The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

Wednesday, December 31, 1941 THE FL.ESHERTON ADVANCE THE FLESHERTOH ADVANCE } on Colltaffwood WdnMday of Circulation ovr 1,000. Price in Canada Si.oo pr ywur, hen paid in advance 11 50; m U. 3. A. f&M pr year, whn paid in advance fS.OO. P. J. THURSTON, Edltw. Why British Churches Are Burned While the Factory Buildings Escape VANDELELH; The Christmat. entertainment held in the school Friday evening, Dec. 19th, was a real success in every particular. A splendid program of songs, recitations, dialogues, drills, etc., was given by the pupils. There was also a couple of short plays by the young people of the community. Following the program Santa Claus arrived and unloaded the tree, to the delight of children. It was a good entertainment and the teacher, Miss Dawn, and pupil? are to be congratulated on its success.. The service in the church Christ- mas Sunday was appropriate to the occasion. The choir rendered a couple of special numbers and the pastor, Rev. Annis, delivered a fine Christmas message. Ten young people were received into church membership. The Sacrament of the Lord's Supper was also observed. Mr. Geo. Kelso of Hamilton was horn* over the holiday. Mrs. Kirktown of Holland Centre risked with her daughter, Mra. R Sewell. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Haw of Swinton Park and Helen Stewart ol Shrigley visited with .Mr. and Mrs. Howard Graham and Ruth. Christmas passed off quietly in this community with 'the usual happy family gathering. The weather ex- ceptionally fine and added gvat!v to the pleasure of the day. We wish the Editor and all read- ers of The Advance a Happy and Prosperous New Year. The Kelso family visited friends at /Collingwood. ORANGE VALLEY Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Cook and Shirley of Zion, Mr. and Mrs. Stew- art of Jackson and Miss Verna Jenk of Walkerton spent a day with the McFadden family. L.A.C. Raymond McFadden of Belleville spent Christams at his home here. Signaller Wm. Sprung of Debert, N.S., is spending a couple of weeks at the McFadden home. Mr. and Mrs. Bert Porteous and family of Maxwell, Mrs. Davidson and Katherine of Barhcad and Mr. and Mrs. Byron Hill spent Christmas at the Alcox home. Mr. and Mrs. George Fry and son, Earl, of Nashville visited Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Jack Hill. Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Hill and fam lipsy netC rr C bf? aslr ily spent Christmas with the lattcr's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, of Walters Falls. Mr. and Mrs. Gao. Hargrave and Mrs. Hargrave Sr. spent Christmas at the home of John Hurgrave, Rock Mills. Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Russell and fam- ily of Rock Mills, Mr. and Mrs. Wes Littlejohns of Flesherton, Mr. and Mrs. Jos. Hogs and family and Mr. Clifford Littlejohns of Toronto were Christmas visitors at the Littlej^hna home. Miss M. Stocks, our teacher, visiting this week at her home in Dundalk. Our school had a very successful Christmas concert at the closa ol school, which was very crcditai)! ti the teacher and children. Some of the old boys gave very humorous re- Lunch was serv.l at the In a previous story, 'told something about the bomb damage in London The subject ofbombing and its results on the people of England is too large to dismiss in a few sentences*It is or has been 'the most important fea- London has been seriously bombed. The raids on the city begun more than a year ago and continued until April or May, 1941. When daytime borrtbing became too costly for the Germans, the enemy turnd to night bombing, which cannot be so effect- ive in hitting partcular targets. Since early summer, the night raids on London have Stopped. Hitler no longer has the planes to spare; the R.A.F. has command of the air over Britain and around the coasts; in- land defences are -more numerous and better orfanizeo. Air raids con- tinue, but they are mostly aiong the eastern and sbuthern coacts. I think Londoi looked much as I had expected to find it. I did not expect to see such a large area east of St. Paul's Cathedral no thorough- ly laid waste. In two other areas, both south of the river, the damage struck me as terrible. In both these cases, it was the little houses by the score that had suffered, which seem- ed to me worse than old office build- ings or ancient landmarks. That was simply because there must have been so much loss of life: as for the houses themselves, some of them are better gone and the buildings that replace them will improve these districts. Why Church** Are Burned I have been asked hundreds of questions about Ibomb damage. Per- haps other readers would like /to know a few of the answers. I it true, for instance, that the churches are almost invariably de- stroyed and important factories escape? It is true. It is obvious to a Canadian in England that it seems uncanny until one knows the reasons. citations. close and Uie visitation Claus was well received. In London and other badly bomb- ed cities, it is obvioue that most of th damage was done by incendiary bomibs. They are small and light. I brought parts of one home with me It is