Army Air Force crew to compete in London
LONDON, Sept. 8 (UP) – A five-man crew from the U.S. Army Air Force will compete against a London Metropolitan Police crew in a four-oared boat Race on the Thames tomorrow.
Maj. Gen. Carl Spaatz, commander of the USAAF in the European Theater, and other officers will follow the race in a launch.
The American crew will be captained by Pvt. Johnny Jones of High Point, North Carolina, a former student of North Carolina University, who will be at stroke. Others include Pvt. George W. Adams of Indianapolis, Ind., number three; Staff Sgt. Frank Stimpfl of Allentown, Pa., number two; Pvt. Dale Clobus of Newcastle, Pa., bow, and Pvt. Miles H. Davidson of Philadelphia, coxswain.
The Pittsburgh Press (September 9, 1942)
Roving Reporter
By Ernie Pyle
LONDON – When France fell and England expected a German invasion at any moment, all road signs and railway station signs were taken down.
The road signs are still down, but some railway stations have put their names back up, so you can at least keep track of where you are. But the signs are very small ones and could be quickly destroyed if the Germans came.
There aren’t nearly enough porters at the railway stations, and haven’t been since the war started. Today about half the porters at the London stations are women. The only ones I’ve seen were tough-looking babes who always had cigarettes in their mouths.
Also, on the London busses a good many conductors are now women. They are usually fairly good-looking. They wear pants and gray knee-length smocks. Londoners find them more pleasant and patient than the men conductors.
The government has recently advised the public not to carry its gas masks, in order to conserve the rubber. Always before the government had harped away at the public – with very little effect, I might add – to carry its masks constantly. This new order is a complete reversal.
Personally, I’m all set in case anything happens. The Marine Corps gave me a brand-new gas mask, and the Army gave me a tin hat. All I need now is a fife and drum.
Speaking of gas masks, an American friend of mine is all mixed up. The British, you know, speak with very broad “a’s,” yet frequently when two words containing “a’s” come together, they’ll broad one and flat one.
My friend says that, following this line, he never can remember whether to say “gas mahsk” or gahs mask.” So he just skips it and calls it his “respirator.”
A few months back it was very different to buy cigarettes in London. You could get only a few at a time, and often none at all. In addition, the average price of English cigarettes has gone up to 40 cents a pack.
The shortage and high price together
Most Americans can’t stand English cigarettes. In Ireland the Army had plenty of American cigarettes, but in England the supply hasn’t been so plentiful. Up until recently a war correspondent or government employee couldn’t get American cigarettes at all, and the Army people only a few.
But now an Army post exchange has been opened and we can get five packs of cigarettes and two chocolate bars a week. Five packs aren’t enough for me, but there are lots of soldiers who don’t smoke at all, you know, and old Self-Preservation Ernest is learning the ways of the world, so don’t you worry about me.
I had expected to see the people of London looking pretty shabby by now, yet they don’t appear so to me. Clothing is all by coupon, and the coupon ration is small enough, goodness knows, yet people seem to me pretty normally dressed.
Lots of women are barelegged, but not the majority. Most wear cotton stockings, yet there are still plenty of silk-clad legs in London. At least that is what friends tell me. I wouldn’t know myself, as it’s only their beautiful minds I’m interested in.
From looking in store windows, I gather that the average price of women’s stockings, such as they are, is around 45 cents a pair. I’ve already disposed of the gift stockings I brought from America. Apparently it was all in vain, for I haven’t noticed any queue of fair ladies waiting outside my door to pay me homage.
Let’s change the subject. This year’s harvest is one of the biggest England has ever had. Before the war, England raised only 40 per cent of her own foodstuffs. All the rest was imported. Last year she had upped it to 60 per cent. And this year I understand she is producing 70 per cent of all her own food requirements.
The farm labor shortage was so acute this year that Home Guardsmen and regular soldiers went into the fields to help. They say 150,000 British soldiers worked in the fields last month. And I know of one case where a big farm, equipped with brand-new tractors and combines, sent out a frantic call for American soldiers with experience on this certain type.
The request arrived at American Army headquarters in England, was relayed to Northern Ireland by telephone, a quick search among our troops was made, and by next afternoon three Minnesota farm boys in the uniform of the United States Army were busy running combines on an English farm.