JOURNALIST HONOURED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24613, 22 May 1941, Page 8

JOURNALIST HONOURED

INCIDENT IN ALBANIA COURAGE UNDER ENEMY FIRE SYDNEY, May 17. A British staff officer who has escaped from Greece states that Mr G. E. W. Harriott, who was war correspondent for the Sydney Morning Herald with the Greeks in Albania, and earlier in Palestine and Egypt, has been mentioned in despatches to the Greek headquarters and recommended for a decoration. Mr Harriott, it is stated, was concerned in an incident during the Battle of Tepelene, and the attention of the Greek corps’ headquarters was drawn to the matter, as a result of which the recommendation was made. The Italians in March were attacking north-east of Tepelene for two days. Mr Harriott was with a frontline battalion. One by one, the Greek machine guns were knocked out. The telephone wire was cut, and runners sent back with a signal for close artillery support failed to penetrate the Italian barrage. As Mr Harriott wanted to get back to cable a story to the Sydney Morning Herald, he volunteered to take back the signal. He dashed out during a lull in the barrage and managed to get through and deliver the message. Later, the Greek batteries went into action and held up the Italian advance in the battalion’s sector.