Army Sports Team Buys Railway Bed

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28553, 5 April 1958, Page 5

Army Sports Team Buys Railway Bed

For Swimmer I

DACK at his job with the South- , ern Military District Signals Troop in Burnham this week is a dutch telegraphist whose feelings towards his fellows in the Army—officers and all—have warmed considerably. The telegraphist is Corporal Hans Breukel, aged 37, whose sportsmates in the district last week voluntarily clubbed together to provide the money for him to have a good sleep before a swim in the Newmarket Olympic pool at Auckland. Three Races Breukel was a member of the Army sports team from Christchurch which took part in the inter-services’ tournament at Auckland. He was entered for three swimming races in one day but the. night before was set down for the tiring railway journey leaving Wellington at 7.15

p.m. and arriving 13 hours later. Other members of Breukel’s team thought that the secondclass seat ticket allowed by the Army for travelling n.c.o.’s was not conductive to good rest the

day before a heavy sporting list Out of their, own pockets they raised enough money to buy their colleague a ticket tor a first-class sleeping compartment Breukel left the train In Auckland fighting fit, entered the water and justified bis teammates' confidence in him by winning the 230yds. 440yds and 880yds freestyle events. Later, as a member of the combined services* representative team he swam in a race against leading Auckland swimmers and was only narrowly beaten by New Zealand's former Empire Games champion, F. R. Lucas. In the inter-services' tournament the Army's points amounted to 91, Breukel scored 19 of them. Breukel has been in New Zealand for six years, and in the Army for six months. He represented Holland in the 1948 Olympic Games as a water polo player. "If the others hadn’t bmn good sports I could not have done it. was Breukel’s Liiinmgnf about his sleeping compartßant.