PRISONERS FOR TWO YEARS

Grey River Argus, 18 May 1943, Page 5

PRISONERS FOR TWO YEARS

AUSTRALIANS’ FIRST LEAVE IN CAIRO.

(NZE.F. Official Correspondent) CAIRO, May 14. Women in uniform on the docks and Hurricanes circling over the harbour were seen for the first time by a group of repatriated Australian soldiers when they arrived at Alexandria yesterday. Captured during our first withdrawal through Cyrenaica early in 1941, they have been prisoners of war for two years. Only about six Australians captured during the first advance to Benghazi have been longer than these men m the hands of the Italians. A month after they arrived in Palestine from Australia they were on their way to the Western Desert to advance with General Wavell’s campaign. Marshal Rommel’s original drive towards the border found them working with an Australian dressing station near Derna. Cut off in the Cyrenaican hills, they were captured .and sent to Italy. ‘ , x - , They have returned to find the end of the North African campaign. Now resting at a New Zealand base camp, they are seeing Cairo on leave for the first time since they reached the Middle East ne.arly three years ago. Several other Australians severely wounded in the desert battles —some from Tobruk, and some from El Alamein —arrived with protected medical personnel.