BRITISH ADVANCE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25180, 18 April 1945, Page 7

BRITISH ADVANCE

HAMBUBG : BREMEN PRISON CAMP OVERRUN (Eecd. 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 17 Spearheads of the British'7th and 11th Armoured Divisions in Northwest Germany, advancing from eight to 15 miles yesterday, were last known to be within 40 miles of Hamburg. In the course of this advance tanks of the British Eighth Hussars overran two large prison camps near Fallingbostel, 20 miles north-west of Celle. They liberated 7000 British and 12,000 Allied soldiers and airmen. When the tanks arrived they found that the Brit: !i prisoners had already interned their German guards and had taken charge of the camps. The condition of many of the prisoners provided clear evidence of German neglect. Oounter-attack Beaten Off Reconnaissance regiments of the 15th Scottish Division, thrusting toward the Elbe near TJelzen, came up against one of the stiffest counter-attacks since the advance began. They beat it off. destroying 12 self-propelled guns. The British United Press correspondent says the British 7th Armoured Division (the "Desert Rate") has completed the capture of Walsrode, southeast of Bremen. Other British forces have advanced 174 miles from the Winsen bridgehead (across the Aller), reached Wietzendorf and captured Bergen. The concentration camp where typhus broke out has be.en bv-passed. In the drive against Bremen troops of the British Second Army, with flame-throwers, are literally burning and blasting their way forward. Men of the Norfolk Regiment, having passed Brinkum by 2 p.m. yesterday, had reached a point two miles south-west of Bremen. Others were fighting in Brinkum. "We have to search every building in Brinkum." one officer told Renter's correspondent. "Snipers lurk in cellars as we pass." German Boy Soldiers

Men of the Suffolk Regiment, at a crossroads, had to burn every house within 150 yards before taking it, while German gunners trained their Spandaus on Nazi boy infantry to make them realise it was death either way. One British division took 300 prisoners, mainly in the Brinkum area. Most of them were boys from the 18th Training Battalion.

Among the prisoners was a boy aged only eignt. When he said he was 18 everybody laughed. A jaunty Cockney whistled "Home, Sweet Home" as he kept his rifle trained on 18 ragged voung prisoners tramping ahead. Clusters of anti-aircraft guns are known to be concentrated around the immediate approaches to Bremen, yet when an artillery spotter flew over yesterday not a single shot was fired. Six Typhoon pilots had a similar experience.