TWO MORE SAFE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20618, 20 November 1941, Page 9

TWO MORE SAFE

THREE SONS PRISONERS GISBORNE FAMILY Reassuring news of two more of their sons who were missing during operations in Crete has been received by Mr. and Mrs. E. McFadyen, Gisborne. Following the battle of Crete, three sons out of five with the armed forces were reported missing, and for some time no news was available concerning them. A short time ago, however, advice was received that Sergeant Charles McFadyen was a prisoner of war in hospital in Crete, and it was not until to-day that word came to hand from the Government that Sapper William McFadyen was a prisoner of war in Germany.

At the same time, a letter was received from William from a transit camp in Crete saying that his brother, Sapper Thomas McFadyen, was with him, although there was nothing in the official communication regarding this.

Writing from the transit camp in Crete under date of July 19, Sapper William McFadyen stated that they were making the best of things and were still looking well on their treatment by the German guards, with whom the prisoners had “a lot of fun in one way or another,” while they were not forgotten by the Greeks, who gave them sympathy and encouragement “over the fence.”

Fun aplenty was available in camp, and he and his brother were able to look after themselves and a few more of the other boys as well. They passed the day swimming and sun-bathing, with sometimes a little work, but they were not over-worked. PRIVATE PAUL BARRY First news of her son since he was reported missing following the Cretan campaign was received by Mrs. Dan Barry, Gisborne, to-day, in the form of a letter written by the soldier, Private Paul Barry, from a transit camp for war prisoners. Private Barry was a member of a New Zealand Field Ambulance unit, and was left behind when the evacuation from Crete was effected. In his letter to his mother, who has waited for several months for some form of official intimation of his fate, he stated that he was well treated and that there was no occasion to worry about him. He further advised that his relatives should not address their letters to him care of the camp from which he was writing, as he expected to be moved shortly. The letter was written late in July.