Prisoner Cheered Indians

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31276, 24 January 1967, Page 10

Prisoner Cheered Indians

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Coppriahtl NUI DAT (South Vietnam) , Jan. 22. A Viet Cong guerrilla, who claimed to have changed his political view since capture three months ago, gave himself away because he cried every time the Indians lost in western films, Australian intelligence officers said in Nui Dat today. The guerrilla, named Nguyen Van Hoa, was captured by Australian troops in Phuoc Tuy Province, south-east of Saigon late last year. When caught he had been badly wounded by artillery fire. He was evacuated to the Australian Army base camp at Vung Tau, a former French seaside resort about 45 miles from Saigon.

There his leg was amputated and “Stumpy,” as he became known to the wardsmen, said he was so grateful for his treatment by the Australians that he decided his true feelings lay with the South Vietnamese Government and not the Viet Cong.

But intelligence officers were not convinced of “Stumpy’s” reversal of feeling. They said in Vietnam today that every time Western movies were shown to the hospital inmates “Stumpy” and another captured, but unrepentant Viet Cong guerrilla would cheer the Indians all through the film. And when it came to the end, with the Indians inevitably losing, “Stumpy” would burst into copious, tears. Tomorrow Australian authorities will hand him over to the South Vietnamese officials. He will be interned in a prisoner of war camp.