Storv of Greece and Crete

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 143, 18 August 1941, Page 6

Storv of Greece and Crete

SAFELY AT BASES LIET. HULTQUIST'S STORY CONCLUDES ONCE MORE IN EGYPT With this instalment the story of Greece and Crete as seen through the eyes of Lieut. A. G. Hultquist, M.P., concludes, the troops being once more safely in Egypt awaiting the opportunity once again to contest the enemy on a more even footing. At 6 p.m. we arrived back on the shores of old Egypt. When we left it nearly three months previously we had said we hoped we never would see Egypt again. Here we were, glad to set foot on soil where we cojuld get a little rest and recover from the strain we had experienced. We had been through a great experience. We had done our best, None of us felt that we had anything to be ashamed of. We had been beaten by overwhelming odds, but had made the enemy pay dearly for any gains he made. Our losses, killed, wounded, missing, and prisoners of war in Crete (alone), were 15,000. The Hun losses were 13,000 killed and wounded. He paid dearly in sea-borne troops, ships, and planes in addition. Not For Me To Say I do not think there can be any argument about our going to Greece:. We did our duty and our best to assist an ally, With regard to Crete, well, I am not qualified to write.; Whether we should or should not have attempted to hold the island is not for me to say. It was disappointing to see so few British planes at the beginning and none towards the end of the show, but I suppose they found it impossible to operate with any promise of success. . I can only hope that the next time we go into action we will have plenty of support in the air. I a,m sure that we do not need to br. equal in numbers to bea.t the Hun v We hava proved that we can beat them easily when their planes are not present, and I feel confident that a few British planes could clear the sky of a German air force which might be superior in nunb bers; Ready for Next Scrap But I'm a soldier, and it's nol my job to comment I can only hope I've not written more than should have. I felt I would; like to M/rite the story while it was still fresh in my memory, and there is much more I could tell. Now part of the story i$ on paper I would like to forget all except the acts of bravery I witnessed, and with my mates get ready for the next scrap, which, a§ sure as night follows day, we will be called upon to take part in. Many of 'us felt We*d had enough, but it is remarkable how soon we get over it, and laugh at many incidents that now strike us as amusing when looked at in retrospect. A lot has happened since our return to help us get ready for the | battles still to be fought. Im« mediately we landed we were given a hot cup of tea and chocolate and cigarettes and biscuits. Then away to a camp and a hot meal, an issue of a blanket Cwe had not had a blanket to sleep in for days), and a tent. Why, it was even a luxury to sleep on the soft sand under oaver of a tent —we'd got used to sleeping on the hard ground and on rocks. Back at Old Gamp Next day, Sunday, we were issued with more cigarettes and J chocolate and writing materials, cups of tea, and clean shirts, and sihorts, clean underclothes, pith helmets (oh it was good to take the stSeel) helmet off, although we had got used to wearing it). New boots, clean sox, sha.ving gear, and towel and: soap. One felt he was a new 1 man. Then that night we entrained fl.nd now we are back in our old' camp. In our absence they

