MORALE AT LOWERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 1 June 1943, Page 5

MORALE AT LOWERS

GERMAN TROOPS IN NORWAY MANY DESERTERS ESCAPING NO DETAILS OF R.A.F.’S BOMBINGS (Rec. 11 a.m.) London, May 31. The morale of 200,000 anti-in-vasion troops in Norway markedly declined after the German defeat in Russia slumped still further following the Tunisian debacle, and fell to an even lower ebb when the R.A.F.’s pounding of the Reich began to leak through State reports received in Norwegian circles in London. The Germans themselves are committing acts of sabotage and many deserter- are escaping to Sweden. There are frequent suicides, and several concentration camps have been opened for mutinous Germans. The nervousness of the coastal guards resulted in a number of German patrol boats being fired on and sunk. German troops are most worried about lack of available details of the R.A.F.’s bombing in Germany. Many are so worried that they are seeking the truth from the Norwegians who pick up news on illegal radio sets. —P.A. FURTHER EVIDENCE (Rec. 2.10 p.m.) London, May 31. Suicides in and desertions from the German army are increasing according to neutral reports reaching London. They are heaviest among wounded men from the Russian front who are ordered back there. An official Nazi order recently issued stales that all German soldiers who committed suicide in the Haute Garonne area of France must he buried in the parishes in which they were stationed. There has also been an increase in the number of suicides among fifth columnists and quislings in neutral countries in the last two weeks. In France large numbers of deserters from .the German army are seeking sanctuary in monasteries and Roman Catholic charitable organisations.