ESCORTED A KING

Evening Star, Issue 24006, 3 October 1941, Page 8

ESCORTED A KING

‘ THE EXODUS FROM CRETE NEW ZEALANDER’S STORY OF " GREAT CHAP ” (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 2. “ Hy royal command, the Chamberlain has the honour to inform you that the King of the Hellenes has been pleased to confer on you the bronze Medal of George I. with swords.” This is the translation of a letter signed by King George of Greece in the possession of Private R. Ward, of Orenui, who has been invalided home from the Middle East. With an accompanying maroon ribbon with crossed swords, the award represents the King’s gratitude to each member of the New Zealand platoon which escorted him across Crete when the German blitz on the island began. A section, of which Private AVard was a member, travelled with the King for two days and then returned to the scene of tin- lighting. Private AVard said that the platoon to which his section belonged was given the task of getting the King and the royal party out of the danger zone. " We had a bit of trouble for a start,” he said. “We ran across one batch of about 28 parachutists and shot our way through them without losing a man. " Then we took the King across country to a village in the mountains and stayed a night there. At 4 a.m. we started off again, and travelled all day until dark, when our section left to return to Soda Hay under Sergeant .1. Seymour. Incidentally, it was mainly due to his care ami judgment that wo, got through afterwards when we found that we had been cut off. Other .sections went on with the King to the coast, when' destroyers were waiting. •‘The King was a great chap,” Private AVard said. “He and the Crown Prince had exactly the same as everyone else. All we had for a start was water and a hit of cheese made from sheep’s milk. On the second day we got two sheep from a shepherd, and the others were, going to cook the meat when wo left, taking some of the meat with us.” Private Ward warmly praised the leadership of the party by Lieutenant \V. Ryan and an English colonel. On the first day of the blitz, Private Ward estimated, about 6,000 Gorman parachutists landed on the island. “ If only we had had strong air support we would still he in Crete,” lie said. “Wo did not have many planes there, but those we had put up a groat show. The hoys in them stayed in the air until they were shot down.” Private AA T ard also spoke very highly of the Royal Marines who manned the anti-aircraft guns in Crete.