HIGH REPUTATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 49, 27 February 1942, Page 6

HIGH REPUTATION

N.Z.E.F. IN LIBYA

RECORD AS SOLDIERS

High praise for the valour of New Zealand soldiers who had fought overseas was given by the Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser) in an address to members of the Second N.Z.E.F. who recently returned to New Zealand. Information gathered from the men indicates that the New Zealanders enjoy in the Middle East an unsurpassed reputation as soldiers, and that they added to the fame they had won in Greece and Crete by their magnificent fisrht to open the corridor between Sidi Rezegh and Tobruk in the Libyan campaign. The Prime Minister also praised the fortitude of the wounded men, and held up their cheerfulness and courage as an inspiration to the rest of New Zealand at the present time. Other speakers were the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones), the Leader of the Opposition (Mr. Holland), the Hon. P. K. Paikea, representing the Maori' race, the Hon. W. Perry, for the Returned Services Association, and Mr. W. H. Price, chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board. The function took place at the clearing station, where a large staff of women did gallant work in attending to the wants not only of the returned soldiers but of many others.

Once again men who returned were unanimous and emphatic in their expressions of appreciation of the attention they had been given on the voyage out.