N.Z. TROOPS ON LEAVE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 64, 13 September 1943, Page 4

N.Z. TROOPS ON LEAVE

MIDDLE EAST TO ENGLAND

(Special P.A. Correspondent.)

LONDON, September 11

A London black-out provided a somewhat forbidding reception for many members of the Second N.Z.E.F. who arrived in England on leave from the Middle East. There were 160 men and one woman—Sister F; M. Brown, of Dunedin, who has been appointed to take charge of the New Zealand convalescent depot. Sister. Brown, with ten members of the N.Z.E.F., travelled, via the Mediterranean, and the 150 others sailed via Cape Town. They met at Gibraltar and joined the same convoy to England. Those who called at the Cape met several Springboks, including Benny Osier, and played foUr matches. They were beaten by Botha 21-3 andOttery Park 20-3, but beat R.A.F. 5-3 and South African Naval Air Force (including six .New Zealanders) 16-3. The New Zealand captain was Bombardier "Buck" Hazelhursty of Canterbury. All the matches were played on the famous Newlands ground.

Many of the men have relations in Britain,' and others lived in England before they joined up with an antitank unit which was formed here.

The party included two escapees to Egypt from Crete, Private J. Mitchell, of Auckland, who spent 14 months on the island and escaped in June, 1942, and also a member of the First Echelon, Gunner R. Mac Donald, who escaped last April after two years on Crete. There was one Maori, Sapper W. Wereata, of Rotorua, and also Sergeants J. Black and J. Trail, both of whom won the Military Medal.