NEAR FRONT LINE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 107, 7 May 1943, Page 4

NEAR FRONT LINE

VISIT TO N.Z. TROOPS

BUSY DEFENCE MINISTER (Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.P.) NEAR ENFIDAVILLE, May 1. The four-day visit by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, to the New Zealand Division, which ended to-day, afforded him unusual opportunities not only to see New Zealand's troops under front-line conditions, but also to observe at first-hand one of the most difficult sectors in this major battle-front. The Minister was in the Middle East only a month ago, when he visited New Zealand troops in Egypt, Palestine and Syria. Since then he has flown to Britain and returned. The Minister and his secretary, Mr. F. Sherwood, arrived at a Tunisian aerodrome on April 27, when he was met by the Commander of the Second N.Z.E.F., Sir Bernard Freyberg, V.C., and immediately proceeded to divisional headquarters. The following morning he embarked on an extremely thorough tour of every unit of the division, and for the succeeding three days he was continually on the move, addressing personnel, inspecting the organisation of the division, and conferring with Sir Bernard Freyberg and his officers. During the whole tour, Mr. Jones was never out of earshot of the guns, and on occasions was a good deal closer than has fallen to the lot of many Cabinet Ministers in this war.

Mapy Questions Answered Travelling between scattered formations, often over temporary tracks and roads, many of them packed with the unceasing traffic of war, is itself a considerable physical strain, but the Minister added to this an average of nearly a dozen addresses daily, and innumerable personal and official discussions. At every unit he invited questions, and although his time was limited he endeavoured to answer as fully as possible the many general and personal inquiries made. As Mr. Jones admitted himself after one session, it was strenuous training ■ for the election campaign ahead, for the men did not lose an opportunity of putting to him a wide variety of questions, ranging from personal legal business to issues of national policy and rehabilitation. The Minister not only gave the men a brief outline of conditions in New Zealand, with particular reference to defence commitments and the war effort, but added to greetings from their own people those of the many Allied war leaders whom he had encountered on his tour. These included Mr. Churchill, Mr. Eden, and many leading Americans. Arrival at Cairo . A message from Cairo states that on arrival there Mr. Jones paid a tribute to the fine work of the New Zealand General Hospital and convalescent depot at Tripoli and the New Zealand non-divisional engineers working on forward aerodromes and port duties. Concerning his visit to the division, Mr. Jones said: "I was pleased to meet the men in the place where they have been fighting. The visit has been of exceptional value to me, and I have seen the division working at first hand. I was deeply impressed with the efficiency of the force. The Minister is visiting newlywounded personnel in hospitals in Egypt.