The daily monitor leader. [volume] (Mount Clemens, Mich.) 1942-19??, 1943-01-02
India
Continued from Page I

dia.
That is big battle to carry
around but the command in
chief has the stature. Ec is big
chap, both physically anC men
tally, and is among that top
flight OK British air c'.iefs who
can be counted neatly on the
fingers of one land.
found him temporarily be-
reft of his wings and perform
ing some landsman's job at his
desk. / can't say he looked out
of place in his surroundings but
my first impression was that he
belonged in the great outdoors
in the midst of plenty of action.
The air chief marshal is tall.
well set up, rangy individual
who wears the tans of many
suns. AS shook hands with him
it passed through my wind that
If he weren't an adventurous
airman he likely would be
among the Cossacks riding a
will horse like the devil.
OF course that is a fanciful
idea but long experience has
taught me that these odd flash
es generally registe: the truth.
This one meant 1 had eneeunt-
cred an individual whose tenn
permanent demand d il tense ac-
tivity.
Later I was informed that
this was true and it was cited
that he still flies his own ship
just as he did &c years ago.
The marshal was born into the
Royal Navy. His fathe-' was an
admiral and family tradition
landed young Richard / the sea
in 1909 He is SO now and looks
about As and you ca figure the
rest out for yourself. When fly
ing was still in its infano, Peirse
decided he wanted to b an air
man and on formation of the
Royal Flying Corps in 1912 he
Joined it. thus becoming one of
the first officers in thu service
which developed into t'.e Royal
Air Force.
The World War brought him
decorations for daring and skill
He rose rapidly until, in this war,
he has held several top positions
in the air force.
He was knighted in 1910 and
in the same year became chief
of Britain's great bonn >r force.
A year ago he came to India to
tackle the, organization of one
of the worlds key air forces.
The developm III d the Royal
Air Force here has been a task
calling for supreme organizing
skill and great driving force. At
the outset there was of course a
lack of airplanes since Britain
and America weren't producing
enough for all demands. Other
necessities were lacking.
This supply problem was COM
plicated by the severance of the
Mediterranean route which
forced both Britain and the Uni
ted States to send their ships ov-
er the long haul around South
Africa. twill be godsend TO
India when the Axis firally is
driven into the sea from North
Africa and the shipping lanes
are reopened.
One of the greatest achieve
ments has been the creation Of
innumerable flying fields and
bases for the maintenance of
supply Throughout this huge en-
pire. People sometime; forget
that no matter how great fleet
of planes you have they are USE
less without bases.
India is now provided with a
strategic network which permits
of quick transference of air
strength from one place to an
other.
Naturally, with increased pro-
duction in America and Britain,
midas air fleet has grown rapid
ly. How big is it? Well, it's all
right for you TO ask while the
Marsha is standing beside that
big air map of India. However,
the answer will hav to be along
the line of Abe Lincoln's reply
to the question of ov- long a
mans legs ought to be. Abe opin-
ed they should reach from the
body to the & ,und.
The Anglo-American air force
Is big enough to do the vastly
important defensive job to which
il has been assigned. II is also
biz enough to take on the addi-
tional offensive work softening