Roger Keyes, G.C.B., has retinguished his post as Director of Operations of Commandos. It is revealed that for the last 15 months he has been directing operations of these shock troops who are specially selected to carry out raids on enemy~ occupied territory—Reuter, jOnly One Casualty In Ark Royal Lonidon, Nov. 16.
There was only one casualty aboard the 22,000-ton aircraft-carrier Ark Royal which ~was torpedoed and Sunk off Gibraltar several days. ago, it"Wwas officially announced. in. Lon: don last night.
'Thousands of pounds worth of Christmas. presents for wives "and sweethearts In Britain went down In the Ark Royal. wires Reuters' Cor= respondent at Gibraltar. He reports:
"Survivors here tell me that for months the crew had been buying Presents for relatives and clothes for themselves, for they expected to re~ turn to Britain for Christmas as the Gar ship was nearing the end of her first commission. They estimated that the rew had spent £10,000 in this way, Thousands of pairs of sill slockin were aboard, also large quantities cosmetics and chocolates.
A "Happy Ship"
"When I saw the crew today they wera not unduly depressed by the personal toss although most of them lost all their possessions. They were much) more concerned about the lose of the Ark Royal, for which
claved: She was a specially happy.
had special affection. Many de-Ship and probably the best in the Fleet as regards living conditions for the men. She always had a fine set "Many of the crew had signa' on for. re-commissioning.
"though the crew had to abandon ship quickly and had no time to save Personal belongings, they remember fed the ship's six cats and most of these were rescued. The men carried them as they slid down the Fopes into the destroyer which took them off. There were also. many canaries aboard. These had to. be Left behind, On November 13
"The torpedoing was on November 413, and 18 months since the Ark Royal had toft Britain. Describing the torpedoing, a member of the crew said: 'Te was in the afternoon. Suddenly, there was a terrific crash, and the whole ship seemed to jump. Almost immediately she listed aver bout 15 degrees. You could not sit a chair without slipping "awa Desitoyers were' escorting us, and soon one of these was alongside. It was a magnificent piece of seaman-
Many ships were rushed out of Free Alreraft algo joined in. A gipraltae te hunt for the submarine ber of depth charges "Reuter:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.