IN NEW ROLE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 20859, 11 August 1942, Page 3

IN NEW ROLE

TWO ALL BLACKS , INCIDENT AT RUWEISAT ENEMY POST CAPTURED (N.Z.E.F. Official War Correspondent.) (9 a.m.) CAIRO, Aug, 10. Two well-known Auckland All Blacks, H. F. McLean and R. G. Bush —inseparable friends before the war and since they arrived in the Middle East —were associated in a spectacular incident during the recent New Zealand attack on Ruweisat Ridge. Bush has since been posted as missing, believed prisoner of war. Both All. Blacks were members of the same Auckland infantry battalion, Bush as a platoon commander and McLean in charge of Bren carriers. When Bush found his men being heavily shelled by mortars on his sector he decided to swarm the enemy post with his platoon. With a rifle, he led the charge and captured four trucks and 16 prisoners. Further back, with the Bren carriers, McLean could see this incident through binoculars. He watched an amazing charge without bayonets led by his pal Bush. He decided to go forward to give a hand, but by the time he got there Bush and his platoon -had the four trucks and 16 prisoners. All was well for Bush and for McLean, who stayed behind and searched the captured trucks to find excellent German tinned food, which kept himself and his platoon living on double rations for days. It had been a gcud little coup, but later in the day misfortune overtook Bush. He was captured, but escaped. He took the wrong turning and was captured again. „ , , , “Now he’s in the bag, laughed McLean. Bush and McLean were like that; they always laughed over each other’s misfortunes. Club opponents for years, when Bush played for University and McLean for Grafton, they had a rivalry on the field that produced many comic incidents on Eden Park.