VISIT TO BTH ARMY

Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 32, 8 February 1943, Page 5

VISIT TO BTH ARMY

N.Z. DIVISION REVIEWED

(By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, February 6. Mr. Churchill has visited the Eighth Army in Tripoli. He left Cairo on Wednesday morning and arrived late in the afternoon at Castel BenitQ. There was an enormous crowd to greet him, after which he drove to General Montgomery's headquarters, and conveyed to the British forces the thanks of the King, the Government, and the whole British people. ? On the following morning he reviewed representative units of the Eighth Army in an official parade, which included a mile-long line of tanks with their pennants flying. After the march past, Mr. Churchill had a special word of praise for the New Zealanders, and conveyed the Empire's greetings to them. Mr. Churchill left early yesterday morning for an unknown destination. Mr. Churchill's inspection of the New. Zealand Division took place on the outskirts of Tripoli. He drove through the ranks with Lieutenant-General Freyberg at his side. He told the men that there were decisive battles yet to be fought, but the desert difficulties had been conquered and left behind, and from now on the going would be easier. The Prime Minister said: "Our hearts go out in gratitude to New Zealand for sending us this desert division, which has won glory in the field. General Freyberg has proved himself the salamander of the British Empire." BOLE IN GREAT SCHEME. Mr. Churchill emphasised that the Eighth Army played a decisive role in altering the whole character of the war. Their arrival in Tripoli during the Casablanca conference was a new factor which influenced the course of the discussions and opened hopeful vistas for the future. Along the east coast of Tunisia were large numbers of German and Italian troops not yet equipped to the previous standard, but growing stronger. On the other side, another great operation planned in conjunction with the Eighth Army's advance carried the Allies to within 30 miles of Bizerta and Tunis. Therefore, a military situation arose which everyone could understand. He assured the Eighth Army that the days of their victories were by no means at an end. They could hope to achieve the final destruction or expulsion from the Shores of Africa of every armed German and Italian. PREMIER CHEERED. After Mr. Churchill had taken the general salute he greeted General Freyberg warmly and invited him back lo his car. The division was drawn up in companies, and the Prime Minister drove through the lines so that he could see every soldier on parade. When his inspection was completed he was escorted to the dais to take the salute as the troops marched past. The pipes of a Highland division played throughout the ceremonial parade, and Sherman tanks, Bren carriers, and armoured cars followed the troops. General Freyberg called for three cheers, and great, full-throated roars came from the New Zealanders. After the review Mr. Churchill had tea at New Zealand divisional headquarters before going on to review Royal Air Force units at Castel Benito.

A salamander is described as a lizard-like animal, once supposed to live in fire; the word is thus applied to "a person who can endure great heat, and to a fire-eating soldier," as the dictionary puts it.