BACK FROM THE WAR

Greymouth Evening Star, 1 November 1944, Page 2

BACK FROM THE WAR

LARGE NUMBERS ARRIVE COASTERS HOME TO-MORROW A large contingent of members of I the 2nd who have been ! serving. in the Mediterranean theatre of the war, recently returned to New Zealand. In’cluded in the party were 42 men, whose -next-of-kin reside m the district covered by the Greymouth Army Office. These West . Coasters will return to their homes I to-morrow, arriving by the railcai . from Christchurch in the morning i The Greymouth men, and others lor |south of Greymouth, will , arrive at 16.40 a.m., and will be briefly _wel- ■ coined at the jGreymouth Railway Station. ' The Greymouth men will be taken to their homes in cars, ana next-oi-kin requiring transport should advise the R.S.A., or Mr W. H. Parfitt at the Borough Council office : ii they require transport. As on simii Jar occasions in the past a special : petrol allowance will be granted, in ' the absence of other suitable trans'pori, to enable next-of-kin living m the country to meet returning men at the station. _ , „ I The names of the West Coaster--are as follow: — Lieut. A. T. Watson, t Crushington. TTr , , T/L/Sergt. R. M. Atkin, Westport. L/Sgt. ffi D. Black, Karamea. • Pte. J. L. Denneby, Barrytown. Pte. R. H. Gearry, Moana., Cpl. J. J. Leslie, Hokitika. I W.O. 21. G. MacGregor, Westport. Spr. P. J. Mackel, Cobden. Spr. J. H. McNeight, Westport. Pte. R .A. McPherson, Cobden. W.O. 2 W. J. Mason, Cobden. L/Sgt. W. J. Mill, Hokitika. ’ W.O. 2R. J. Naylor, Westport. Bdr. W. H. Morris, Westport. Sergt. A. H. Quinn, Westport. L/Cpl. R. C. Ray, Westport. Snr. A. G. Schroder, Berlins. Spr. E. R. Smith, Jacob s River. , Pte. J. J. Somerville, Mawheraiti. ' Cpl. A. Sutherland, Greymouth. Spr. A .R. Thompson, Hokitika. T/Cpl. F .T. Webster, Greymouth. Bdr. A. Wilson, Karoro. , Pte. W. J. S. Wilson, Greymouth. Spr. F. J. Agnew, Rimu. W.O. 2 W. G. Bailey, 8.E.M., Greymouth. Spr. W. R. W. Bell, Rotokohu. Spr. J. P. Bonisch, Westport. Snr. R. C. Borlase, Westport. Spr. D. J. A. Bradley, Arahura. Spr. W. C. Campbell, Kanieri. Spn B. R. Climo, Ahaura. Spr. H. C. Coleman, Bell Hill. Spr. T. I. Gough, Birchfield. Spr. E. J. W. Hogg, Nelson Creek. Spr. D .W. Kelly, Woodstock. Spr. O. A. Kelly, .Greymouth. Pte. J. J. McGuire, Ngahere. Spr. W. Mitchell, Ross. Spr. J. Nolan, Wataroa. L/Cpl. H. M. Wilson, Ruatapu. Pte. C. T. Wright, Pukekura. SOLDIERS FREE FOR WORK WELLINGTON, October 31. The best news a large party of recently returned 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force personnel got when they reached New . Zealand three months after being taken out of the division in Italy was given them by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser). When the men left for New Zealand it was as furlough personnel. Mr Eraser told them they need not» regard' themselves as such, but as a replacement draft who would be free to return to civil life after theii’ due period of leave, unless they, chose otherwise. There were some ironical but good-tempered comments on the latter proposition. These men have seen long service . and among the party were many who had fought from Greece to Crete, to Libya, Cyrenaica, Tunis, and Italy They knew what it was to. be outnumbered, overwhelmed with armour, to fight without air support, their gradually to get on an equal footing w. men, materials, and air support, and finally to be on top in everything. The wonder of it all is that after such experiences as. they had had, all looked so fit and well. As several men put it: “When it was«bad, it was hell, and when it was good, it was second only to the.nearest thing to heaven, bar being at home.” Comparatively fresh from the Italian battlefields, their reactions to the country whose troops they always beat decisively were varied. Many felt pity for the Italians and their country, devastated by war. Others expressed the distrust they felt, specially having in mind the treatment meted out to‘New Zealand prisoners by Italian soldiers. Others thought the attitude of the present-day Italy to be that of having had enough of armies of any sort, and only looking to the Allied nations to prdvide them with food and the means of re-establishing their country on a normal basis. There were many stories of early distress among the Italian population, of children scrambling at garbage tins of carnps after meals to get what scraps they could, and of the value which the- Italians placed on such items as salt, soap, sugar, and other items of which New Zealand troops usually had a full supply. Catholic servicemen spoke of a memorable occasion when the were received by the Pope.' Others marvelled at the Allied* bombing, the accuracy of which reduced marshalling yards on Italian territory only a short distance from Vatican territory into a mass of ruin’s, while the Papal State ; was unscathed. There were stories of extremes of architectural and artistic grandeur and of squalor, all within the- City of Rome. A former civil servant from Gisborne, who had fought in all the New Zealanders’ battles, formed the opinion that the peasant class in Italy were never keen about the war, but that all the enthusiasms (while things were going well) I'or Mussolini came Prom the cities, with their natural advantages for the stimulation of Fascist' fervour. ;

