CAPTORS CAPTURED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 74, 8 January 1941, Page 8

CAPTORS CAPTURED

BRITISH SOLDIERS’ ACTION

SEIZURE OP ITALIAN GRAFT

(United Press Association —Copyright > ‘ LONDON, January G.

A story of how a British sergeant and eight other soldiers, who had been taken prisoner, captured the Italian, motor-schooner Zingarelli, on which they were being held, and 100 Italian soldiers and 15 naval marines, comes from Egypt. % The schooner was off the Libyan coast, when it was hailed by an Australian destroyer, which had come up and thrown a searchlight beam on tine decks. In this light, the British soldiers rushed up from the hold and yelled: £ ‘British ♦prisoners.” -The Italian guards were overpowered by the British, who then rushed forward and battened down the hatch above the hold, where the Italian troops were quartered. They then took command of the ship.

The captain of the destroyer ordered the sergeant to follow him, as it was impossible to send over a boarding party or to cast a line. The sergeant replied: “Too right we will, sir, but she’s no ocean greyhound.”

The British sergeant then forced the captain; of thte schooner to follow the destroyer to an Egyptian port. Fourteen hours later the British marched their prisoners ashore at Solium,

The nine British soldiers reported to desert.headquarters ready for the next join