NEW ZEALANDERS OVERSEAS

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 June 1942, Page 3

NEW ZEALANDERS OVERSEAS

RETURNED SOLDIERS

WELLINGTON, June 3. The majority of the sick and wounded in the contingent of returned men, who were welcomed by Mr. Fraser, were walking cases, and there were a number of men who took part in the battle of Sidi Reze cf h. & One Southlander, who wears the Military Medal for his lone-handed action behind an anti-tank gun at the height of the action at Sidi Rezegh, is officially credited with getting six German tanks before a shellburst got him. Speaking of German tanks, he said that he was unimpressed with them. They were not as good as he expected them to be and the New Zealand anti-tank guns got in some deadly work. Another South Islander had the unfortunate experience of personally sampling one of the traps that the Italians left all over the place when they evacuated a position. In this case it was an Italian “thermos flask” bomb, which exploded when he accidentally trod on it when it was half-buried in the sand. As a result, he is minus a foot. A member of the famous longrange desert group spoke casually of destroying food and supply dumps behind the enemies’ lines, and also any stray aircraft and other equipment they ran across. On one occasion they did enormous damage to a whole supply train. It was hard work, but exciting, he said, especially as they had to live off the country as much as possible. One soldier who had his arm in a sling was a despatch rider, who was deliberately run down by a German armoured car, but miraculously came out alive. One of our anti-tank guns got the German car shortly afterwards.

CLUB IN ICELAND i (X.Z.P.’A. Special Australian Correspondent). LONDON, June 2. Captain A. W. L. Lawn (Stratford), of the Durham Light Infantry is one of the founders of the Southern Cross Club in Iceland, comprising New Zealanders, Australians, South Africans, and one Argentinian. Ine other New Zealanders are Lieu-tenant-Commander A. Watchlin, 0.8. E. (Auckland), Captain C. Harcourt (Wellington), of the Royal Ar-

tillery Wing Commander J. G. Skeet I (New Plymouth), Flying Officer A. 'Tye (Dunedin), D. Mann (Christchurch), — Weblin (Wellington), and i Sister Freda Wilcox (Auckland). ‘Captain Lawn joined up with the : Durham Light Infantry after the outi break of war and served in France. 'He left from Dunkirk after six hours .during which the beaches were shellied but not bombed. He proceeded to ; Iceland in October, 1940. , Captain I Lawn said: “The boys call Iceland ■‘the clinker heap.’ We lived in Nis!sen huts, which were covered with i pack ice throughout Winter and rei sembled igloos. I was lucky in being I adjutant of the leave party and made ■ 12 trips to Britain. They were excit- ! ing because we usually had the unj wanted company of submarines. Once ■ we sank two during one lunch-time. I We met for dinner fortnightly ana I sometimes had toheroa soup and i Stewart Island oysters. We always i observed the ritual toast of ‘Absent 'friends.’” Captain Lawn added: j “Commander Watchlin is doing a magnificent job of work as salvage i officer. He has saved the Government I millions of pounds. Wing Commander [ Skeet is head of the Royal Air Force ' hospital, in which Sister Wilcox 'works. She is a grand type. Flying i Officer Tye holds the record for the 'fastest flight between Britain and! Iceland for a certain type of aircraft.” Captain Lawn, who is on leave m London, has been transferred to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.