NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 20, 25 January 1943, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

AMONG THE FIRST IN

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

The New Zealanders now in Tripoli have covered more than the length of New Zealand in the Eighth Army's race from the El Alamein line; they have travelled faster than any other troops and covered * greater distances with their brilliant southern sweep than any of ' General Montgomery's other units. Still they were among the first into Tripoli. The New Zealanders' part in the offensive has throughout been of the greatest importance. Since the New Zealanders played a vital part in the cracking of Rommel's El Alamein line they have fortunately not been engaged in any except minor battles. COMPARATIVE PARADISE. Now they are there in Tripoli—one of the main objectives of the Middle East Command. The New Zealanders are now in country which is like a paradise compared with the desert wastes of Cyrenaica and the wilderness of Tripolitania, in which during' the i past 80 days they had been forging j ahead. . j Since they entered the rich, cultivated coastal belt below Misurata our troops have seen ample evidence of the care which was bestowed by the Italians on the showpiece of their North African empire. ' They have been welcomed by both the Italian colonists and the Arabs, whose clean-looking villages against a setting of great olive groves dot the countryside. An occasional embarrassed Fascist salute is in strong contrast to the courteous Arab greeting of "Sayeda." Within hours an eager trade was going on, eggs and vegetables being bartered for tea and sugar. The New Zealand airmen who are scattered over the fighter and bomber squadrons of the Mxddle East and in torpedo-carrying aircraft, and New Zealanders in the Navy have taken part in the offensive. Tripoli, which had a pre-war population of well over 100,000, of whom 25,000 were Italians, was damaged to some extent by the Allied air raids, which were directed mainly at the harbour and the storage Centres round the town. The town itself has been undamaged, as there were no military targets in it.

The New Zealand troops are thrilled to be among the first to enter Tripoli. There is an amusing story told of a New Zealand sentry who a fortnight ago had a yarn with Lieutenant-Gene-ral Freyberg.

"How are things going?" asked the!

general. The sentry looked glum. "Fair," he replied. "Don't worry. We'll be in Tripoli on about the 25th," said General Freyberg. The sentry reflected. "No, that won't do, sir," the sentry said. "Why?" asked General Freyberg. "It's my birthday on the 22nd," answered the sentry. "We'll see what we can do,'" promised the general with a smile. And the sentry saw the Union Jack flying over Tripoli on the 22nd.