NEW ZEALANDERS IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23301, 10 April 1941, Page 8

NEW ZEALANDERS IN GREECE

/ JOURNEY FROM EGYPT SOLDIERS TRAVEL IN i WARSHIPS 1 ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOME (N.Z. War Correspondent) ATHENS, April 7. After leaving Egypt in heavy rain—--1 a rarity—followed by one of the worst duststorms they have known, the New Zealand trocpscheered thq sight of the gjreen hills of Greece as their ships threaded through clusters of htt.e islands whicu dot the sea approaches. Greece gave them a welcome the warmth of which was reminiscent of the farewell parades in New Zealand C 1 Several units marched 10 miles from the port to a temporary camp along streets lined with excited, applauding crowds. The children held flags and the girls threw flowers, while the troops, whistling and singing as they marched, waved happily in reply. Secure in the efficient hands of the Royal Navy, the New Zealanders had made a sea journey they will long remember. Not only did the Navy safely escort the big merchant convoys laden with troops and equipment, but also carried hundreds of men in their own ships. . , , A battalion of Wellington infantrymen with whom I travelled were transported, along with other units, with no more fuss and little more time than the New Zealand inter-island service, in swift warships which included famous sister ships of the New Zealand cruisers.. The voyage seemed an event in itself, yet was only a small part of the extraordinary and unprecedented trans- ■ fer of men and material to this new ' setting for a-display of the Empire's strength- and determination. . As this is written, no. word has yet been announced of the expedition which is a milestone in the progress of Britain’s preparedness to meet force with force, even in the remotest : theatres of war. Our troops are only now beginning to realise the full sig- • niflcance of, the recent intensive advanced training, and the relief of New Zealand detachments from communicatlon, transport, and convoy work in ’ Libya. Well-guarded Plans •' So well guarded were the expedition’s plans that the first definite indication flie men received of their destination v was .contained in an inspiring message ' communicated to them aboard the ship, pointing out the possibility of New Zealanders facing German land forces. "* The message struck a note of great / confidence in their capabilities. The • men, for- their part, are proud and elated at the opportunity to prove themselves under, probably, arduous ■ conditions and against the real enemy. With few signs to indicate that the move was anything more than a manoeuvre, from which they would return in a matter of days or weeks, unit > after unit of the N.Z.E.F.,- fully equip- '• ped and ready for action, slipped quietly from the camp in the Nile , Valley on an expedition cloaked with ■the utmost secrecy. The,first stage of : the journey ended in a transit camp Within sight of the Mediterranean coast. Here tlfeNeW Zealanders, aide by side with English, and other Imperial troops, settled Mown to. Wait while the colossal task of transport equipment aboard the shipslying in a nearby port was steadily carried through. . Every day laden trucks, guns, and armoured vehicles ware' speeding towards the coast in a seemingly endless stream. To the troops, who hourly expected the order to follow their ' transport equipment, this spectacle had an air’of-mystery and intrigue which was increased when„the first units were ' seen on the khaki columns / o£ men weighed/dbWrt; ; with;.personai gear- and trudging out of sight ■///;.;!/ //■/ ■/:' /-/'/v Destination Unknown /"Not even these ,/tr hops, knew defi- ■ nltely their destination/and- everyone ; Igft almost gave up speculating. ' ;■ camp, was busy with /.. refresher training and normal routine. V : - programmes were planned only from ‘■ -day to day and all was ready to move ~,at-the briefest notice, • . , '■ -.‘.The. story, of this new phase in the I .career of the: N.Z-E.F. dates back to ' :* ,tiie' recall of fighting units from defen- • sive '-positions, near Mersa Matruh, no ; longer«required, for two, months • ’>ipedal'tralxi|ng...; v .... . As the .weeks- passed, /widely scattered signals;' l engine,eir, /and. trans-. • port companies/ Which/carried out. the • New Zealanders/ limited part v in the ■ Libyan offensive, fetuwadr ;one after ; another to the fold// Hardly ,the . last, namely the Reserve Motor Trans- : port which splendidly served the,Brst- . Jsh forces ftoth Sldi Barrani to-Ben- ;/ ghazi, reached camp, .than the hew /' exodus began. Treated as the start :■ of 1 large-scale manoeuvres, the move to the ; jumping-off point was soon v.quickly and quietly under way, , /•■ In the tail-end of a howling wind .and a sandstorm, the battalion to which *■ J was attached shook-the dust of Egypt ; from their heels in, the march to the / railway, ■ the men carrying on their /■liacks for the two miles everything i they possessed. An hour’s journey %'a

