LOSSES IN CRETE AND GREECE

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23353, 12 June 1941, Page 4

LOSSES IN CRETE AND GREECE

Latest Figures | ! REVIEW BY MR NASH _ V (F.0.P.R.) WELLINGTON, June n. Out of 16,530 New .‘Vjdsnfl troops sent to Greece Oft T Jrete, the Government has beem&iviMj that 5783 are casualties, JKmprl*. ing 213 killed, 1187 M known AJA 2 still unaccounted for. according to & statement which the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. W. Nash) said to-day roughly described the posh tion. In making the statement in the House Mr Nash said he had , previously been informed that 11180 men had been evacuated to Egypt, this figure including the 1187 wounded listed among the casualties. He also explained that the previous total unaccounted for in the two campaigns had now been modified in a way that could not quite be reconciled, and it ap. peared to be over-stated. The Minister said that the latest figures received reduced the total of New Zealanders unaccounted for in the Crete campaign to 2450. “I have just received more word to. day about the casualties both in Crete and in the Greek campaign," Mr Nash said Dealing first with those relating to Crete, the Minister recalled that in his statement last Tuesday he said that the number of New Zealanders unaccounted fer had been put down tentatively at 2800. He was glad to say that the latest figures reduced that total to 2450. These men were for the most part probably prisoners of war. “I regret to say that I have also been informed that the number of men killed in Crete is now set down as 87, and the number of wounded is 671. These wounded apparently are in Egypt. These figures are, of course. ! subject to correction, and should not be taken as final. I am very pleased to say that since the battle 3700 men have arrived back in Egypt from Crete, fit and well. Their spirits are excellent.” Casualties In Greece Figures for casualties in Greece which had become available to-day gave the number killed as 128, the number wounded as 516. and prisoners of war who had been officially notified to date were 41. The number missing —that was unaccounted for—was 1802, •As yet the majority of men in this group were probably prisoners of war, These figures gave a total casualty of 2575 for the Greek campaign, and he was informed that that would be ac* curate within very few. Of the 16*530 who went into Greece. 5230 had been evacuated to Egypt, ana 8400 went to Crete, and the records showed that 2900 were unaccounted for. That number, he thought, had now been reduced to 2575. The numher who went to Crete was 8400, and 1300, including nurses and units which were of no use in Crete, were evacu* ated to Egypt before the fighting be. gan. After the fighting 4850 wert evacuated, including some wounded, anj[ 2450 were unaccounted for. Discussing those unaccounted for, Mr Nash said the latest information indicated that the figures had been modified in a manner which could not quite be reconciled with that total. To the 2450 still unaccounted for, there had to be added 87 killed and 671 wounded (who were in Egypt), making a total of 3208 casualties. Answering a question by Mr W. J. Poison (Opposition, Stratford) whether the Government was using the vser* vice of the Red Cross in gainin* information, Mr Nash said the Goyternment was obtaining whatever infer-, mation it could from every soMrtssmd/ as soon as it came to hand it ivould be released to the House.