signal from Second Cruiser Squadron; "at first light proceeding to your known position"
7th Destroyer Flotilla, "proceeding your position as Screen to Cruiser Squadron"
0900 signal from Battle Cruiser Group, "proceeding to reinforce" with HMS Hood and Rupulse
plus Cruisers HMS Sheffield and Aurora and Destroyer screen, Faulkner, Fearless, Forrester and Foxhound
1010 signal from CinC "Possible build up of Hostility, Am Proceeding"
with Battleships HMS Nelson and Rodney; Aircraft Carrier HMS Ark Royal; Destroyers, Fame, Firedrake, Foresight,
Fortune, Bedouin and Punjabi.
and so, an "Escort return to base" which could have comprised 2 Armed Trawlers with total manpower of 30 men,
was actually carried out by:-
Two Battleships,
Two Battle Cruisers
One Aircraft Carrier
Six Cruisers and
Eighteen Destroyers
With not less than Sixteen Thousand Men
And an astonishing Six Admirals
Not forgetting the Commander in Chief
researched by Stoker John Cook RN retired
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