STILL ARRIVING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 111, 13 May 1941, Page 5

STILL ARRIVING

ANZACS FROM GREECE

GREEKS LEFT ON BEACHES

Australians and New Zealanders who fought in Greece continue to arrive at Middle East headquarters from, remote places* states Kenneth Slessor, Australian official war correspondent, cabling from Cairo last Saturday. Two who had been missing since the Battle of Vivi (north-west of Mount Olympus), more than three weeks ago, turned up to-day. Men in the last organised party tc leave Greece say thousands of Greek soldiers and civilians were left or the beaches, although they pleadec to be taken away. There was no room for them ir the transports. Before the last military party was taken ofF, the Germans were onlj three miles away. British guns were firing at then ■t 5000 yards range. v The,vlast party—about 14,000 mer r-was made up of two New Zealanc brigades and Australian artillery engineer, machine-gun, anti-tank, anc ambulance units. Major A. W. Sheppard, a formei oydney barrister, who had charge o wie embarkation of this last completi rearguard, told me how he drovi alone through Athens after the Ger mans had entered the city. tj ii? wanted to make sure that ro there r Anzac tro °P s h ac * been lef i Saw Swastika Flying Major Sheppard was in Athens a ° a.m. on April 28, when the swa: \ "Ka was flying on the Acropolis. Omonia Square (Athens Martin Place) Major Sheppard drov aione j n his car. He was the lat ""lush soldier in Athens. He-stopped to look 'for men i: ?™Pty restaurants and shops, bu ound no Empire troops. > w.:l! ,er tv, '° hours' searching Majo •? n Sppard i ctt-

On the way to Marathon he found Greek soldiers were still manning t formidable road-blocks bristling t with machine-guns. k They told him they were deter- \ mined to hold on to the end. Ambulances brought the dozen 1 stretcher cases to the beach. At 9 p.m. a barge was loaded with 120 z troops, nearly all ambulance men i and engineers. < The barge had just pulled out to 1 await a transport when four naval i barges arrived. The sailors said a light cruiser 1 and a destroyer would arrive at 9.15 p.m. to take off the remainder of the ] troops. ] Luck held. There were no more 1 enemy attacks that night. The last Empire soldier climbed aboard at 2.15 a.m. Among the Greeks who pleaded to ibe embarked was a civilian, who ! was searched. He had on him a large quantity of i ammenol (an explosive ten times ; stronger than gelignite). l "Enough to blow up half the I fleet," Major Sheppard said. "We didn't see him any more. Ho had an unfortunate accident." The ambulance unit brought most of its medical equipment. Every 5 man saved his rifle. Tommy-guns, r Bren guns and anti-tank rifles were salvaged. , . . i The men dismantled took away two-pounder anti-tank guns, , leaving the carriages on the beach, jl Not one life was lost in the Beach iD embarkation, nor was any transport damaged there. / Nearly Left Behind rj After the last of tlje rearguard f party had boarded a small boat at| 212.15 a.m. on April 29, the Major' e went back to the control point on -the beach, shouted, "Any British troops left?" then fired his pistol, a He heard a voice ask: "What's t going on?" Then a New Zealand corporal came up, rubbing his eyes. "Don't you know there's an evacuation?" Major Sheppard asked, t "Sorry," said the corporal, "I've 5 " been asleep." Few of the men had more than an 3' hour's sleep here and there in four e days. it On the nights of April 26, 27 and 28, the 14,000 troops" under Major n'sheppard's charge embarked from it! Porto Jtafti, called Beach D. On the first night 6263 men were r taken aboard a transport in five and Ja half hours.

Their transport was two miles off| the beach. The men had to wade* to tank-landing craft ("invasion • barges"), lighters, and ships' boats, which took them to their ship, i They swarmed aboard up rope| ' ladders. > j The troops approached the beachl after dark and hid 1400 vehicles so! well in olive and elm groves that| German planes which flew over regu-j larly next day apparently suspected nothing. Five thousand more troops em- ] barked on April 27. I The remainder of the rearguard had intended to embark on this night, but they were ordered to wait till the next night. German parachute troops had landed at Corinth. It was thought they would immediately attack the remainder of the rearguard. Dive-Bombers Attack Next day, Brigadier Puttick, a New Zealand officer, commanding a section of the rearguard, took his force nearer the beach. German dive-bombers attacked them furiously from noon till 3.30 p.m. Stukas came whistling across the! i sky, 12 at a time. j Mistaking two empty Greek ships anchored off the beach for trans-1 1 ports,' the Stukas concentrated their! assault on them, dropping more than' 200 bombs near the vessels. j But at the end of the attack the only damage was one ship slightly ! down at the stern. The ships had been placed there for use only in an extreme emergency. I Twelve men were injured in this t j terrific bombing attack. They were r 1 all taken away with the last party.!