“MADDEST MAJOR”

Evening Star, Issue 23817, 22 February 1941, Page 9

“MADDEST MAJOR”

NAVIGATION ON DESERT “ We were attached to the maddest major that ever darkened the door of an officers' mess. His slowest driving speed was flat out, and he could travel for hundreds of miles across the desert with no landmarks at all and end up right at the spot ho wanted to. And, what’s more, he had never been in that part of the desert before.” So writes a soldier with the New Zealand Expeditionary E'orco in Egypt. This major is an “ experimental bloke,” says the soldier’s letter. They were out eight days and then the experiments were unloaded because they were of no further use. the type of defence they were supposed to overcome not being encountered. Jt was in the charge of the “ mad major ” that the soldier drove into the desert to fetch Italian prisoners, including two generals. Off they went helter-skelter,' and for the rest of ttie clay tho soldier was doing his best to keep the major in sight. Whether it was across the trackless desert or on roads ho travelled as fast as he could go. “Ho is a wizard at navigation,” the letter says. “ Miles and miles we wont without a landmark or track, and he ended up right on the spot he had intended to.” Upon their delivery at headquarters captive officers were received by the “ brass bats and big shots” with much heel-clicking and saluting. The soldier went round to find the “ mad major ” before setting out again. “ Not for him the pomp and ceremony and fuss. As ho set off across the blue in his own inimitable way he said: ‘ Lot of fools, these jokers. Let’s get out of here.’ “ If that ‘ mad major 1 ever wants another truck to cart experiments, I hope 1 am included in the party.” the letter concludes. “ but 1 doubt it, because he is not a New Zealander.”