cylindrical, not over two inches in diameter and about a foot long something like a fat Roman can:l!c. The head is flat, not pointed like the tip of a high explosive bomb. That is the heavy end. The tail has fins on it to keep the bomb upright as it falls. Dropped from a height of 10,000 feet or so, an incendiary bomb will penetrate through a slate roof or the fender of a car, leaving a small hole. It will not go through a brick wall. The bomb ignites two minutes after it strikes and develops a flame said to have a temperature of about 5,000 degrees. A large bomber might carry thousands of incendiaries and drop them out lit- erally by the ton. Nowadays, the British know how to fight the incendiary bomb. Vol- unteer fire watchers are always on the lookout for bombs. They have the simple equipment to render bombs harmless before they can develop heat. But even yet, the churches are not safe. The beautiful old buildings, designed by Christopher Wren and other great architects, have slate roofs. Inside the building is another false roof, often of lead. The in condiary goes through the slate, but hasn't force enough to penetrate the second roof. Before it can be roach - d, it has exploded and started a firo. Sometimes, there was an oak cane factory. This is an older one and still makes the famous fighting planes which the R.C.A.F uses. I was pointed out to me by a ferry pilot, who was going to the factory to take a new plane to a fighter station. Albove the factory floated a group of 'barrage balloons, an un- usual |sighit away from the large cities. I would have known it was an important factory. Yet the pilot told me that the Germans had never found it. It sounds mystifying. Actually, it is simple. The cartoonists love to show a man or a building so camou- flaged fchat it looks ludicrous. That is actually what happens. At night these factories literally cannot be found. Some of the Bomb Damage It is impossible to mention many of the buildings that have been dam- aged, but I might list a few. By this time, the streets have all been re- paired, railways are in full opera- tion, and there is little or no sign of bomb damage in the railway stations. The \docks, <which must have suffered, are in operation again. Barges, drawn by tugs, are continually going up and down the Thames at Westminster. I saw a convoy going out the mouth of the Thames one day that I visited tlv East Coast. As I said before, all the bridges over the Thames escaped damage. On one of our first days in London, the editors were conducted through the Houses of Parliament by two in- teresting and humorous guides, Lord Snell, representing the House of Lords, and Sir Patrick Hamon, from the House of Commons. They took us even into the basement rooms where Guy Fawkes stored the gun- powder to blow up Parliament cent- uries ago, and into the underground chapels where Cromwell stabled his horses to show his contempt for the institution of parliament. The chap- els are lovely. There is no longer any horsey smell. Here and there I saw the damage done by bombs. In the great West- minster Hall, whre the bodies of the kings lie in state, workmen were repairing a broad hole in the roof where a bomb came through. Big Ben has almost escaped. One corner of the clock tower and one face were damaged, but the clock still goes. of Santa TORONTO LINE NORTH A Happy and Prosperous New Yea r to the Editor, Staff and Readers. Miss Evelyn Brown of Toronto spent the Christmas holidays with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. F. Brown. Mr. and Mr*. Harold Richardson and family spent Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Karl Smart, Hnrrhend. Miss Gertrude Lever of Richmond Hill siient Christmas with her mother, Mrs. T. R. Lever, returning to the Hill on Sunday. Mr. and Mrs. Roy Wood and a few friends from Mnrkdaln spent H very pleasant evening with Mrs. T. Lever and family on Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson Wiekens and Mr. and Mr*. Mervyn McFnddon spent Christmas with relatives at Owen Sound. Mr. and Mr*. Wilfv.M Lever and rhilHvi-n Hunt n couple >f day? with H ( . V . and MM. Wolitwncroft Ohivwcken. ceiling as well. No matter how faithful the watchers at the church- es might be, it was impossible to rip off the slates and the lead in time to reach the bonilbs. It wasn't that churches were do liberately attacked. Everything was attacked. It was simply a matter of the way the churches were built. I'actoricft Have Really Ksrapt-d The story of the factories and the production of war materials is some- thing else again. It is literally true that many of the important one* have never been bombed. I saw a aero engine factory in the Mid- lands, built since the war started. It was undoubtedly the finest factory I ever saw. It was built by a larir automobile company solely for th( production (if railiitl engines of l.fiOO h.p. or an. It. is several miles fr.ini the nearest city. Every pre caution has liren taken to s*e that : bomb droppi d nearby won't. nff.T the people inside. If one' mi\h hit, :i srle ol !' ] ' wills wiV The worst damage is in the House of Commons chamber itself. It simply does not exist any longer There is no roof, and only a smal