NAZIS DECEIVED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23993, 17 June 1941, Page 8

NAZIS DECEIVED

SOLDIEKS IN BOAT ESCAPE FROM GREECE BLANKETS COVER UNIFORMS In an open boat, two British, two Australian and two New Zealand soldiers sailed for eight days down the coast of Greece and eventually reached an island where they were shipped to Egypt. They deceived German airmen flying close overhead by wearing blankets over their uniforms and protending thoy were fishermen. The experiences of tho party are told in a letter by Gunner M. Broderick, son of Mr. W. E. Broderick, chairman of the Wanganui Hospital Board. Gunner Broderick wrote that when it was realised they would not bo taken off by transports, the six men decided to set off in a rowing boat and trust to luck. After rowing all one day across a bay they eventually landed below somo shepherds' cottages, tired out and with raging thirsts, which they were able to quench at a spring on tho beach. Helped by Peasants "We found these springs and wells all along the coast," he continues. "They were a wonderful help, and we always made sure we had water after the experiences of tho first two days. The greatest problem was food. We had to exist for tho main part on a brown bread that the Greek peasants make. It must be very nourishing, and the shepherds seem to live on that, cheese and nothing else. And it managed to keep us going for 11 days. In that time we only lind about four other meals of a different nature. "That night we slept on the beach. We were, as you can imagine, keen to push on, but as we had no idea just how long we would be on the way (in fact, we only had a vague idea where to liend for), we thought it better not to exhaust ourselves at the very start. Luckily we had four blankets between us. Thoy served a double purpose, as blankets and also to cover our uniforms during the day. We knew that if any of the aeroplanes continually patrolling the coast sighted our khaki all might not be so well. "We tried to look as much like Greek fishermen as we could with handkerchiefs around our heads, wearing singlets, and with blankets to cover our trousers. All the same there were pretty tense moments when tho aeroplanes came 'hedge-hopping' over the bays—just skimming overhead. Luckily they all just passed by." Boatloads of Soldiers By night the party patrolled tho coast in search of a friendly launch, and sometimes thoy encountered boatloads of soldiers, also trying to make their escape. The Greek people, in spite of being warned that they could expect trouble if they assisted British troops, were kind and hospitable. "In the villages, old women with tears in their eyes gave us what food they could spare," writes Gunner Broderick. "The best meal we had was at a village, where one old chap produced a voting goat and killed and cooked it. We had it with lettuce and wine. We felt fit enough to row to New Zealand after that." After eight days in the boat their immediate destination was an islaud 60 miles distant. Fortunately they fell in with a party of Australian and New Zealand soldiers about to leave the mainland in a launch, and after two days of cramped travelling reached their destination.