NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 December 1940, Page 5

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS

TRUCK DRIVERS’ EXPERIENCES

JOINING IN DESERT FIGHTING

(From the Official War Correspondent in the Middle East). WESTERN DESERT, December 27. The most exciting days they have known were described in vivid detail to-day by New Zealand truck drivers who returned from the front for a brief stay - to their headquarters, in a quiet little bay somewhere along the Mediterranean coast. They were members of operating sections of the Reserve Motor Transport Company of the Army Service Corps, whose trucks carried English and Indian troops into, the battle that rid Egypt of Italian armed forces. Nearly 230 drivers and reliefs and officers, in three fleets of heavy lorries, took assaulting parties to the very gates of the enemy positions in the Sidi Barrani area. . It is now confirmed that several of them decided on the spur of the moment to take an even more direct part in the offensive, following charging infantrymen into the enemy-positions, and helping to round up the surprised enemy troops. Admittedly their action was irregular, but undeniably it was splendid. They were forced time after time to seek shelter behind truck wheels or trenches from bursting shells and bombs, and from a rain of fire from machine-gun nests and aircraft. It is believed that one driver, firing a Bren gun from the shoulder, brought down a diving Italian machine. Yet the unit suffered only one casualty, a driver who was hurt, but not seriously, when a truck over-ran a landmine. Intense cold and continual sandstorms were experienced during several days and nights spent by the drivers in the front line. Events moved so swiftly that they find it difficult to retrace them chronologically. One said that the first thought after the troops had gone into action was to make a mug of tea, and it was not until shots whistled overhead, as he was doing this, that he fully realised their closeness 'to the battle. All agreed that the element of complete surprise made for a swift victory. Even the sight of the big New Zealand trucks, of which some were mistaken for tanks by startled enemy soldiers, ■ seemed to have had a demoralising effect. Incredibly enough, the men obtained adequate sleep. The most exhausting phase of their task was the all-night return journey with prisoners. They are now continuing their work of carrying supplies to the British forces across the border. One driver described how his section loaded Indian troops and spent the first night in the open, some 60 miles from the enemy. The next day the troops practised de-bussing while the drivers were shown maps of the enemy camps and told how to make 'the entrance. They then moved up unseen and unheard to a bivouac about eight miles from and almost behind the objectives. Italian pilots flew overhead unsuspectingly. “Things got pretty hot when shellfire came our way and we steered clear to reach our own objective. When the leading trucks almost ran into machine-gun nests, the Indians stood up and threw in hand grenades. We went right alongside- the outer tank-traps, where some- of our 'trucks, met a. number of tankswhose crews seemed so spellbound they could not hit us. . The Indian troops piled out and quite a few of’ our drivers hopped into the scrap with them. It was some hours before all prisoners werd rounded up. ARTILLERY FIRE. “During the night, which was spent at'the same camp, a crowd of Italians came from another position and took a few shots at us, but not enough to worry about. Next day we took the Indians to another camp. We were not there half an hour, when artillery opened on to us from somewhere else. Believe me, it was pretty warm. I dived for a hole, landing on top of two Libyans, who had beaten me with the same idea. We-were under shellfire for more than an hour and when we moved to still another camp, a few aeroplanes tried to machine-gun us. I got about 15 shots away at. them. There was no ..stopping the Indians and this camp fell like the rest. After spending a night there we had an uncanny experience, shellfire from the British guns sailing over our heads towards some other position. When the 'area was finally cleaned up we set out for Solium, but word was received that no useful Italians were left in Egypt. We spent the next two or three days carting prisoners before returning to our job of transporting supplies.”

EVACUATION OF WOUNDED. (From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F. in the Middle East). WESTERN DESERT, December 27. Tributes paid within and outside the N.Z.E.F., to the magnificent work of the New Zealand Army Service Corps drivers, especially the reserve motor .transport company, in the British offensive, are given added value by stories told by the men themselves. Endurance, coolness and courage are reflected in their accounts of their experiences. Reserve company drivers hesitate ’ to single out individual officers and men for special praise. It is clear that a fine spirit of comradeship helped to make the operations in the thick of the battle so outstandingly successful.’ This spirit is expressed in the way several of them went beyond the theoretical limits of their responsibility, when they joined their fellow Britishers in actual fighting. The troops speak highly of the example set by all their superior officers. - A number of trucks were reserved for transportation of the wounded, and their drivers have been congratulated by the Commanding Officer of the. British ambulance unit for the way in which “they upheld New Zealand traditions of wholehearted cooperation and devotion to duty.” The " officer said also: “They did sterling work in the evacuation of the wounded, and were at all times willing and cheerful.”

