PRISONER IN ITALY

Evening Star, Issue 24919, 17 July 1943, Page 3

PRISONER IN ITALY

Trooper L. R. B. Johnstone, a member of the Long Range Desert Group, who was captured on December 22, 1942. He was one of a scouting party of 10 men, who were surprised and shot up. Eight of them were killed; Johnstone and his mate escaped, and, separating, endeavoured to make, their way back to the British lines. The latter was captured five days later,

and Johnstone on the eighth day within 25 miles of the British lines, whither he had made his way over 120 miles of desert with only one ration of water and no food. Trooper Johnstone's mother, Mrs K. B. Johnstone, 60 Arthur street, has just been advised that he is a prisoner in Camp P.O. 57, P.M. 3,200, Italy. In private life he was a member of the clerical staff of VV.D. and H.O. Wills. His elder brother, Robert, went overseas in a later echelon, and was invalided home last year, Their father, Mr Roy Johnstone, was killed on Gallipoli in the Great War.