Miraculous Escape Of Auckland Battalion

Northern Advocate, 26 May 1941, Page 3

Miraculous Escape Of Auckland Battalion

(From the official war correspondent with the 2nd N.Z.E.F.) CAIRO, May 24. Probably no greater diversity of adventure has been crowded into the existence of any part of the New Zealand forces than that of an Auckland Battalion, which in the past few days has been rejoined by large parties of officers and men almost given up for lost. The tales they, have brought with them rival the legends of ancient Greece. The Aucklanders, who arrived in the Middle East from England only a few weeks before the Greek campaign began, fought a delaying action against such tremendous odds that it seemed that only a miracle could bring the battalion out with any semblance of intactness. In the main withdrawal movement immediately afterwards it was represented by a comparative handful of men, and day after day went by with little news to encourage any belief that these were not the sole survivors. Then the miracle happened. Adventurous Trek

Somewhere on the friendly coast of Crete a tired and bearded band of nearly 50 officers and men including the commanding officer, who is a well-known Auckland barrister, stepped ashore from an auxiliary scow — the first of an amazing procession which has swelled the ranks of the battalion beyond the most extravagant hopes. Voyaging as far eastward as the Turkish coast, parties have wandered from island to island in the Aegean Sea in efforts to reach safety. No adventure has been more remarkable than the full fortnight of arduous, hazardous journeying which brought the commanding officer and his party to Crete. They gained the coast after a trek lasting three days and nights across steep hills through ravines and over a mountain-pass above the snowline, occasionally aided by Greek shepherds as guides. The nights were so cold that they marched through the darkness and rested by day. In Power Boat Although their rations were extremely low at times, they managed to obtain lamb, bread and ewe’s milk, and at one village Winch they readied! during a Greek festival, children ran out with gifts of red-paintetd eggs. The party was fortunate in having a corporal who knew the Greek language and was able to learn news of the German forces, which were then reported in many villages on the flat.

Arriving at the coast in an exhausted condition, they found a small Auckland party preparing to set out by power boat with the intention of landing near Valos, thence finding a way to the British lines. The Aucklanders crowded about the boat, overflowing into a dinghy towed behind, and travelled down the coast, only to discover that the Germans were already reported in Valos.

Off Turkish Coast After resting a day in a village church they obtained another boat and set out across the Aegean Sea for Chois Island, near the coast of Turkey, where, singularly enough, they arrived on Anzac Day, having called on the way at other small islands, whose inhabitants warmly received them, and they obtained their first good meal in days. A British consular agent provided a boat and crew, which took the Aucklanders next to islands some 30 miles away south-west. As they rested on one of these in preparation for the last leg of the German bombers made a raid, destroying nearly all the small craft lying in the port. Arrival At Crete A new boat, which the party obtained with difficulty, was too slow to travel far under cover of darkness, and the possibility of having to return to Turkey and internment took shape in their minds.

Actually they had retraced part of the voyage when they met another vessel bound for Crete which took them aboard. They reached their destination after three nights’ sailing and two days’ sheltering at other small islands. Much the same series of experiences befell further large parties which have arrived since then. One smaller group travelled 120 miles in four days in a fishing boat fitted with, oars and sails.

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