Jordan Pays Informal Call'In Western Desert

Northern Advocate, 14 November 1941, Page 2

Jordan Pays Informal Call'ln Western Desert

(N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) WESTERN DESERT, Nov. 12.

The New Zealand High Commissioner in London (Mr. W. J. Jordan) brushed the yellow Western Desert dust from his black Homburg with the sleeve of his tropical suit. “This thing looks a bit funny here.” he said. Then he put the hat back or. his head and resumed the strangest tour of inspection’ I have ever followed.

It was as if he flipped the pages of scores of family albums chosen at random, and in almost every one found a picture he knew. There can be no other man who has more personal knowledge of New Zealanders overseas or their families and friends or the towns and streets they lived in than he. Local Knowledge Hardly a single group of men with whom he talked failed to bring to light some personal link. Names, addresses, parents and friends tumbled one after another 1 into a little leathercovered notebook. Mr. Jordan’s tour was informal. It had to be, for the way he kept stopping his car to chat with soldiers he happened to glimpse would have turned any fixed programme upside down. He needed no introduction besides his own “Good morning, gentlemen,” for everybody seemed to know he was “Bill” Jordan. He would ask the men where they lived in New Zealand, what their jobs were in the army and how their health was, and then crack jokes and chat easily with them. It was the same with everyone, from brigade commanders to private soldiers. Good Health, Fitness Mr. Jordan walked in and out of dug-outs, peered into one man’s sleeping hole, had cooks open their homemade colonial ovens to show him meals in preparation. He was bounced over bumpy tracks to visit outposts. At one place he had a road-side mug of strong black tea with a convoy which had stopped for lunch. Mr. Jordan’s impressions wore the good health, fitness and high spirits general throughout the force. He said lie felt proud to meet the troops, and he was confident they were ready for anything.