ARRIVAL IN GREECE

Evening Star, Issue 23862, 17 April 1941, Page 12

ARRIVAL IN GREECE

WELCOME CHANGE FROM EGYs|p Private Clias. Jenkins, a member of the First Echelon, writing on Man'll 1.8, recounts his lirst impressions of G rcuce: “ Wc’v.o said good-bye to Egypt, and horo we are in Greece, and it will do me down to the ground. A marvellous place, very like N.Z. in climate, though colder in winter. All around Athens are snowclad mountains with forests of a kind of pine. After Egypt the fresh, clean air is as bracing as a swim in the sea, though naturally of course we feel the cold at night. We’ve just had two or three days in Athens and have been on leave in the city. “It is a really wonderful place. I'iven the poorest house is spotlessly clean, and a soldier’s pay can go three times as far as in Egypt. It is a beautiful city with parks and gardens, and the show places, such as the ruins of the Acropolis and Temple'of Jupiter, are too magnificent to describe. “ The people are fine, of a great typo, and are most kind and friendly. Honesty is a strong point here, too. Yesterday 1 bought some smokes and ■overpaid for them by about a drachma (less than -jjd). The shop worn an came running after me, very agitated and protesting. “ It is a, poor country in wealth, and they_ seem to have to work hard for a living, but they’re cheerful and courageous. It will take more than just defeat in war to conquer the Greeks. “ After the heat and smell and dust of Egypt, you can’t imagine what a pleasure it is to walk along clean streets in the fresh air and) to see throngs of clean, happy people. The older men and women have a peculiar air of dignity, while the younger ones and children arc usually good-looking and attractive in the main—especially the girls. “On the voyage over we had rather rough weather, but most of the lads rather enjoyed it, watching the rollers sweep over the bows of other ships and feeling our own dip and heave. All of us were strongly reminded of dear old New Zealand as wo came into harbour with green hills _ and swooping gulls. It was like coming into Lyttelton.

“ Hero we can buy a glass of beer in -a restaurant for about 3-id, so you can see what material advantages this place possesses. A brandy costs about IJd. Just imagine, eight brandies for a bob 1

“ Our camp was quite a sight on Sunday. Visitors and kiddles wandering round inspecting everything that wasn’t packed away, but always very polite and friendly and never too inquisitive. We have our tents among pine trees and it is. with the exception of Cave, the happiest camp we have been in. “ A little visitor about ten, with a brown, happy face and big round eyes has just come in and wished me ‘ Ivaleemera ’ (good morning). His mother, judging by the tone of her voice, is telling him not to disturb the gentleman. “ It is spring here and just like spring in New Zealand. The sun is pleasantly warm and the tang of pine needles and clean air is lovely. It is heaven after Egypt—blue skies, forestclad bills, and snow-capped mountains. “ It is a great place for courtesy. Everybody is most punctilious, especially in the Greek Army offices, where everybody salutes everybody as often as possible. And. strangely enough, we who don’t salute anyone except New Zealand officers, do quite a bit of saluting to Greek officers, just because it would seem rude not to.

“ Another peculiar thing is that at the time of Writing Greece is not at war with Germany, only with Italy. Consequently, there is a German Consulate here and. of course, Germans living here.' We have to bo careful about what we say in public on that account. The first day of leave wo saw a huge Nazi flag hanging over the door of the German Consulate, which wc passed on our way into town. We also saw a group of New Zealand soldiers eyeing it from the opposite side of the road.' Next day the flag was no longer on exhibition. An Englishspeaking Greek soldier said to me as I passed the German Consulate in a tram: ‘To-day, yes—next month, maybe not ! ’ and turned his thumbs down rather decisively. “ All over.the place are huge posters of Greek soldiers looking very fierce, and others of Mussolini in all sorts of trouble. At present he is the main comic character in Greece.

“ I’ve swopped cigarettes and endeavoured to chat with some wounded Greeks. One young chap with the build of an athlete and a strikingly handsome face had lost his right hand. He was very cheerful, and grinned l as he described with gestures what we’d do to the ‘ Itoes.’

“ There appear to be many ‘ Ito ’ prisoners hero. I’ve seen a lot marching along the road on occasions. The Greek escort invariably point to them with proper pride, joking meanwhile. ‘‘ Just at present we have a bit of a job with the language, as all local notices and placards are printed in Greek characters. However. I’ll guarantee most of us will be able to read or chat away reasonably well in no time. Before we loft Egypt everyone could talk with considerable fluency in Arabic, and in no drawing-room terms toll an Egyptian what he thought of him.”