HEROIC DOCTORS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 130, 3 May 1941, Page 8

HEROIC DOCTORS

ON EVACUATION BEACHES. (United Press Association—Copyright) (ltec. 1.20 p.m.) LONDON, April 2. The New Zealand hospital unit was forced to leave behind about 120 wounded in Greece, says the British United Press's Cairo corres]>ondeiit. Several doctors remained with them. The unit lout all its equipment.

Every effort was made to save the men; six doctors, in relays, drove the ambulances to the Ironl

to bring in the wounded. The Cairo correspondent of the Exchange Telegraph Agency tells how an Australian cruiser arrived to take troops from the beach and found it occupied by the Germans. The cruiser swept the beach with its guns until the enemy retreated.

Twelve dive-bombers attacked a

Dutch merchantman conveying 2000 Australian troops. The escorting destroyers shot down three, bwt the remainder of the raiders later resumed the attack. A near-miss smashed the engine-room and the, ship had to be abandoned. Although the ship was listing heavily the Australians calmly (ircd on the bombers with rifles and machine-guns until a destroyer can.c (< i...-;igside and took off over a thousand. The remainder, clambering on the port side, continued firing until they were taken oft' by a second destroyer. All the Australians and the Dutch crew were saved, and the merchantman later, sank.

A German communique claims that the Germans have completed the occupation of the Peloponnesus area ol Greece. The number of British prisoners is now S2OO, they say.