NAZAIRE HEROES

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 80, 5 April 1943, Page 2

NAZAIRE HEROES

PRISON-CAMP LIFE

V.C. WINNER WRITES HOME

I .f IIM I Jt JIM. Commander Stephen Beattie, V.C. hero of the St. Nazaire raid, who was taken prisoner by the Germans aftei bursting the lock-gate at St. Nazaire by crashing his destroyer, Cambei town, straight into it, has writter home to his wife describing life in a German naval camp. "I am afraid I shall have to cut my beard off, they (beards) are unpopular in these regions for some reason," he says. "I've almost forgotten what I look like underneath, and I'm sure I shall have forgotten how to shave. "Altogether we are really quite comfortable, and are being well treated. "I happen to be the second officer here, not that it entails any privileges,, except that I mess with the colonel, who is a damn fine chap, a man called Newman, for whom I have a great admiration. (Colonel Newman led the St. Nazaire raid.) "We have a service every Sunday. Everyone can remember the first line or two out'of dozens of hymns, but the rest is difficult. The colonel takes the service, and I read the lessons. "By the way, I heard about my award on Sunday from the German officer in charge, who was very courteous about it. I can't believe it. "I am sitting out in the sun in a pair of shorts, baking myself, at the moment, and very pleasant it is, too. Life goes on much as usual; my chaps have formed a naval brass band, and play in the evenings. "I promised I'd tell you how we spend our time. There are about 500 officers and men here (all naval), but the accommodation is reasonable—the huts, at any rate, are waterproof, and we have bunks to sleep in. Five chaps are in my room, which is quite a spacious apartment. "We have appel (muster) three times a day, but otherwise the day is entirely our own."