pile of rubble and twisted girders mnrks ths spot where many a grea debate has taken place. Yet, strang- ly enough, the rooms around it ar almost untouched. St. Paul's and Westminster Abbey It seems impossible that St. Paul's Cathedral should have survived when all the area behind it is bare am dreary. I visited the cathedral and found only one large hole in the roof, made by a high explosie bomb that shattered the altar beneath. Again it was explained that the roo structure supplied the answer. Th< incendiaries bounced off the grea dome and the -arched roof. Fire engines and fire fighters are massei all the time in the square in fron of the cathedral. If Westminster Abbey was hit, th damage must have been repaired, al though one portion was closed on th Sunday afternoon 1 visited it. Fleet street, with most of the daily newspaper offices grouped togethei suffered much, yet not one paper ever missed a single edition The editor of one of Lord Beaver brook's papers told that 75,000 ha ( been spent to protect two building he owns in that area. I saw th results. The record of the news is remarkable, but no mor than the attitude of th damage. Hut there ha. hit. minimize th HI-VIM- liei-n : V'w I ' .1 ' -1 Hurrl- papers amazing people lit large. It is said that was a great help tu morale when householder came to his front doo after a night of terror, and foun both the daily paper and the bottl of milk on the doorstep. At Buckingham Palace, only on small building has been hit, but th iron fence is being removed to b used to make munitions. Many store on Oxford and Regent streets hav suffered. Tenants in rich apartment in the West Eend have lost every tiling they owned, just as thoroujrl 1 ly us the poor in the dock area: though not such n large proportion perhaps. It surprised me to find many Loi divMTs still steeping in air vai shelters after four months of in munity from h-unhing. visited th creat "TJndei-) i ..;!' ilinn at Pic cadilly Circus tiwice during my stay. Some 300 people were still sleeping there, but they seemed to be mostly men and women who had been bomb- ed out of their own homes and pre- ferred the semi-independence of this life rather than being billeted with strangers. Coventry Has Suffered Most It wasn't until I visited Coventry that I realized how bad a concen- trated bombing can be. Coventry was (and is) an industrial city about the size of Hamilton, Ontario. Twice the Germane concentrated the full might of their air force on Coventry in an attempt to demonstrate just what they could do. To some extent, they succeeded: but they did not stop production to such an extent as they hoped, and they did not terrify the people. They did not even kill a* many as one would xpsct. We drove from London to Coven- try one fine September morning. The British Council supplied us with cars that had Canadian ensigns on the radiators. I admired the beautiful English countryside and wondered at the patience of the British farm- ers cutting their second crop of hay in fields dotted with plane tra"fcs. Coventry's city hall remains al- most untouched on the border of cres of ruins. The car in which I as riding was the last to drive up the door. A curious crowd, most- y women with market baskets, had athered. As I stepped out, I heard omeone ask: "Who are they?" I nswered; "Canadians." The near- st woman with a basket over her rm responded, to my surprise, with God bless Canada " Later, I understood. Mayor Mos- ey welcomed us in a room which ad a model tank and a large vege- able marrow on the table, symbols f greater production. Mrs. Pearl [yde, head of the Women's Volun- ary Services, told me that many of people of Coventry were clothed n Canadian garments, and they had ecu fed for days from fleets of mobile canteens, donated to citfes round by various Canadian war unds. Canada ranks high in the stimation of Coventry. A few minutes later, I stood amiil he rubble in the ruins of Coventry athedral. On one side stood Mrs lyde and on the other, Captain S A. Hector, Chief of Polic*. Both, 1 earned later, are members of the Order of the British Empire bocaus* >f heroic services performed. Major Christie, of St. John, N.B. moved through the nibble with the 'rovost of the Cathedral and laid on an improvised altar a wreath which he editors had brought from Lon don. My eyes were moist and I thought ,the Chief wiped away a ear. Two days later, Prime Minis- ter Churchill visited Coventry and asked about the wreath. He thought t a splendid idea and the next day two more arrived to place beside our own, one from Winston Churchill, the other from Mrs. Churchill. The buildings in the heart of Cov- >ntry are literally wiped out, in two great raids, one in November, 1940, and the other in April. 