WHITE FLAG UNHEEDED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 June 1941, Page 5

WHITE FLAG UNHEEDED

HUNS ATTACK UNARMED MEN INCIDENT IN CRETE Cairo, June 18. A bombing and machine-gun attack carried out on Imperial troops who had already surrendered in Crete after the evacuation of their comrades is described by New Zealanders who have just arrived back at their base after the terrific ordeal of crossing the Mediterranean in barges. This is not an unconfirmed version by one man but the content of statements made deliberately by several men independently who came away in different parties. A sergeant, who is one of more than 100 men of various units who managed to make a getaway from the island, said that they had seen white flags which were prominently displayed by troops who had surrendered in the early hours of the morning. When it was daylight Nazi planes came over and bombed and machinegunned the men, who had been ordered out of the village of Sphakia high up on a hill overlooking the shore. The men were quite defenceless, as they had been instructed to get rid of their arms and equipment prior to surrendering to the Germans.

Another New Zealander, who was acting as engineer on a second barge, was hiding in a cave on shore, and said there was no doubt that the men were attacked from the air after they had surrendered, and there was nothing that they could do about it. There was a slight mist along the shore which had enabled some of the men to set about making their escape from the island, he said, but higher up on the hill men could be plainly seen and white flags were quite visible. The men were between two clumps of olive trees and were sitting down waiting for the Germans when they were machine-gunned and bombed. RESOURCEFUL VOYAGE London, June 17. News has been received in London of the arrival in Egypt of a party of British troops from Crete. Their safe arrival is due to a remarkable feat by an officer of the Royal Marines who succeeded in navigating a flat-bottom-ed motor landing craft over 230 miles from Crete to with five officers and a considerable number of other ranks on board. The party left Crete on Ist June and arrived on the night of Bth June.—U.P.A.