MAORI VALOUR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 191, 15 July 1941, Page 4

MAORI VALOUR

IN GREECE AND CRETE.

OFFICER'S PRAISE

An interesting account of his service with the Maori Battalion overseas was given to a "Manawatu Standard" representative by . Captain Charles M. Mules, N.Z.M.C. son of Br. P. H. Mules, who arrived in Woodville

| last Friday after a voyage in the 1 hospital ship which returned from Egypt last week. Captain Mules was struck on the nose and right eye by grenade fragments while "serving with his unit in Crete, but he is quite hopeful that the sight of the injured eye will be fully restored. As the first Woodville member of the Second N.Z.'JE.F. to be invalided home from active service overseas, Captain Mules (who went away as a lieutenant) received many cordial welcomes from old friends as well as hearty, congratulations on his promotion. Captain Mules left' New Zealand with the Second Echelon and was later! attached to the Maori Battalion, which j was stationed in England for several] months. Of the Maoris he speaks in high praise for their conduct, discip-j line, and efficiency, and can readily confirm reports of their exploits when at grips with the enemy in Greece and Crete;—those exploits which drew from | a German radio announcer a reference! to "Britain's hired assassins."

Captain Mules was indelibly impressed by the speed, power, and performance of Spitfire fighters which he witnessed in action against enemy raiders over England. It was fascinating, he says, to watch and hear these wonderful machines, superbly handled, zooming in facile ascent and descent to outmanoeuvre and destroy the enemy. The deadly work done by the coastal defence artillery was also very impressive. The New Zealanders were assigned to various important duties while in England. The arrival of thousands of Anzacs in England just following the Dunkirk disaster had a tonic effect upon the people of the Homeland.

Speaking of the New Zealanders' arrivawin Greece. Captain Mules said that subsequently Athens was en fetebecause of the entry of Yugoslavia into the war. These rejoicings were, of course, heightened by the arrival of the British Forces. The jSiew Zealand Division marched irom the port of disembarkation to a camp at Hymettus, and from there a .to-ho«.r journey by train took them to Katerini. about 15 miles north of Mount Olympus. The Maori Battalion went into action, taking up defensive positions at Olympus Pass and Petras Pass, at the foot of Olympus, and those dis tinctive fighting capabilities which they displayed there are now a matter of history. The brunt of the famous rearguard action which preceded the evacuation from Greece was shared in turn by the several brigades which had held the New Zealand sector. Many of the wounded were left in Greek hospitals.

NAZIS OVER CRETE. The army in Crete had foreknowledge of the intended Nazi invasion, ; Captain Mules proceeded. Straggling evacuee members of the force who had arrived from Greece in small boats reported a large-scale concentration of German troops in Greece. The aerial 'armada duly came into view, travelling in line' of three and stretching back i.n the perspective like a. black line. These were the troop carriers—enormous drab machines marked with 'a largo black cross. Over land, they (reconnoitred slowly at low altitude, ■just clearing ridges and tall trees, while spotting suitable landing places | for the paratroops. The squadrons continued to arrive as though operating jon a precise time schedule, undeterred by the heavy casualties suffered by the landing troops. I As in Greece, the Maori Battalion ' fought in Crete with distinction and used their bayonets very effectively, iCaptain Mules went on. Jn one notable instance a surrounded company fought their way out of an apparently hopeless position, with the loss of onlv one member. True to their reputation as fine soldiers, the Maoris attracted attention and excited admiration when they disembarked at Alexandria after the evacuation. In spite of their recent ordeal they were spie and span and marched from the ship as though on parade.

As far as the sanctity of the Red Cross was concerned, there was no cause for complaint against the Germans for deliberate breaches of the recognised code. The enemy pilots .made a practice of swooping Jow and reconnoitring held hospitals, ambulance stations and ambulances under convoy, and on recognising their character left them unmolested, the pilots in some instances waving a hand to the personnel. In the field it was customary to spread on the ground a piece of marked material, or to rely upon the devices which denote the character of this non-combatant service, but the unit in Crete had left its regular equipment in Greece and resorted to the use of ordinary trucks improvised as ambulances * bearing makeshift insignia. The "walking wounded" were main.lv evacuated from Sphakia, while the hospital cases and a number of officers were left in Crete. Some localities in the hinterland of Greece, said Captain Mules, reminded New Zealanders of their own country. There was also much broken and barren land. Our men were surprised to learn that Mount Olympus is nearly 10,000 ft high. With glistening snow from the summit to half-way down its slopes, tho mountain is a grand sight. Except for wooded slopes of the northern aspect, the mountain is exceedingly rocky and barren. The island of Crete, although supporting a considerable fruit-growing industry, is very' largely composed of mountainous re-; gions and barren surface. The Cretans differ from the Greeks of the mainland in that they are less cosmopolitan and seem to be more closely! bonded to the ancient traditio.us of a glorious past. There art —or were be- j fore the Germans arrived —time-worn historical features in the Cretan j towns that have remained unchanged throughout the centuries. In normal times, Crete is a popular Mediterranean holiday resort. Of the fruit in season while our troops were there, the exceptional quality of the Cretan oranges made a lasting impression. Although it was still late winter, our men enjoyed swimming daily, but noticed that the Cretans kept out of the water. It was explained by an interpreter that, in accordance with long-established custom, the Cretans did not commence bathing until "40 days after the water-melons ripen."