11 April 1932
With great sadness, it falls to us to report the first confirmed cases of El Derretir within the British Empire have been reported in the East Indies. Thus far, there have been four deaths from the disease in Kuching, Sarawak, as well as a further eleven in Singapore. Owing to unconfirmed reports of further infection in Malaya, and the likelihood of the disease having spread beyond the area so far known, the Commonwealth Office has issued similar instructions to those presented by the Foreign Office last September when the first outbreaks were reported in the Philippines.
All aircraft and shipping within the waters of Malaya, Sarawak, Sabah, Singapore and Brunei is to report immediately to the nearest harbour, where health checks and quarantine will be imposed. All non-essential movement of people, goods or livestock is prohibited; this extends to foreign diplomatic personnel. Persons who have visited the aforementioned colonies within two weeks are to report to their nearest police station or military base immediately. Units of the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force have been placed on an increased state of readiness in the colonies, with orders to use any force, up to and including lethal force, to prevent the spread of the disease and promote recovery of those already suffering.
The airships R101 and R100 are being loaded with emergency medical supplies at Cardington, in addition to the Battle Cruiser Squadron being prepared for its’ second emergency run to the Far East in a little over six months.
24 April 1932
Amidst reports of the Italian Navy fielding a so-called “death ray”, the Air Ministry has instructed Robert Watson-Watt, of the Radio Research Establishment at Ditton Park, to investigate the possible use of radio waves for incapacitating effects at a distance. Uses of such a weapon are expected to include air defence, and possibly naval installations of the weapon will prove useful.
9 May 1932
Amidst great celebrations, the Battle Cruiser Squadron transited the Strait of Molucca overnight and this morning, the channel having been specially cleared of shipping to enable the vessels to use their best speed. When docked in Singapore, the HMS Inflexible and HMS Invincible unloaded between them tens of thousands of bars of carbolic soap, along with thousands of protective suits and gas masks. A similar load is carried by HMS Hood, which is expected to make port in Kuching early this evening, after a high-speed transit of the South China Sea.
These shipments are all of measures proven of great utility in combating the spread of El Derretir in India and the Philippines, both of which are fortunately subsiding. Also, the two airships have been pressed into use transferring small shipments of the Penicillin chrysogenum mould, which has shown effectiveness in arresting the growth of bacterial cultures. It is hoped that this can be extended to counter the disease in humans.
17 May 1932
The death toll in Singapore has exceeded two hundred, with over half of all deaths in the last week being attributed to El Derretir. The island is to be quarantined outright, including the partial demolition of the Johor-Singapore Causeway by Army engineers.
28 May 1932
It has been reported that a bank loan of some two thousand pounds has been issued to one F. Whittle, guaranteed by the Royal Air Force, for the formation of a limited liability company named “Power Jets”. Details are scarce, apart from that the new venture is to be closely associated with British Thompson-Houston, a manufacturer of steam turbines, and that Mr. Whittle holds a patent number 347,206, for an “Aircraft Power System and Propulsion Unit.”
2 June 1932
The submarine H-32, operating on blockade duties off Malaya, has reportedly failed to make three scheduled radio reports. Surface and air searches of the area where she was last seen have not yielded any result, and no severe weather has been reported.
8 June 1932
At last, the epidemic of El Derretir in Singapore is drawing down. Although new cases have been reported in the last few days, this is roughly matching the death toll over the same period, suggesting that the outbreak is reaching an equilibrium. So far, just over a thousand people have been recorded as having died in the city from the disease.
A disproportionate number of the recorded deaths have been amongst the Chinese population of Singapore, although this is not belived to be due to racial differences. Although the mortality is higher amongst Asians than European or African people, the difference is not significant, and the difference in deaths is believed instead to be a result of the lower status of Asians in Singapore.
11 June 1932
Supermarine’s “Scapa” flying boat has taken to the air for the first time. It is intended as a replacement for the same manufacturer’s “Southampton” flying boats, at least until the “Stranraer”, a further improvement of the “Southampton” type, enters service.
16 June 1932
The submarine H-44, operating on blockade duties off Malaya, has reportedly failed to make three scheduled radio reports. Surface and air searches of the area where she was last seen have not yielded any result, and no severe weather has been reported.
19 June 1932
The Prime Minister, the Right Honourable James Ramsay MacDonald, has called a General Election to occur on 27 October.
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Originally posted by Red Admiral
Wednesday, October 2nd 2024, 11:31am
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