Soon Regain Good Spirits After Battle

Northern Advocate, 18 January 1944, Page 2

Soon Regain Good Spirits After Battle

(Official N.Z.E.F. War Correspondent) DIV. H.Q., Jan. 14.

I spent some time yesterday with a platoon from a battalion resting after severe fighting and days spent under uncomfortable conditions in the front-line. They were in a barn-like room containing great empty steel cylinders used for some stage of production of olive oil. The walls were of brick and the floor concrete and there was still much snow outside. An improvised fireplace .had been made from oil drums with drain piping as a chimney The fire smoked badly but there was some warmth. A double row of boots had been built up around the fire to dry.

“It is worse than a Taranaki cowjard outside.” remarked a soldier, referring to the slush formed by thawing snow through which they hod to plough their way to their meals. Grateful For A Roof There were still guns behind thorn and plenty of noise, but there was a roof over their heads and they were grateful. Beds had been made from disused beehives which they heel (found stored in the loft of the building. Food here has been good with fresh meat several times a week and plenty of green vegetables but there was not much variety and these rr.en spoke longingly of good juicy steaks or fish and chins. Mails and parcels, they agreed, were reaching them in reasonable time. They talked a lot of New Zealand, mostly recalling experiences long before the war. They speculated on what changes they might expect. Most of them just wanted to get back to their jobs and home and be left in peace. Want To Be Left In Peace

There is not much that resting men can do in this place except to visit a mobile cinema occasionally, but books and magazines miraculously appear. Reading is the most favoured pastime. Italian childreh like the company of New Zealanders and many of them are not as shy as their parents. Much time is spent talking to them in broken Italian. It is d struggle on both sides, but the New Zealanders seem to manage to make themselves.understood. It does not take long for our men to regain their cheerfulness after battle and all those I have met in the past few days have been no exception. ’