The Bay of Plenty Times WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30th, 1941 GALLANTRY OF ANZACS IN GREECE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13325, 30 April 1941, Page 4

The Bay of Plenty Times WEDNESDAY, APRIL 30th, 1941 GALLANTRY OF ANZACS IN GREECE

The rearguard action fought by the Australian and New Zealand troops, will be recorded in history as one of the outstanding' achievements of the Avar in the Balkans in 1941, They held Mount Olympus on the left flank of the main forces so as to afford the latter an opportunity to retire to selected positions in order to shorten the line of resistance. Not only did the Anzacs hold their position for the necessary period of time, but they also inflicted enormous casualties on the advancing Germans and held up the attack, according to German admission for three and a half days. They littered the battlefield with German dead, while train loads of wounded were taken to Rumania. The achievement of the Anzacs has been glorious, and they have earned world-wide tributes for their courage and gallantry as did the Anzacs of 1914-18. To a great many people, and particularly the younger generation, the word Anzac merely represents Australian and New Zealand soldiers who fought in the Great War. Few knoAV the origin of the word, and therefore a little explanation here would be in order. In the last Great War Lord Kitchener was Minister of War, and he recognised that it would be fatal to put half-trained men in the battle line against the trained troops of Germany, and so the troops from Australia and New Zealand were landed in Egypt where they were drilled into first class soldiers. Australia and New Zealand undertook to send reinforcements monthly and very soon it was found that there were enough troops from the Antipodes in Egypt to form an army corps, which was done*, and the Australian-New Zealand Army Corps .came into existence. The Avar office in London Avanted a code word for the Corps to facilitate communication. One clerk in the Avar office in Egypt had a brain Avave and suggested making a Avord out of the initials Australia NeAV Zealand Army Corps, and so ANZAC came into being, and the Avord has acquired a distinction and glory of its oavii. The first real test of the troops from the Antipodes during the Great War Avas on April 25, 1915, when they landed together Avitli the gallant 29th British Division on the shores of Ga.llipoli, and displayed such fighting qualities as astonished seasoned British soldiers. The troops Avere under the command of General Birdwood. TAventy-six years later, in the same month of April, Anzacs are fighting in the neighbourhood of Gallipoli, and are shoAving the same courage, endurance and fighting qualities of the Anzacs of 1915. It Avas recorded by a German military historian that the German soldiers had a Avholesome respect for the Anzacs, and in France, when-the German soldiers that they Avere being opposed by the Anzacs, they insisted upon heavy reinforcements bing available to support them. The German soldiers of to-day are showing the same AAdiolesome dread of the Anzacs, Avho have slioavii that the fighting qualities of the Anzacs of-to-day are as good as they Avere 26 years ago. The Germans AAdth their hordes did not break the British lines. There has been a good deal of publicity as to' the Australians and NeAV Zealanders being sent to Greece. We are very thankful that our Government readily agreed to the request that our troops should be sent there. Australia also promptly assented, and the Empire Avas 100 per cent, right in this. We Avere in honour bound to help Greece, and Ave have honourabty complied AVith our miAvritten obligations.