NO RESISTANCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24632, 13 June 1941, Page 5

NO RESISTANCE

OCCUPATION OF TYRE '■■i . • : ' ■ ■■ AUSTRALIANS WELCOMED “ROSES EVERYWHERE” JERAUSALEM, June 10. The latest despatch from the official Australian war correspondent mentions a kind of unofficial Light Horse which heralded an Australian infantry battalion which marched into Tyre. The manner in which the men obtained the hbrses is typical of the unorthodox Australian soldier. It appears that one company of a Victorian battalion met stiff resistance from a fort manned by Spahi natives, whereupon they charged the fort with bayonets. The Spahis fled on horses which had been stabled there.- Another section of the same company was, however, able to stop the fugitives, and their steeds were duly- 1 - commandeered, otherwise ‘‘pinched.'’ These men had had a long: arid exhausting march,- and welcomed the chance of riding the rest of the journey. They thundered into Tyre, accompanied by cheers from the inhabitants and the stark surprise of their comrades.

The correspondent proceeds; “ When I left Tyre to-day the Australian troops were busily consolidating their occupation of the town. The British flag flew from the top of the polic estation, and Australian soldiers with fixed bayonets were standing on guard at street corners. These precautions were purely formal, as the incoming forces were welcomed with fervour reminiscent of home-coming troops. The town’s police force thoughtfully stayed behind to help in keeping order, but there was

no attempt at. resistance. On the contrary, the townsfolk crowded the streets and gave the troops an embarrassing welcome and festooned everything and everybody with roses. There were “ roses everywhere,” even on rifles and vehicles. Not long after swarms of naked Australians were bathing, whooping, and splashing in the blue Mediterranean far below the town, “ The Vichy element, consisting of Spahis, Algerians, and Lebanese under Vichy officers, had evacuated the town some hours before the arrival of the troops. They had taken most of the available tucker with them. “Tyre, in spite of its antiquity and strategic value, is not an - impressive place. All that remains of its ancient splendour is a huddle .of, ramshackle buildings around a dilapidated pier ■ “ British cavalry regiments have been assisting the. Australians in the coastal sector, charging the enemy with swords whenever he shows fight. A British officer said when the troops entered, Elquenietra they found only four French soldiers, who declared that the entire garrison would have gladly surrendered, but the scoundrelly commandant,ordered them to fight on.”

ADVANCE UP THE COAST AUSTRALIANS AT ADLOUN JERUSALEM, June 11. The Australian troops to-day fought their, way to Adloun, 10 miles north of the Litani River and 12 miles south of Sidon, says the Australian official war correspondent. Advancing up the coast, the Australians put a bridge across the Litani and broke the French line, which was the strongest fortified line between the frontier and Beirut. The French are now fighting a delaying action. The Australian engineers, working at top speed in moonlight, flung a bridge of 10 pontoons across the Litani, enabling guns, infantry, ambulances, wireless trucks, supply lorries and all kinds of armaments to pass, over and reinforce the men who are fighting around Adloun. A South Australian battalion which was in the van behind our mobile forces faced strong resistance from machine guns and trench mortars, but the Australian mobile force steadily overcame the resistance from opposing tanks and armoured cars, most of which were inferior to our own. It was a great relief to the advancing infantry, as well as the engineers, when it was found that a small, courageous advance party had succeeded in preventing the destruction of the next bridge in their path. This was held against greatly superior odds all day by two officers and eleven men of the special force. ,