British Troops Land On Greek Islands

Northern Advocate, 3 October 1944, Page 3

British Troops Land On Greek Islands

LONDON, October 2. British troops have landed on three Greek islands. They found on arrival that the Germans had already evacuated the areas. The first landing was made on Kythera (Cerigo), about six miles to the south of the mainlaand of Greece. A New Zealander who has worked with the Aegean coastal forces is in charge ashore at Kythera. British commandos sailed in a Can-adian-manned ship and landed from assault craft. The landing of supplies is now going ahead smoothly. The names of the other two islands on which landings were made cannot be given yet for security reasons.

A correspondent says that the landings are the first phase in the liberation of Greece. He adds that the inhabitants of the islands gave the Allied forces a great welcome and many came down to the shore on donkeys to give them eggs and fruit, A few days earlier the islanders had watched about 150 Germans destroying their radio stations and getting ready to leave. The islanders set fire to the first lot of boats the Germans planned to use and they had to get others. Then, while the enemy was waiting on the beach to get away, the partisans attacked a number of them with guns. Off-shore light forces of the Royal Navy which prepared the way for the landing are now seeing that supplies get to the island and discouraging any interference from the Germans.