INCIDENTS IN GREECE

Evening Star, Issue 23908, 11 June 1941, Page 9

INCIDENTS IN GREECE

DUNEDIN SOLDIER'S PLEASANT SURPRISE NAVY 70 THE RESCUE That pleasant surprises as well as unp.easaiit ones may be experienced on the battlefield lias .been proved by Private John S. Gordon, of Dunedin, who, in a letter to fellow members of the Dunedin Orphans Club, relates how, during the evacuation from Greece, his company, which had been tramping across country to avoid being shelled, was ordered an hour’s spell. “Tills was about 3.30 a.m.,” writes Private Gordon, “and J promptly curled up under a bush some little distance away from the rest of the chaps. When I awoke 1 found that the time was 6.30 and that tho company had moved on, leaving me alone with Nature. 1 toddled up the road until 1 came to an artillery battery, where 1 decided to inquire regarding my whereabouts. Imagine my surprise when, on shouting into a gun pit, I was confronted by my brother whom 1 had not seen since I first arrived in Kgypt! There was a certain amount of hand-shaking and back-slapping, and then we got together for a yarn.” “THE BIGGEST MUG PRESENT.” Private Gordon goes on to tell how, subsequently when the route of withdrawal was over a ridge, the O.C. wanted a message sent out via the road to battalion H.Q. “ Yours truly happened to be tho biggest mug present,” the writer proceeds, “ and was picked for the job. 1 started off amid a barrage of mortar bombs, one of which missed me by only a few yards, but, luckily, exploded the other side of a bank. After travelling along a muddy track I reached the main road smothered in mud from having to nose-dive every time a shell landed near, and by this time I was as scared as it was possible for anyone to be. I then delivered my message.” Private Gordon goes on to describe further “ scares,” one arising when a truck next to the one behind which he was sheltering during a bombing raid was hit and immediately became a roaring inferno. His company continued to be given unwelcome attention by the enemy until it reached the coast, after which they hid out by day and travelled by night, .so “fooling Jerry for several days.” , SAFELY AWAY. Following the news that the Nazis were through Athens the troops were ordered to march to within two miles of the beach where the position had to bo held until dusk, when the Navy was to arrive to take them off. When darkness fell they were marched to the beach and embarked. “We were thrilled to find,” writes Private Gordon, “ that we had been taken aboard a very famous cruiser which had been featured in the news some time before together with one of our New Zealand naval ships. The crew gave us a great welcome. treating us to cocoa and cigarettes, and plying us with questions about our experiences in Greece.” After a speedy and pleasant voyage the troops arrived at Crete at 10 o’clock next morning, and were able to have the first wash and shave they had had for a week. GALLANT MAORIS. “ The New Zealand machine-gunners and the Maori Battalion covered themselves with glory in their first engagement with the enemy,” the writer pro-, ceeds. “On one occasion the Aussies said that had it not been for the protective fire of our machine guns they would not have got clear, and the Maoris are said to have beffh very disappointed when they were ordered to withdraw. On the whole, the Anzacs proved that, minus tanks and aircraft, the Huns would be about an even match for us with the odds at four to' one in their favour. There was a lot of “ fifth column ” work going on among the Greeks which made, it difficult for us to tell friend from enemy. “ Although lucky to get out, wc are far from licked,” concludes Private Gordon. “ and ‘ To-morrow, by the Living God, we’ll try tho same again.’ ”