Sunday 13 May 2012

3 London Policemen Shot

Daily Mirror dated Wednesday March 2nd 1938
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On the 28th of February 1938 two soldiers, Andrew Vanderberg and Reginald Eddie Kaye, deserted from Tidworth barracks and headed for Andover where they hijacked a police car at gunpoint. Unfortunately for them cars were pretty unreliable in those days and it broke down after a mile or so. When an RAF officer stopped to help them he was forced to drive them to London. On March 1st the soldiers carried out a couple of armed thefts and then hijacked another car, but didn’t realise that their driver was an off-duty policeman. He deliberately crashed the car into a lamppost outside Barking police station.
As detailed in the cuttings, they were caught after a one sided gun battle with the un-armed police. Actually only 2 policemen were shot – the other was injured when he was pushed through a glass window.
At their trial, Vanderberg, who was 37, got 10 years inside, while Kaye, at only 16, was sent to Borstal for 3 years.
Vanderberg’s defence included blaming his actions on marijuana addiction!


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Wilmer and another man had been convicted of beating and robbing a 67 year-old jeweller in a diamond robbery the previous December. The flogging was in addition to a 7year prison sentence and caused uproar in the more Liberal minded sections of the public. George Bernard Shaw and the Deans of St Paul’s and Canterbury led the protests. Flogging in British prisons was abolished as late as 1962. 

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Google throws up a surprising number of 12 toed and 12 fingered people, none of whom appear to have become World-class pianists, harpists, guitarists or mathematicians.

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King Vidor did direct ‘The Citadel’ with Robert Donat and Rosalind Russell.
Donat also starred in ‘Good-Bye Mr Chips’ and it was, according to the IMDb, directed by Sam Wood with an uncredited Sydney Franklin. ‘National Velvet’ wasn’t made until 1944 but with Mickey Rooney as Mi Taylor rather than Spencer Tracy. It doesn’t look like Wallace Beery made it to Britain.

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Why wasn’t this on the front page? King Misses Breakfast! Forced to drive to Monte Carlo! Thoroughly Pissed Off!

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As, I imagine was intended, I immediately thought this referred to the British Royal Family until I noticed the two ‘By Appointment’ notices.

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Next time you mutter “Health and safety gone mad” when you see people wearing goggles to open a tomato sauce bottle, remember this is what might happen. I once saw an experiment blow up in our chemistry teacher’s face. Luckily he wasn’t injured but just covered in black residue. Oh, how we little buggers laughed. 

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We all know advertisers tell fibs, but they should check their copy before publishing - ‘and butter free’ it says - ‘and a lacing of the finest butter’ it says. Which is it? The public has a right to know!

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Only 19 months later, in September 1939, Goering had his chance.

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I want eyebrows like Joan Crawford! Check out the coupon at the bottom. I think I’m a sallow, oily skinned, black eyed (under, not pupils), over 35, brownette gone grey.

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‘Carroll Levis’ Discoveries’ was ‘Britains Got Talent’ 1938 style. When was the last time you saw a whistling professional boxer, a dramatic monologist and the Peckam Piccaninny on the same bill? Simon Cowell eat your heart out!

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“Wow, man, toothpaste, cool.” She doesn’t look like a hippie but she’s ending her sentence “Man” so I hope he’s not surprised if they have hash cookies for the Wedding Breakfast and a honeymoon in Marakesh.  

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There doesn’t appear to be anything online about this death threat to Brentford FC. Has it been hushed up? The public has a right to know! Again!











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