HOSPITAL RAIDED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20571, 3 June 1941, Page 9

HOSPITAL RAIDED

GERMAN METHODS BRUTALITY TO SICK HUMAN-SCREEN TRICK (Elec. Tei. Copyright—United Press Assn.) (Reed. June 2,2 p.m.) CAIRO. May 30. The story of how hospital patients comprising British and Dominion troops were brutally treated by German parachutists before being eventually rescued by a New Zealand rifle battalion has been told by some of the patients concerned who have just been evacuated from Crete. One of these, a New Zealander, who was suffering from malaria and is still in a very weak condition, commenced his story as dating May 16. He said that immediately prior to that date things had been expected to happen at any time. He was then in a field hospital about 20 miles from Suda Bay. On May 16 the German air activity began to markedly increase and from then on until May 20, when parachute operations commenced, the enemy air force paid more regular and more frequent visits on an ever-increasing scale.' All day long on May 19 there was a continuous stream of bombers and fighters, bombing and strafing from Suda Bay to the Malemi aerodrome.

“On the morning of May 20 Jerry started early and it was his heaviest and most concentrated attack to date,” said the narrator. “Up till then this particular hospital had been more or less left alone, but that morning between 40 and 50 planes appeared overhead and subjected the hospital and its environs to continuous machinegunning and dive-bombing for an hour and a half. Wounded Again Injured “The hospital was merely a tented one, but N was particularly clearlymarked. “As a result of this fiendish action tents were torn apart and patients, already wounded, were again injured. “Then troop-carriers hove into view, and within a few minutes, parachutists were dropping as thick as flies on a summer’s day. Once on the ground the Germans surrounded the hospital and commenced to take charge. “Pointing ‘tommy’ guns at the patients, they ordered them out, whether they could walk or not. At some of the tents they went so far as tb throw hand grenades among the patients to hurry them along. “They then pulled down the British flag and hoisted the Nazi emblem, and, turning to the patients, made them stand beneath it for half an hour with their hands up all the time. For many paients the strain was too great and they collapsed. To their relief a German officer came up and told them to sit down and keep quiet and not cause any fuss. He gave them cigarettes and went so far as to order some food for them.

“However, his commendable intentions were quickly nipped in the bud by another German officer of superior rank who swaggered, up, roaring and swearing in broken English and threatening the patients with a hand grenade. Once again they were forced‘to stand with their hands above their heads, whereupon the officer produced a camera and commenced to take their photographs. Sniper Fells Bully

‘‘ln the meantime the first officer sent for medicine for the patients and for hats to shield them from the sun, but once again his efforts were frustrated hy his senior, who ran aftei the orderlies and angrily cancelled the order. ‘Meanwhile a New Zealand rifle battalion was about 400yds. away, fully aware of what was going on and trying its best to come to the rescue.

“Suddenly their snipers opened up and the senior German officer was bowled over as clean as a whistle. Not knowing the strength of the opposing force, the Germans left the hospital, placing the prisoners in charge of a guard of. about 16 men, who ordered them to march on clown the road ahead to act as a barrage or protection to them and to the retreating force. “The road took them over a hill and into partial open view of the New Zealanders, who opened up in the hopes of collecting the German guard. Some of our own men could not help being hit,” said the New Zealand soldier, who added that the rifle battalion soon took control of the situation and effected a speedy rescue. This story was also independently told by several who were present. Refuge In Caves

In the meantime more Germans were landing with mortars and tommy guns, and it was decided to send some of the battalion back to the hospital with the patients and the hospital staff. That night they moved from the hospital, which was untenable, to nearby caves, where the patients received much-needed treatment. Doctors worked continuously for three days and two nights dressing wounds down in the caves, while they would snatch an odd hour and make their way back to the hospital with parties in the endeavour to retrieve medicine and equipment. It was not until after three days that it was decided “safe” to put up the flag of the Red Cross.

Another man who recounted the story was an Australian, who himself was slightly wounded looking after a Maori boy who was in a bad way. The Maori had been again wounded when the hospital was attacked. The Aussie pronounced himself- very strongly regarding a German pilot who had been a patient in a British hospital before it was attacked. When the Germans took over this man volunteered to be one of the guard and proved to be one of the most brutal. On the other hand, while he was in British hands he had been carefully tended, no difference being made' between him and British patients.

There were many other tales of German brutality, especially to the civilian population. In one house which parachutists used as cover for fire, British soldiers found an old woman shot through the head and two children beaten to death as though with rifle butts. Cases were frequent of women and children running screaming from the Germans until they ran into British or Dominion troops and were taken under their care. On the sides of the roads ambulances were lying overturned by bombs and burning.

A white frost of 6 degrees was recorded yesterday morning at the Gisborne meteorological station, Darton Field. A frost of 2.3 degrees was recorded this morning.