PUSH IN ETHIOPIA

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20620, 22 November 1941, Page 5

PUSH IN ETHIOPIA

CAPTURE OF POSTS RETREAT BY ITALIANS POSITIONS DESTROYED (RecA Nov. 22, 9 a.m.) a LONDON, Nov. 21. The capture of Venticinque by a famous British regiment is reported in an Eastern Command communique dealing with operations in Abyssinia. “The enemy attempted to recapture Venticinque but was repulsed,” adds the communique. “Our forces advancing from the direction of Om Ager captured two posts in the vicinity of Ambazzo and Janahoi, causing the enemy to evacuate and fall back towards Gondar. “All the .important Kamant chiefs have now joined the forces. “Several machine-guns posts in the enemy’s main positions were destroyed by direct hits from our guns.” Examples of the good work which local Patriots have been doing under difficult conditions in the Gondar area are quoted in authoritative quarters in London. o{ie story is that of a machine-gun which was out of action and one of the Patriots said to an officer: “Give it to me. I will get this mended for you in Gondar.”

The Patriot went off with the machine-gun and returned with the weapon perfectly repaired. He had apparently walked through the enemy lines to Gondar, where he had persuaded'an Italian armourer to repair the gun for him.

In another case a captain in charge of a party of West Africans had a four-day trip by mule. About 20 mines were placed in a road. The party clambered up the hills to watch for the effect and saw the mines blow up enemy vehicles at dusk. The men returned home safely and the only casualty was a West African, who, it is said, was wounded in two places. He had 'been riding a mule.