Page 685 - Reading Mercury

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 31st., Messrs. Associated British Cinemas, Ltd. 30/31
Golden Square, London W.1., with the approval of Mr. John Maxwell, the Company’s
Chairman and Managing Director, will at each one of the Company’s cinemas
throughout the country, launch a personal appeal to the film going public for
donations to the “A.B.C. Patrons and Staff Hurricane and Spitfire Fund.”
Collections will be made daily in the theatres for a fortnight ending on Saturday
September 14th.

THE MAYOR OPENS THE FUND
At the Ritz Cinema, Wokingham, the Mayor (Councillor E.W. Reeves), supported
by Lieut. Col R.H. Anderson, Commander Wokingham Home Guard, will inaugurate
the fund and will speak from the stage of the cinema.
Lieut.-Col. R.P. Henstock, Commander Bracknell Platoon, Home Guard, will support
the appeal at the Regal Cinema, Bracknell.
Patrons of either of these theatres who would prefer to make a contribution by
cheque, Money Order or Postal Order should make them payable to “A.B.C.
Hurricane and Spitfire Fund” and cheques and Postal Orders should be Crossed.
Contributions made in this way should be addressed personally to the respective
Managers of the Cinemas, Mr. N. Stratton, Ritz Cinema, Wokingham and Mr. E.P.
Frankham, Regal Cinema, Bracknell.
Should any patron desire to send loose money, this should be sent through the post
in a Registered Envelope.
The Managers of the Cinemas will acknowledge personal contributions through the
medium of “The Times and Weekly News” and, at the closure of the appeal, the
amounts subscribed at the Cinemas will also be published.

th
Sat 7 Sept
TWO MORE DUNKIRK HEROES
Two more Wokingham-born men have been given cigarette cases as mementoes of
the parts they played in the Dunkirk episode. They are Stoker H. Clarke, R.N., of 4,
Langborough Road, Wokingham and Officer’s Steward H. Rolfe, of 58, Wescott
Road, Wokingham. Both men are at sea, but the cases have been left at their homes
for them to collect on their next periods of leave.
SOLDIERS’, SAILORS’ AND AIRMEN’S FAMILIES’ ASSOCIATION.
Collections were taken in Wokingham Division, with which is associated the
Incorporated Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Society, on Tuesday. Colonel F.H. James was the
hon, secretary and organiser. Details: Bracknell, £16 15s. 7d.; Crowthorne, £12 18s.
4½d.; Hurst, £12 18s. 2¾; Sonning, £11 5s. 11¾; Wargrave, £24 2s. 8¼d.; Winnersh,
£4 7s. 4¾; Finchampstead, £12 0s. 1d.; Wokingham, £64 18s. 11d.; Total (subject to
audit), £159 7s. 2¼.

FIRST P.O.W. FROM BERKSHIRE
Believed to be the first Berkshire man to be taken prisoner of war by the Italians,
Leading Telegraphist Reginald Challis, R.N., has his home at Valetta, Matthews
Green, Wokingham. Telegraphist Challis, who was previously reported missing from
the submarine Oswald was born at Hurst 29 years ago. He was educated at St. Paul’s
C. of E. School, Wokingham, and he joined the Navy as a boy at the age of 15.
After being with H.M.S. Ganges, he spent three years in Chinese waters in H.M.S.
Whitshed. For the next three years he was at the Valetta Wireless Station, and he later
joined the submarine service. After two years in H.M. submarine Narwhal, he

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