CONFIDENCE IN N.Z. TROOPS General Freyberg’s Message ENTRY INTO BATTLE “I have never seen troops that impressed me more. . . . The honour of the New Zealand Division is in your keeping. It could not be in better hands.” These were words addressed to the New Zealand troops by MajorGeneral B. C. Freyberg in a special order, dated March 11. on their sailing for Greece. The fuil text of the order, a copy of which has been received in New Zealand, is as follows; — “Kefore leaving Egypt for the battlefront, I had planned to say a last word to you. I find that events have moved quicklv and I am prevented from doing so' I therefore send this message to you in a sealed envelope to be opened on the transport after you have started on your journey. In the course of the next few days, we may be fighting in defence of Greece, the birthplace of culture and of learning. We shall he meeting our real enemy, the Germans, who have set out with the avowed object of smashing the British Empire. It is clear, therefore, that, wherever we fight them, we shall be fighting not on.y for Greece but also in defence of our own homes. “A word to you about your enemy. The German soldier is a brave fighter, so do not underestimate the difficulties that face us. On the other hand, remember that this time he is fighting with difficult communications, in country where he cannot use his strong armoured forces to their full advantage. Further, you should remember that your fathers of the Ist New Zealand Expeditionary Force defeated the Germans during the last war whenever they met them. I am certain that in this campaign in Greece the Germans will be meeting men who are fitter, stronger and better trained than they are. I have never seen troops that impressed me more. You can shoot and you can march long distances without fatigue. By your resolute shooting and sniping, and by fierce patrolling by night you can tame any enemy you may encounter. “A further word to you, many of whom, I realise, will be facing the ordeal of battle for the first time. Do not be caught unprepared. In war, conditions will always be difficult, especially in the encounter battle; time will be against you, there will always be noise and confusion,, orders may arrive late, nerves will be strained, you will be attacked from the air. All these factors and others must be expected on the field of battle. But you have been trained physically to endure long marches and fatigue and you must steel yourselves to overcome the ordeal of the'modern battlefield. “One last word. You will be fighting in a foreign land, and the eyes of many nations will be upon you. The honour of the New Zealand Division is in your keeping. It could not be in better hands.” brought us to the quayside where naval men led us aboard. No sooner were the last troops embarked than the warship swung out to take her position at the head of the naval column, while the soldiers lined the decks The troops were thrilled beyond words by the chance to travel in a warship, particularly because they were given", as far as possible, the freedom of the ship. - Some manned the anti-aircraft lookout; stations, while the rest' sprawled oh' the sunny decks and chatted with the sailors or examined the marvels of the ,’gun - mechanism as the ships ploughed through the slow Meditertaneah swell; • The ;jburney was sd swift as to be almost .uhbeheVable, for after a night In ' which thtr battalion bedded down ih eyery. vacant corner of the ship the New Zealanders woke to see Grecian islands close by. , Disembarking at a quiet.harbour, the troops were led by their commanding officer in rousing cheers fof their naval friends who replied as warmly and filled the air with shouts of good luck. A band of marines played us off the wharf as we marched into the street lined with ever-growing crowds. The whole 10-mile tramp was like a victory inarch,, the spontaneous enthusiasm of the 1 people expressing itself in hand-ShakeSi-;waves, and welcoming cries : ,Wu"flgured in one of the most amazing scenes I have ever' witnessed, for down the road in the opposite, direction trudged a long, silent column of Italian prlsoners.from the Albanian-front. The contrast and significance! -of.- the spectacle tickled Greek humour and the crowd laughingly gave us the “thumbs up” sign while they turned to the defeated Italians with thumbs pointing down. To-night as we settled down on grassy, wooded slopes awaiting the order to move to our battle stations we find we have taken an unparalleled liking to this great little country, fighting with all its heart and soul.