have built huts for us in place of the tents we previously occupied. We feel like new men, A week's leave' has been granted to all who Returned from Crete: The Hon. Peter Fraser who has been in Cairo and Alexandria in close touch with the naval and military authorities concerning our evacuation from Crete, inspected us last Friday, and spoke well to us. Those Left Behind Unfortunately the parade was a smaller one than he would kave met had he visited early in February last, Many chaps are sleeping .their last long sleep in Greece, others lie there wounded, I hope being cared for by the medical people we left there (I say " I hope" in the sense that it is believed that the Hun has permitted them to care properly for our wounded who couldn't be taken off). Many others failed to escape from Greece, and are either in hiding or are prisoners of war. The same applies to Crete. It was not possible to get everyone away. We can only trust that' those who are alive in Greece and Crete will some day return to us May that day be hot far distant. Famous Words Recalled Shackleton, of the Antarctic, aftei one of his expeditions once said : "When I look back T have no doubt that Providence guided us, not only across those snowfields, but across the storm-nvhite sea. I know that during that long and wracking march of thirty-six hours over the un-named mountains and glaciers of South Georgia it seemed to me often that we were four, not three. I said nothing to my companions, but afterwards Worsley said to me M Boss, I had a curious feeling on that march that there was another person with us." Had Sir Ernest Shackleton beon with us, through Crete I think he would have expressed himself in the same phraseology. Last Thursday evening it was my great privilege to have dinner at the historici hotel called Sbepheard's. The dinner was held in one of the private dining rooms. It was a grand occasion ,and what a ' spread. And what a contrast to 10 days before when I was hungry, with all the: chaps who were with me. How I would have liked them to be at this dinner with me. But Peter hadn't forgotten them, and on Friday evening he entertained over a thousand of them at tea. Wl.'sP. Gather But on the occasion of the dinner there were several of my parliamentary colleagues present as well. M.P. for Motueka (he had been in the Greek cam-' paign), M.P. for Hauraki (he was in the Crete campaign), MtPL for Mid-Canterbury,, who was fortunate enough to miss the shows, M.P. for Mataura (he also missed the scraps, and who is in control of the patriotic funds back at Base). Mr C. Berendsen, who is travelling (viithi the Prime {Minister!, was *lso present. The only other member who apart from myself had been, through both Greece and Crete was unfortunately feud up with influenza. One other was absent. He had been through Greece and nearly got out of Crete, but fate decreed otherwise. That good fellow was Jack Lyon, and we remembered him at this gathering ar»ii' regretted he was not with us. A week's Leave And now I'm looking forward to a week's leave. My OC, Captain C. A. Borman, and 14 of the section are on leave at present The rest of the section are going on leave next Saturday I propose to go on Tuesday of next week. I am going in an organised party of 40 to Palestine, and I expect to have an interesting time viewing many historic spots in Jerusalem and at Nazareth and other places. I will see the River Jordan and the Dead Sea, the Garden of Gethsemene, the Mount of Olives, and Jericho perhaps, and in another letter after my trip [ will write and describe my holiday. In the meantime I

have been to Cairo and done a little toward restocking my kit. Cairo is just the same as ever —the same jumble of sounds and smell and jostling crowds. The Nile still placidly flows 011 —giving life, until one marvels at the foolishness of man.

By the way, I lost everything in Greece and Crete, even the bottom set of my false teeth.

Lost Everything

I had put them in my overcoat pocket two days before we came off Crete, as I hey were hurting my gums. I had to throw my overeioat away when climbing a particularly steep mountain ridge, and forgot all about my teeth. I hope they hurt the gums of the Hun who finds them as much as they hurt .me.' I regret that I lost the photo of my wife and daughter. When hurrying out of Gala tos, I took it out of my kit and put it in my shirt, but I must have failed to realise that I had got a bit thinner round the waist, and it slipped through my trouser leg, and now a Hun might have it. Razor, spare sox, hankies, everything went. I arrived like most others in Egypt with worn-out boots dirty shirt and shorts, dirtier singlet and underpants, one still dirtier handkerchief, a tin hat, and, strangest of all, with all my unanswered etters.

Prepare Again

It is marvellous how much a soldier treasures letters from

his own Native Land. Now I'll have to answer them, and that will be a pleasure in store for me during my week's leave. Now one can have a hot shower, put on clean clothes I've had a haircut and sported myself two pairs of pyjamas, and generally speaking everything in the garden is much better than it has been for a long time.

Some day I'm sure I'll be able to write and tell of victory of a first-class kind instead of evacuation. Every road has its turning, and we are all looking forward to the time when we can take part in a scrap where we will have the Hun on the run. In the meantime, one can only get rea,dy for the next scrap and do all in one's power to assist to make it the one in which the Hun will do the evacuating with less sucqess than we did, with the help of our wonderful'navy. Nuff Sed!