"We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the at~ tributes of victory, Wars are not won. by evacuation ("hear, hear"), but-ihere Is a victory inside this deliverance which should be noted, and it was gained by the Alr Force, "Many of our soldiers coming back had not seen the Air Force at work. They only saw bombers which escaped their protective attack. They under rate its achievement, I have heard mich talk of that and that is why I out of my way to tell the House about it.
"This was a great trial of strength between the British and German Air' Forces. Can. you conceive a greater objective for the power of Germany in the air than to make all evacuation from these beaches Impossible and sink all ships which were displayed almost to the number of-a thousand?
Could there have been an objective of greater military. importance Greater military signideance for the Whole purposes of war than this?
"They tried hard and they were beaten back, they were frustrated in their attacks. We got the army away and. they paid four-fold for any losses they inflicted upon us, Very large formations of German aeroplanes—and we know this is a very brave race—have turned on several] occasions from attack of a quarter their number of the RAP. and dis persed in different directions. Twelve aeroplanes have been hunted by two. One aeroplane was driven into the away by a mere.
of a British aeroplane which had no more ammunition—(cheers.)
"AIL our types, all our pilots been vindicated: 'Hurricanes, Spitfires and the new Deflants are' superior to what they at, present have to face. When we consider how much greater would be our advantage in defending the alr above this island against an oversea attack 1 must say T find in these facts a sure basis on which practical and reassuring thought may rest, and I pay my tribute to these young alrmen—(Cheers).
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.