• FREYBERG-LEESE TRIBUTES

WELLINGTON, November 1.

The following is a copy of a telegram received by the Prime Minister from General Freyberg: “The following is the text of a letter I received from the Army Commander (General Leese) on the eve of the departure from the line of the first auota of the Fourth Reinforcements. I felt it to be fitting to publish it on the clay after they arrive home. ‘I hope you will extend to the 1500 men of New Zealand who arc returning to their homes to-morrow, my sincere congratulations and grateful thanks for all they have done. Would you say a word from me to remind them of the greats feats the New Zealand Division performed in this war. By derations in Greece, Crete, and the Western Desert, in all of which the Division played a great part, time I was gained to enable the British arms to be gradually built up for the victory at Alamein. Since then, the Second New Zealand Division has been in the forefront of all battles of the Eighth Army right through from Alamein to Arezzo. Personally, my close connection with the Division in ! this great advance of over 2000 miles ! has given me the deepest admiration ■and affection for the fighting forces > of New Zealand. All ranks will, I hope, be heme with pride in their long ! connection with the Eighth Arftiy. It i is these ties of the Commonwealth, 1 which after the' war will do-- so much to hold the Empire together. I hope these New Zealanders will carry back with them into their hemes the thanks

and 'congratulations of the Eighth Army (signed) Oliver Leese.’ General Freyberg continued: I wish to add my deep appreciation of the gre-fl achievements of the Fourth Reinforcements. Many of have seen more service than men of any other contingent, taking part in battles in Greece and Crete, hard fighting in the Western Desert and Tunisia, and finally the battles in Italy. Our grateful thanks goes with them. All ranks of the Second N.Z.E.F. wish them God speed and good luck.” R.N.Z.A.F.~PERSONNEL. WELLINGTON, October 31. Sixty-seven members of the R.N .z. A.F. who have been serving m tne Middle East and in India have recently returned to New Zealand. The only West Coaster in the list was L.A.C. I. S. Burrell, of Cobden. APPEAL BOARD SITTINGS The cases of all Grade 1 men on the West Coast held on appeal, from the Armed Forces are to be reviewed shortly in accordance with the Government’s policy for the replacement of veterans of the 2nd Division by. men drawn from the 3rd Division and by Grade 1 men held in industry on appeal. The No. 9A Armed Forces Appeal Board will sit at Reefton on November 14, Westport on November 15, Greymouth on November 21, and Hokitika on November 24 to deal with these cases, which will be reviewed in the ordinary way, the men or the employers having the right to bo heard. Men whose appeals are dismissed will become available for overseas replacement, drafts if they are between the ages of 21 and 36, inclusive, and have no more than two children. The places of some of the Grade 1 men held on appeal will be filled by the direction of. personnel released from the 3rd Division. Married men with three or more children, men 36 years of age and over, and those not up to the medical standard have been given 14 days’ on pay and the balance of any Overseas • eave. Alter their, paid leave has expired they will be placed on indefinite leave without pay and required to report to the manpower authorities for direction to industry. Fit men of the 3rd Division between the ages of 36 and 41 with less than three children who wish to go overseas again can volunteer to do so.