N.Z. VILLAGE IN ITALY

Grey River Argus, 8 January 1944, Page 5

N.Z. VILLAGE IN ITALY

Troops Occupy Houses

WELCOME SHELTERS BEHIND FRONT LINE.

(N.Z.E.F. Official Correspondent). N.Z. DIV. HEADQUARTERS, Jan. 4. There is a small compact village a few miles from the front line on the Eighth Army front inhabited largely by New Zealanders It could almost be called their own village, for the town major is a New Zealand, and the New Zealand troops outnumber by many the Italian people whom one sees in the streets. There are narrow flag-stoned streets, which wind over and round a hilltop, on which there sits the main part of the village. As with nearly all Italian villages, the Church is the most impressive building. But the village has several others which, for the size of the place, are remarkably good. The houses are of concrete nr of stone. They are built right on the street. Most of them are twostoreyed places, and are old, with narrow balconies, where on fine days women' sit placidly knitting while the buildings tremble with the blast of nearby guns, and the thunder of heavy military traffic. Many people had left the village when it was Under bombardment. Their evacuated houses have become a welcome refuge from rain and snow for the Eighth Armv units stationed there, and also for troops who are enjoying a weliearned rest from the line. The villagers are friendly to our men. This morning, I visited an officer, who had been out of the line for a few days. He was returning this afternoon. He had been living in a large clean back room, where the Italian to whom the house belonged had provided for him a comfortable bed, with snow-white sheets. Thev also brought him hot water tn the mornings so he told me, and thev swept and tidied up the room, asking him nothing in return. In this village there is a school with t'he smallest of theatres, complexe with a stage and balconv etc. The theatre is being used now by a Y.M.C.A. cinema unit, which screens as many as four shows daily, of new ’ releases, which it has been able to acauire. The came unit has shown pictures to troops actualy in the front line bv setting up its plant in the nearbv houses. The Y.M.C.A. has plaved as big a part here as elsewhere in making life more bearable for the units in and near the village’ bv providing tea, biscuits and other comforts. The soldiers have their greatest popularity with children, particularly about forty children who are in an orphanage. It is among the buildings that are occupied bv our troops Thev had what was for them a royal Christmas when the New Zealanders were provided with more than they could eat. The balance was given to the children, and it was the greatest Christmas treat of their lives. The behaviour of the New Zealand troops has been much appreciated by the people of the village, who for many weeks had Germans in their midst. TACTICAL BOMBERS. NZ. MEN IN MEDITERRANEAN. LONDON, Jan. 5. The Tactical Bomber Force in Italy has several New Zealanders serving in it«? squadrons. They include Flying Officer E. F. Edwards (Whangarei), Flight-Sergeants H. S. McCullum (Opunake), and C. Parkin (Dunsandel) who are in the same squadron flying Mitchells, and a former Aucklander, now of Suva, Flying Officer R. H. Crook, who is flving Baltimores. Others who are now resting from operations include N. Dumont, D.F.C. (Gisborne) who has completed 63 operations, and Warrant Officer W. Petrit (Ashburton), who has completed 65. Edwards, who has done 65 raids, was in the Tui>sian campaign. He did 15 operations in Bisleys, attacking aerodromes, also bombing and machine-gunning road transport. He transferred to after the Tunisian fighting, and helped to bomb Pantellaria and Lampedusa. In Sicily, these medium bombers had the same role as in Tunis—hitting airfields and strafing road transport. His squadron moved from Tunis to Malta, Comiso, Gerbini, and Brindisi, later going furthernorth. Edwards has done several i raids in the vicinity of Naples, ana more recently was operating in support of the Eighth Army. McCullum, who spent a short time with the New Zealand Ventura Squadron before going to North Africa, has now done 51 raids. He also began operating in Tunis, fighting in Bisleys. He helped to bomo the Kasserine Pass when the Americans were being pushed back. Later he did 23 operations in Bostons, sometimes as many as three “trips” dailv. two in the morning and one in the afternoon, during the final stages in Tunis His experiences in Siciiv were similar to those of Edwards, but he was also in the raid on the railway junction near the ancient city of Pompeii. He once returned with 36 bullet holes in his 1 ■ Parkin, who joined the squadron at Gerbini, has done 12 operatioss, including a visit to Jugoslavia, ■ Crook, who is in a different squadron, is one of the few members Ox the R.A.F. wearing the Suva shoulder flash. He began operations at the Mareth Line, and also took part. in the Pantellaria, Sicilian and Italian operations. He has now carried out 59 raids. He was trained in Rhodesia, and is proud of the fact that he has visited 24 countries since he joined the R.A.F. Recently, while Crook was bombing near the Sangro a piece of flak which shattered the perspexhood, but fortunately did little more, (nearly knocked him out. Some New Zealanders are also at Malta,’ including Flying Officers H. J Burrett (Auckland) and G. Simmondfs (Whangarei). Pilot Officers D Stewart (Hawked Bay) and also G M Buchanan, Warrant Officer G. Pallis'her and Flight Sergeant Osborne. Thev are flying Spitfires but complain of having little action these days), ' ’ '

I ENEMY SHIPS SUNK i LONDON, Jan. 6.. The 'Admiralty stated that British submarines in the Mediterranean hlive sunk eight vessels, including a/tanker. , The) British submarine Trident arrived in a northern harbour recently .after t ; he completion of a 26,000-mile operation cruise, which in 12 months took her from the North Cape to Malacca Straits. Since the outbreak the .Trident, which apart from rents has/been in operational service contin/ually. has sunk or severely d.amp</ed about 60.000 tons of shipping. She damaged the Prinz Eugen m February, 1942 t -