N.Z. BRIGADIERS’ ESCAPE

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 April 1943, Page 5

N.Z. BRIGADIERS’ ESCAPE

COMMENT ON REPORTS

(N.Z.I’.A. Special Correspondent)

(Recd. 11.40 p.m.) LONDON, April 2. Although there is no official confirmation that Brigadier-Generals Miles and Hargest have escaped from an Italian prison camp, Mrs Georgette Miles had hints in letters from her husband foreshadowing something might occur. “I had the feeling something was going to happen,” she told me, “as long ago as last May, on the second anniversary of our wedding. My husband wrote, saying, ‘I will spend the next one with you.’ Just after Christmas I received letters in which he described a party at the camp. He told me they sang ‘Auld Lang Syne, adding “I shall be spending it with you next year.” Generals Miles and Hargest are in the same camp, and in another letter General Miles told his wife that General Hargest won the raffle for the four medals presented by the Papal Nuncio when he paid a visit. “After dinner,” wrote General Miles, “I did my parlour trick of supporting five men on my chest.” She added that General Miles suffered badly from food shortage, shortly after he was captured. Red Cross parcels had been invaluable, and the Pope's representative also frequently visited the camp with comforts.

In view of the fact that there is no confirmation of the reports of the escapes, there may be a possibility that Brigadier Clifton, of Auckland, may be one of the escapees, for he is also a prisoner in Italy. It is understood there is no international ruling that Brigadiers will not be allowed to proceed to England from Switzerland, in which case they may suddenly arrive in London one day.