74,000 houses out of a total of 91,000 in Coventry were damaged. "It was r beautiful moonlight night," said Mayor Mosley, "the most beautiful 1 think I ever saw in my life." A visit to Coventry now is depres- sing. Here, it would seem, the Ger man Luftwaffe really succeeded. But they didn't, even though they sent over 600 planes to bomb for 1 1 % hours in the moonlight, and even though they had immense luck, for the large water twain was broken by high explosives and three lucky shots hit the canal bank and drained away the secondary water supply. The buildings which made up the business section are gone, and so are many of the houses. The hospital and the Cathedral and the Roman Catholic church are but shells. But amazing enough, only 1,246 persons were killed in both raids, and 1 saw with my own eyes the war factories going again at top speed. That afternoon, before we left to visit a bomber station, a dainty young lady served tea to a dozen editors. I asked if she lived in Cov- entry during the raids. She did. Sho wasn't in shelter either. It was her turn that night to be on Air Raid Patrol. She travelled through those streets with flames and death all around and the sky full of enemies. She was terrified, she admitted, but she never thought of taking shelter. Anyway, she had no home to go to that night: one of the first bombs trot it. You can't defeat people like that. BEST WISHES To our Customers and Friends we extend our wish for a Happy New Year. We are appreciative of the patronage we have received during the year just closing and trust that we may again be allowed to serve you during the coming year. BAILEY'S FLESHERTON EUGENIA A Happy and Prosperous New Year to all. Sergt. and Mrs. Welton and Sergt. and Mrs. Gorrell and daughter, Vic Campbell of Highland Creek, Doris Smith of Blind River and Gladys Cutting of Markdale wer e Christmas visitors with Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell. Mr. and Mrs. John Campbell visit- ed in Toronto with Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Campbell. Art Proctor spent a couple of days with Elward Campbell. Mrs. Wm. Hyslop visited with her brother, Mr. Geo. Campbell, Ceylon. At the service on Sunday the little son of Mr. and Mrs. Ted Campbell was christened Myron Henry Camp bell. Friday evening, Dec. 10, the school teacher, Miss Taylor, and pupils held their Christmas concert in the L.O.L. hall. The program consisted of reci- tations, folk dances, choruses and a cantata. Mr. E. Baker impersonated Santa Claus and handed the gifts from the well laden tree to the child- ren and older ones. The program was enjoyed and the proceeds am ounted to over $20. Mr. Wm. Walker was chairman for the evening. The Red Cross unit of this com- munity will hold their irst meeting on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 6th, at the home of Mrs. E. Proctor. The meeting will be in charge of the president, Mrs. Jack Campbell. All interested please attend. Mrs. Virgie Graham and daughter, Miss Ruth, of Toronto visited friends here during the holiday season. L.A.C. Argyle Martin, instructor at the Service Training Flying School at Dunnville, spent a five day Christmas leave at his home, return- ing to Dunnville on Sunday. Pte. Douglas Cairns of the G. & S. Foresters, returned on Saturday to Debert, N.S., after spending his Christmas leave at his home here. His sister, Mrs. Stewart Elkins, hus- band and family of Niagara Falls were also home. Misses Winneta and Carmelle Martin of Toronto spent a few Christmas holidays at their parental home. Carmelle returned Monday but Win- neta remained for a few days. Mr. and Mrs. Glen Pedlar of Brampton were home for Christmas. Mr. Ray Genoe of Ferland Is spending a couple of weeks with his wife and family here. Miss Marjorie Taylor is spending her Christmas vacation at her par pital home at Palmerston. Misses Lilian and Doris Magee of Toronto were home for Christmas, returning the first of the week to the city. Miss Irene Martin of Islington spent the Christmas holidays with her uncle and aunt, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Gorley. Mr. Reggie Fawcett of Gait was home for a few days at Christina* with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Fawcett. Little Miss Shirley Cairns is spending a few days with Mr. and Mrs. Joa. Porteous, nar Feversham. Miss Irene Dinsmore, who teaches near Paisley, attended the school ocncert here and visited with th Proctor and Walker families. Pte. Allan Love of Debert, N.S., spent his leave with the Phillips family. Miss Marjorie Proctor of Toront* is holidaying with her grandmother, Mrs. Proctor, and her uncle, Ernie. Misses Mary and Isobel McKee and Mr. McCarthy of Toronto spent a few Christmas holidays with the former's parents Mr. and Mrs. Thos. McKee. Mr. Chas. Williams received a letter from Trooper Norman Will iams of the Tank Corps, that he had arrived safely in England. Miss Dorothy Jamieson of Lake Rosseau is spending her Christmas vacation at her parental home. Mr. Ben Shortt of Toronto spent Christmas at his home here. His wife accompanied him to Toronto to spend a few days. ,' There will he no violent objection fro ni anybody if an election in Ont- ario next year is averted. After all there is something more import- ant to be (limp than playing the old political came ,if the Ins and the Outs. It isn't practical to provide a tele- phone system BIG enough for all those who want to chat across the miles on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Hundreds of us will be on duty to put your calls through. If they're delayed and some are bound to be please understand and be patient. Thank you.