WAR-TIME HELP REPAID

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28887, 6 May 1959, Page 7

WAR-TIME HELP REPAID

Italian Sponsored To Live In N.Z.

(New Zealand Press Association) TAURANGA, May 5. During the last war Mr H. M. Evans, of Sutherland mad, Judea. Tauranga. was looked after and hidden from the Germans for five months and a half by an Italian peasant after having escaped from a prisoner-of-wai camp in the north of Italy. Twelve days ago a 28-year-old son of the peasant, Giuseppe Rotondi. arrived in New Zealand unable to speak a word of English.

Giuseppe, through Mr Evans, said today how thrilled and impressed he was with New Zealand and New Zealanders. Everything was just “buono. buono” (good, good). In September, 1944, Mr Evans took part in a mass escape. Two months and a half after escaping he arrived at the village of Vallepietra, in the province ot Rome, in the south of Italy. He had walked 450 miles through the mountains.

The priest of the village intioduced Major (as he was then) Evans to Giuseppe’s father. Giovanni, who hid him. Later Major Evans made his way to Rome, where he met the present Chief of the New Zealand General Staff (MajorGeneral C. E. Weir) and Sir Bernard Freyberg. He was the first escaped New Zealand prisoner to report to Rome.

Mr Evans again called on the Rotondi family and asked Giuseppe if he would like to come to New Zealand at Mr Evans’s expense. Guiseppe has at last arrived in New Zealand. He has two unemployed brothers whom he hopes later to bring out to New Zealand.