CHRISTMAS EVE. The night that will be the first Christmas Eve the soldiers of the Second N.Z.E.F. spent in the field, is creeping coldly over the great Western Desert, as this message is written. The New Zealanders, scattered across hundreds of miles of foreign soil, are turning . their thoughts homeward, remembering the crowded, : expectant days of. reunions and farewell that marked this time just

a.year.ago. Here, on the dusty seaward slopes, which hold the biggest concentration of those first men to leave their country’s shores, Christmas can still be peacefully and happily celebrated in the traditional way. No pains have been spared in the plans made to preserve its spirit of good cheer, even in these strangest surroundings. Ration trucks rumbled along the road from the camps this morning, to be laden at the railway depot with turkey, chicken, mutton, vegetables, fruit and beverages by the ton, for dinners that will be spread before the men to-morrow, on scores of mess tables, in tents, dugouts, and the open air. With menus planned well in advance, army cooks have forces of mobilised stoves and home made ovens ready for the year’s best effort. Christmas pudding in the Western Desert style is made a lesser worry than it might be by the fact that the mixture is being supplied to forces in bulk, but there will be any amount of work, tending to roasts, preparing sauces and the extra delicacies with which the atmosphere of Christmas at home is to be recaptured. . From the base camp, hundreds of miles away, a fleet of lorries swung off the highway two days ago, with case after case of gift parcels sent by the New Zealand public. There has been also a steady flow of Christmas parcels and mail from the soldiers homes and personal friends. All leisure possible will be given the troops to-morrow, and padres are arranging special services. At the Brigade Headquarters, officers have organised a seven-a-side football tournament against the men. Far in the west, on either side of the disputed border, Christmas cheer will be enjoyed sooner or later by the comparatively few New Zealanders engaged in the war. For the motor transport drivers, it will mostly be later. A tin of bully beef may have to suffice as Christmas dinner for many until the cookhouse is reached at the end of the long supply journey. It is certain, however, that these men would not exchange the eventful days in the forward areas, even for Christmas Eve in a city such as Cairo, where countless other’ New Zealanders will probably be mingling to-night with happy crowds. Snatches of song can already be heard in this camp from tents and canteens, in which the men are gathered.. Here they are lifting their voices with the Christmas radio programme. There a mouth organ catchily plays the opening bars of a familiar carol. Bursts of laughter ring from the mess tent in which the plot is growing to serenade the Commanding Officer with midnight anthems, ana a possible motive is revealed as a lew words drift down on the breeze, and. he will be a poor sport if he does not ask us in for a drink.”

MAJ. GEN. DUIGAN’S RETURN

“TROOPS IN GOOD HEART”

AUCKLAND, December 29. “I bring back with rhe from the Middle East Nev/ Year greetings to the Prime Minister and the people of New Zealand from Major-General B. C. Freyberg and all officers and others ranks serving under him in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, said Major-General Sir John Duigan, Chief of the General Staff, after he arrived by the flying-boat Aotearoa. Major-General Duigan led the New Zealand delegation to the recent Easttern Group conference at Delhi, and later paid a visit to Egypt, following it with a flying visit to Greece. - “When I left the Middle East on December 8,” said Sir John, “our troops were in great heart and full of fight. They had been working hard, night and day, to make themselves efficient, and there was a wonderful spirit of comradeship and teamwork apaprent among them. All their amenities in the training camps are excellent, and the organisation for caring of the sick and wounded is second to none in the Middle East. From my observations the base hospital at Helwan, formerly an hotel, is fully capable of giving the troops everything they need.” One aspect of the New Zealanders’ training which Major-General Duigan mentioned, is designed to meet enemy tanks “in modern warfare,” he said. “Every soldier must be a potent tank-hunter, for armoured fighting vehicles are difficult to stop. Our troops are busy devising all sorts of ingenious methods of dealing with enemy tanks.” Speaking of his visit to Greece, made while the Greek army was scoring repeated successes against the Italians in Albania, Sir John Duigan said he had seen a large number of Italian prisoners. “All that I saw,” he said, “were so tame that they would feed out of your hand." He referred to Mussolini’s boast that the Mediterranean was controlled by Italy. Throughout his flight from Egypt to Greece he saw no signs of any Italian ships or aircraft. Great Britain ruled the ocean without difficulty.

RUGBY FOOTBALL.

GUY’S HOSPITAL DEFEATED.

(Recd. December 30, 9.15 a.m.) LONDON, December 29.

