FROM BARDIA

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 7, 9 January 1942, Page 6

FROM BARDIA

N.Z. PRISONERS

END OF AN UNHAPPY

SPELL

(Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.)

CAIRO, Jonuary 8. Dressed in the uniforms of Germans and Italians, wearing mostly German caps, and heavily bearded after five weeks' imprisonment, nearly 700 New Zealanders, who were released when Bardia fell, arrived f.om the Western Desert last night. Although ill through lack of food —they were given one scanty meai a day throughout the whole five weeks they were in Bardia—the troops were in high spirits, laughing and joking over their experiences.

The troops brought back with them "Fritz," a desert dog which went through the whole Libyan campaign with them. "Fritz" was two days old when the New Zealanders left' Bagush and went through the frontier wire before the first action of the campaign started. The owner of the dog shared his "bully" with "Fritz" for Christmas dinner.

The troops who returned included the Fifth Brigade headquarters, who were captured near Capuzzo on November 27, elements of the Fifth Field Artillery, Seventh Anti-tank Corps, Fourteenth Light Anti-aircraft Corps, Thirty-fourth, Anti-tank Corps, Twentysecond Wellington Battalion, Divisional Signals, Machine-gunners, A.S.C., Maoris, and the Seventh Field Engineers.

The day that Rommel's tanks^ went through the Fifth Brigade headquarters1 the New Zealand prisoners were marched by the Huns 18 miles into the perimeter of the Bardia defences. For 24 hours they were without food or I water. Together with South Africans,! Indians, and British troops, they were herded in a small compound on a headland overlooking Bardia harbour. Day after day they suffered from expbsure and lack of proper nourishment. Some I of the troops had blankets, but the | majority had only their tattered and torn battledress. The only protection the men had from the biting wind which swept in, bringing rain from the Mediterranean, were crudely-built dugouts. STARVED BY ITALIANS. Troops told me- they were treated fairly well by the Germans who guarded them the first few days, but they were treated like pigs by the Italians,-'who- took over guard duties later. They were given a plate of macaroni and a piece,of mouldy bread once a day. Their Christmas-dinrier ! consisted of synthetic rice, two packets of biscuits, 40 tins of "bully," 201b of jam, and 101b of cheese among 1100 men; They were also given two cara i mels and a small issue of cognac. They, had; two cigarettes a day, with 10 on Christmas Day,

With; Bardia cut off from all the German lines -of communication—the town was surrounded ;by British troops and the harbour was in possession of the British Navy—-the food and wafer shortage soon became desperate. As the days passed the faith of the New Zealanders that Bardia would be captured and they would.be released never 'v/svered:--."'-"'-'::.'} :■'■■':■'"-r['■■'[■" ■'•■•.■ '. ■

" Then the greatest naval, air, and artillery bombardment"': of the Libyan campaign /started. At midnight on December3o shells started to crash on the perimeter, from all sides, and great, flights pf bombers pbiindedthe German defences air day;, ■She German and Italian artillery"'; crashed back. Early ih'themorriing of January; 2 the Germans started to set light to their stores and equipment. Their artillery had;been'\viped put, arid only an occasipiial boom was; heard. By 9 o'clock it-was over; 'Bardia had; fallen. :!. ' ; i, :.V-'■';(WLY^ONE KIIiLED<-A;; I Throughput: the:■-■■'days arid nights .of' thevt^rrific;ari'd^-'-relen'l:less>: i;Cpmbined Navy,: Army, arid Air Force; boriibard- i merit shells; and ; boriibs^ clashed all around the' compound held* our j prisoners. Although shells arid:bombs came dangerously close and sprinters flew.among them none in the com-| pound were-,killed or wounded. One New Zealanfler was killed; but he was away from the compound gathering firewood when-he was hit. • The New Zealand Divisional Cavalry were the first to go to the rescue of the.New Zealanders. Their Bren carriers and the A.F.V.S. loaded their own Christmas: pai-cels and the Divisional Cavalry troops handed over the parcels to the half-starved prisoners. '

The^Niew";Zealanders.give full praise for the teeataveht they rece the South Africans,. Who played a major part in the Bardia attack; The South; African troops shared their food, water, ;and ( parcels with the;, New : Zealandefs.--:-::^/^ " • :..'■-. ,-":-",:'- ".■■' ■'■ Today at-the base camp, the' troops from Bardia are- going through ft cleaning-up They had their first-bath since the campaign; started, and their first shave: for five weeks. They discarded their German uniforms; and are price;again spick and span- in British fbattledress. : ; > ; ; :

■■ Brigadier Hargest and the senior officers; were taken ■; from Bardia by submarine in the first few days. The tropps, said that 78 officers— jfew Zealanders, -South Africans, Indians, and British—were taken from Bardia by submarine within three days. Only; two officers were recaptured; they are not New Zealandersl; -