AFRICA STARS

Grey River Argus, 7 January 1944, Page 5

AFRICA STARS

Grievance of “Desert

Sweats”

(Rec 9.5) LONDON, Jan. 6. / “Da’ly Mail” correspondent on the Italian front says: Although the battledress tunics of the First and Eighth Armies are now glowing with “Africa Stars,” the real old ‘Western Desert Sweats” feel that they are badly done by. These old sweats are entitled to wear only the bare ribbon, because they, were not in the line last winter. The trouble is an absence of numbers on the ribbon which would indicate that the wearer saw the Eighth Army through difficult heroic years preceding the great victory. The old brigade re-e-ard the figures One and Eight as the highest distinction. The feelings of some of those New Zealand, South African, and Australian troops who are so proud of being in the Eighth Army, and now, because they were, perhaps, wounded or sent home before a certain date, are not allowed to wear the figure eight, can. be imagined. The best thing mieht have been to have no figures at all. That would have avoided the quarrelling and resentment between the two armies.”