The New Zealand Army Rugby team defeated Guy’s Hospital by 33 points to 3. The Army side was much heavier and faster, and the marking and tackling were so close and resolute that Guy’s were rarely seen attacking. The New Zealanders gave the Hospital team little latitude, and hemmed them infln their own half for most of the time.

The New Zealander, G. King, was absent for the greater part of the match, being injured. Tindill was at his brilliant best at half-back, and paved the way for most of the ’tries. He also got one himself, and converted one of . Solomon’s two tries. Parane, the leftwing three-quarter, showed surprising speed in going to the line, which he crossed four times. Neighbours,, at five-eighth, often had the defence in two minds with his tricky runs. Solomon, who opened the scoring nine mihutes after the start, also McLean, Thompson, and Donoghue, were the outstanding forwards. After Solomon’s first try, others by G. King, 1 Parane, Neighbours, and Tindill followed regularly, and at half-tirtie the Dominion team led, 19/0. Parane, whose running was a treat to watch, then got three tries, and Solomon, who was most enterprising, got. another. Tindill converted, before Guy’s scored a penalty goal. The score fairly reflects the allround cleverness of the New Zealanders, who improve every match they play. Mr Jordan watched the match.

Another New Zealand Army team lost tp. Gloucester 8/33. The New Zealanders played determinedly, but

never quite recovered from an in-, spired spell early, when Gloucester built up a lead of 18 points. The New Zealanders, Brown and Locihg, participated in a lively tussle among the< backs. McKane and Brown, scored tries for the New Zealanders, and Erickson converted one. BOMB DELAYS SCORE. (From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F.) LONDON, December 29. Spectators Were at a Rugby match which the Maori Battalion’s second fifteen will not easily forget. It was played at the Thamesside coast, while, as has frequently happened during our twice-weekly in-ter-unit competitions, enemy, aircraft passed high overhead. A bright passing movement went smartly out to a Maori wing, who set sail for the line. He fended off a forward and side-stepped an inside back, but looked likely to be in trouble from the opposing wing and full-back—until suddenly both were stretched fulllength on the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, the runner saw others of the local team go similarly to earth. Then his ear caught the whistle of an approaching bomb, and he followed suit. The bomb burst a couple of fields away, and the Maori boy being slightly faster from a prone start, is said to have. been past the other two, before they could touch him.

NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES WELLINGTON, December 28. The following casualties are officially announced: — Sergeant John Frederick Coombs, R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported missing, believed to be a prisoner of war, now officially reported a prisoner of war. His'wife is Mrs. J. F. Coombs, 155 Queen’s Drive, Kilbirnie. Sergeant Andrew Morton, died in England, following an accident. His next-of-kin is his wife, Mrs. A. Morton, 42 Cardwell Street, Onehunga.

•WELLINGTON, December 30. Official: Latest casualties in the N.Z.E.F., Middle East, are:— Killed in Action as the Result of Killed in action as the result of enemy air bombs:—

Second Lieutenant John Thomas Wallace. Mother, Mrs. C. P. Wallace, 49 Johnsonville Road, Wellington. Driver Edward William Reynolds. Brother, Mr. N. Reynolds, Tramway Head Office, Wellington.

Missing: Lance Corporal Vernon Lindsay Norrish. Father, V. A. Nourish, 32 Hendon Street, St. Albans, Christchurch.

Wounded as the result of enemy air bombs:

Driver lan Elliott Appleton. Father, W. Appleton, 10 Oriental Terrace, Wellington. Driver Edward William Boosey. Mother, Mrs. K. Boosey, 9 Pinelands Avenue, .Wellington. Driver Alfred Bertram Hurst. Father, G. Hurst, Springtown Kesh, P.C. Co. Fermanagh, North Ireland. Sergeant Christopher James Mulligan. Father, O. Pussell, Post Office, Kimbolton. . Driver Charles Henry Wall. Father, F. Wall, Nukualofa, Tonga. Wounded in action: Driver Herbert Mark Cox. Mother, Mrs. M. C. Cox, 6 Fore Street, Kaiwarra, Wellington. Casualties, R.N.Z.A.F.: Sergeant Christopher Falcon Scott, missing in air operations. Father, J. Scott, Raukapiika, Geraldine. Sergeant' Alfred Henry Ritchie, missing in air operations. Mother, Mrs. M. Ward, 72 Park Avenue, Grey Lynn, Auckland. Sergeant Errol James Peters, killed in aircraft accident. Father, G. F. Peters, 66 Barrud Street, Dannevirke. Sergeant Herbert Malcolm McGregor English, missing in air operations. Father. E. H. English, Pakaututu Station, Hastings.