INTO ACTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 362, 24 January 1941, Page 3

INTO ACTION

DOMINION TROOPS

LIEUTENANT MULLER'S STORY THRILLS AT SI D! BAIIRANT Having been in action with the Empire troops at SidL Barrani when the now famous westward push of the Army of Hie Nile opened Avith brilliant results, Lieutenant F. H. Muller describes in a letter to his parents, Mr and Mrs I*. Muller, of Te Kuiti, his reactions to modem warfare, and in particular to the routes of the Italians in the gecat desert battle. Lieutenant Muller opens his thrill ing account of the part played by the New Zealand transport units by referring to 7 iis return from action at 2 a.m. on that historic December morning after the fall ol Sidi Bairani. He was tired, unshaven and dirty. He found time to write home while paying out, organising the next day's move, and answeiing countless and varied questions from troops, during a combined dust, rain and thunderstorm. The unit with which the Te Kuiti lieutenant and hi.' section went into action was a first battalion a British infantry brigade. "Believe me,"' he comments, "it wns a great show!" Battle Reactions. '"What I thought or felt at the time I do not remember, but it Avas not altogether t, nice experience," he added. He remarked that his lorrv was hit by a bursting Italian shell and a piece of shrapnel tore through one of the troop's kit bag. At 5 a.m. the New Zealand transport drivers moved out of then camp and later they picked up tlic infantry regiment which they were to convoy to the scene of action. On the (irst night the drivers slept in the infantry regiment's camp before moving further toward the front the next day. At this point the soldiers stayed a day and two nights and attended a church service before taking the plunge into action. On the fourth day out the transport and their cargo of troops moved to within 20 miles of the Italians. Prom this point could be heard the big guns ol' tho Royal Navy. The barrage was maintained throughout the night.

Break Through Defences.

When not very far on his journey the next morning Lieutenant Muller heard the battle tor Sidi Bariani start at a fort. The noise was terrific. He says that the convoy had to stop but about 10 a.m. word came that the British were into Sidi Barrani and had already taken 1000 prisoners. The task of the New Zealand drivers was to move on behind the fort with their infantry passengers. This manoeuvre was commenced and the colonel went forward to survey the scene. Then the big tanks and artillery moved up and the New Zealand transport followed behind them over a low hill. "Then they spotted us,'" the lieutenant goes on. "Shells began to explode and a truck would disappear in a cloud but when the dust fell the vehicle would still be going. After a while the iirst shell came very near us. We had a battalion officer with us. Suddenly there was a whine, and I swear the shell went between our heads. The battalion officer just said: 'I think we'd better have a smoke'; and we rolled one. "Things Happen." "Then things began to happen. It was like going through a shrieking wind. Our trucks approached the fort at 45 miles, an hour,. stopped, and then the infantry jumped out and went in "bald-headed.' We could sec the flash of guns as we came up and every one appeared to point directiv at us.

"T'he boys turned their trucks to prevent their engines being hit and then they dropped to the ground. It was not much fun lying there with missiles bouncing about us, but it was all over very shortly and we moved in to consolidate the position. "That night," he adds. "there were fires burning everywhere, trucks, stores and ammunition blowing up. We slept outside the fort and felt very uncomfortable, but the night passed quite well witl} only an occasional shot, but there avhs