N.Z. TROOPS IN BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1940, Page 8

N.Z. TROOPS IN BRITAIN

EXPERIENCES DURING RAIDS CHANGE OF QUARTERS" ,■ -■ 3 ■ WV- ■ WELLINGTON, September 19. (From the Official War Correspondent with the. New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Britain). LONDON, September 17. To the extent that England is now a theatre of War, the New Zealanders are in the field, and the force was allotted a new, more responsible, and much more active part in the defence system of the United'Kingdom. The troops moved by night," and bivouacked in a new quarter of the country, within quick striking distance of a possible invader. They will remain here as long as the threat of invasion continues, or until the bad weather season sets, in, and a re-arrangement of dispositions is made. Officers and non-coms have been busy since the arrival, reconnoitring the ground over which they may be called upon to fight, and an early, practice advance by the full force is probable. All ranks are highly pleased with the prospect of being well forward should the enemy come 'to England. Fierce aerial combat overhead is - a daily occurrence, and every night quivers with the din of anti-aircraft guns and long-range artillery. All of us have seen enemy planes shot down, and enemy crews baling out.' The men of two .units, luckier than their fellows, have been the first on ’the scene of force^' landings, and have taken enemy airmen prisoners. Competition in this branch of warfare is especially keen, as one British pilot who landed by parachute can testify. As he neared the ground, but was still high enough for his uniform to be unidentifiable, soldiers with fixed bayonets came charging towards him from all directions. They were New Zealanders, acting upon the safe presumption that everyone coming down is an enemy until proved to be a friend. When they found that he was “one of ours,” they gave the officer an embarrassingly admiring welcome to earth. ■

Souvenir collecting is brisk, and the first parcels can be expected in New Zealand shortly, containing possibly little pieces of parachute silk,- dyed with real German blood.

“Thirty-eight non-coms, selected to train for the first commissions, have assembled for preliminary instruction. They are being drafted into the British Army officer cadet training units, as vacancies occur. Already, the first 10 have entered Sandhurst, wh&re they have been attached to a Brigade 'of Guards company. NEW YORK COMMITTEE. “GLAD, TO HELP.” AUCKLAND, September 19. “We are glad .that the Committee is able to do something for New Zealand,” writes Mr Alfred H. Benjamin, a member of the Anzac War Fund Relief Committee in New York, to Mr R. S. Little, an Auckland business friend. “Since writing to you, the Ethyl Gasoline Company has given 1000 dollars to the fund, and several other contributions have been made. I '■!. recently received a letter from members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in London, asking for cigarettes, and I.have recommended that 50,000 be shipped immediately. They also ask if we can send an ambulance for the New Zea-' land No. 1 General Hospital. We are doing our utmost to comply at the earliest possible moment. As you can quite realise, Americans are behind the British, as well as the Australian and New Zealand soldiers, wherever they may be, and I think it is only a matter of time when the British will win, but the sacrifices are going to be tremendous. Mr R. S. Forsyth writes to me from London, to say that the R.A.F. is miles ahead of the Germans in efficiency, although numerically the Germans are in the lead. We are all working for the cause, and if men are willing to give their blood, we should give support in every possible way. We have a bigger job on our hands here than in 1914, because the people to-day haven’t got the money they had then. It was much easier then to get 1000 dollars than to get 20 dollars now. However, you can tell the people of* New Zealand that the United States is 100 per cent, behind Britain, and we think that, were it not for the election here, we would give a great deal more than w t e are doing now.”