WARTIME INCIDENT

Northern Advocate, 9 November 1934, Page 6

WARTIME INCIDENT

SEQUEL 16 YEARS LATER EXPLANATION TO A FIELD MARSHAL MELBOURNE, November 2. The phrase, “Look here, ppon this picture, and on this,” from “Hamlet,” might well be applied to an incident in Salonika 16 years ago, and to another in Melbourne to-day. In the confused and stirring days at Salonika, in the closing weeks of the war, Field Marshal Lord Milne was in command of all the British troops in that zone of operations. Two British airmen, who*had come down behind the enemy lines, had been held in captivity by the Turks,' enduring for two years privations enough to kill most men. At last they had escaped. They stowed away from Constantinople into Russia, and reached the British lines through Bulgaria to Salonika.

Both were in ragged nondescript civilian attire. Captain T. W. White, of the Australian Flying Corps, wore a cap, frock coat, gaudy striped vest, and Ottoman pantaloons. After the fugitives reached the British lines, it was some time before their story could be confirmed. When it was, Lord. Milne sent for them, and was most sympathetic. He was later responsible for honours being conferred upon the airmen by the King, But the airmen at the time were gruff, scowling, brusque and churlish.

To-day the Australian Minister for Customs (Mr. T. W. White), in neat, stylish clothes befitting the dignity of his office, called on the Lord Mayor (Sir Harold Gengoult Smith) and met Lord Milne. This gave the Minister an opportunity to explain ' Captain White’s attitude in Salonika 16 years ago.

As he and his comrade in fortitude were waiting for the British /Commander, who was a busy man, to make time to receive them, they looked from the window of the waiting-room out across the bay, and saw steaming away across the Mediterranean the ship upon which their passages had been booked for Egypt. In all his kindness, Lord Milne had caused them to miss their ship back to comfort and freedom. So today, Field Marshal and Minister of the Crown looked “upon this picture, and on this,” recalling the past and rejoicing in the present.