N.Z. PRISONERS

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1943, Page 4

N.Z. PRISONERS

Repatriation From Italy

THREE WEST COASTERS INCLUDED.

P.A WELLINGTON, May 17. Tiic Prime Minister (Mr. Fraser), has announced that arqongst prisoners of war repatriated from . Italy, recently were 108 New Zealanders, particulars of whom are given in the following list. The majority of these men are protected personnel, while a few are invalids. All are safe in Egypt and have been personally interviewed.

The rank is Private unless otherwise stated: —

Rennie, Captain James I. S., Christchurch; Tremewan, Captain Hector C., Wellington; Adams, Lance Corpora John, Dunedin; Adams. Robert A. W„ Walton; 4 lves . Driver George A., Wairoa; Ande'rson, Cyril A. L., Ashburton; Anderson, Driver Robert, Rotorua; Anderson, Driver Ronald H. Wellington; Barry, Corporal John E. G., Auckland; Bartrun, Raymond T. R„ Auckland; Benfell, Driver Edward L., Whakatane; Buschmann, Driver Edwin, Christchurch; Cavenagh, Clinton J., Queensland; Chambers, Colin L., Ashburton. Champion, Benjamin Charles John, Westport; Champion, Thomas Frederick, Westport. Chappel, Driver Jack, Glen Massey; Charles, Lance Corporal Thomas J. Wellington; Clarke, Henry G., Gisborne; Couseey, Lindsay H., Christchurch; Davidson, Noel E., Hastings; Dawes, Leslie E., Christchurch; Dike, Leslie A., Tirau; Dobell, Corporal Francis D., Auckland; Donaldson, Gunner Frank H., Wanganui; Finnerty, Thomas S., Christchurch; Fletcher, Joseph, Invercargill; Gair, Gilbert J., Waipawa; Gamble, Stanley E., Dunedin; Gardiner, Warren M., Wellington; Gosling, Albert G., Canterbury; Grant, Peter McP., Lindwood; Gray, Thomas A., Oamaru; Grenfell, Henry W-, Dunedin; Hillary, Jack K., Christchurch; Hillary, John, Wellington; Hulton, Campbell, Rotorua; Hunter, Clifford C„ Dargaville; Ingerson, Rodney W., Hamilton; Jarive, James R., Kaitanagata; Johnson, Harold A.. Invercargill; Johnson, Raymond, Christchurch; Johnson, Godfrey S., Waipuxurau; Jowett, Driver George H. K. Masterton; Kelly, Terence, Sydney; Kerrison, Driver Albert R-, Pahiatua; King, Arthur E., Dunedin; Larsen. Charles A., Palmerston North; Lazarus, Sergeant Mitchell. Christchurch; Leverett, Albert W., Christchurch; Lindsay, Anderson R., Otahuti; Lucak, Sergeant Herbert W.. Auckland; Lyall, Corporal Francis L., Papakura; Mclvor, Victor L., Napier; McLeod, Lance Bombardier John S., Matekana; McMullan, Charles F_, Auckland; McPherson, Corporal Cecil Dunedin; Maher, Cecil 8., Papanui; Mann. James A.. Auckland; Mason, Alfred H., Wellington; Matheson, Donald C., Riversdale; Miller, Horace S., Auckland; Mitchell, Charles R., Nelson; Moore, Driver Gordon G.. Te Aroha; Morgan, Leslie 0., Wellington; Morrison, Corporal Allan L., Gisborne; Parish, Clarence C., Christchurch; Partridge, Dudley A. P., Timaru; Penny, Driver John R., Auckland; Phillip. Lance Corporal John, Porirua; Phillott, Verdon G. E„ Wellington; Pitta way, Arthur H., Arrowtown; Potts, Stuart J.. Dannevirke.

Preston, Charles, Greymouth. Pryor, Lance Corporal K. E., New Plymouth; Puddle, Herbert R.. Christchurch; Quinlan, TemporaryCorporal Cyril F. R., Auckland: Rankin, Donald R., Wellington; Richards, Lewis C., Cambridge; Rolston, Eric C., Napier; Ross, Charles F., Wanganui; Russell, Robert, Invercargill; Ryan, Donald R., Auckland Scott, Alan H., Hastings; Searle, Earnest W., Otautau; Sherriffs, Christopher B. Auckland; Silcock, Lance Corporal Jack C., Otorohanga; Smith, Alan A.. Lower Hutt; Smith, Corporal Edward J.. Dunedin; Smith. Corporal Joseph H., Dunedin; Stokes, Walter G. V., Auckland; Stringer, Dennis J., Wakefield; Taylor, Vernon R„ Te Aroha; Thom, William A., Auckland; Todd, Harold H., Awarua Plains; Tonkin, Walter L., Nelson; Ward, Alan, Timaru: Warren, Richard J., Wellington; Warwood Adrian, Dunedin; Watson, Maitland G. N., Christchurch; Watson, William B„ Hastings; Walsford, Corporal Samuel C. Christchurch; Wilkie, Driver Eric J., Wellington; Williams, Lester 8., Christchurch; Williams, Lance Corporal Rowland G., Invercargill; Witheridge, Adrian, Auckland. ■

Return to Egypt

PRISONERS WELCOMED. (N.Z.E.F official news service). • ALEXANDRIA, May 13. While the world was learning that the Nineteenth Light Division had. surrendered to General Freyberg in Tunisia a group of New Zealanders, captured by some of the same German infantry in the battle of Sidi Rezegh were landing in Egypt to-day, after eighteen months m captivity. The first news in English that these New Zealanders had seen since November 19, 1941, were stories of the capture of General Von Arnim and. the end of th e North African campaign. They were taken in one of the Eighth Army’s first and toughest battles —the struggle to join up with the Tobruk garrison in the second winter of the fighting in Libya. Excited civilians and Red Cross ' girls, and troops on the docks waved newspapers and shouted the news to four hundred repatriated men crowding the decks of the two hospital ships that brought them to the end of the last; stage of their journey from Italy. Keen as they were for news of the campaign, the repatriated New Zealanders showed most enthusiasm for the news of their old units. Even before the ships berthed they! called down: “Where’s the Division! Where’s the Battalion ? On the decks they were surrounded by friends and Red Cross workers with beer, fruit, cigarettes, and newspapers, and answers to their dozens of excited questions. Although they said that recently captured men had brought news to Italian camps of our successes they found it difficult to believe that the Germans were not still “just on the road somewhere.” The morale in Australian and New Zealand prisoner of war camps m Italy, even amone- men who had been, there up to twenty-four months was extremely high. They said ther e was no sign of despondency. All were enthusiastic in their praise of the Red Cross organisation’s weekly parcels.

. Almost all of th e 118 New Zealanders had been captured in desert battles, mainlv as protected personnel in field dressing stations The wounded were from several of the main desert battles. One gunner was captured early in the Greek campaign and taken through Albania to Italy.