DESERT INSPECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24783, 6 December 1941, Page 10

DESERT INSPECTION

NEW ; ZEALAND PATROL GENERAL AUCHINLECK'S ■ Official. News Service')-:';. , CAIRO,. Nw. 5.' " I want to say. between ourselves, tha|."v/hat arid ih£ve luien'' doing is recognised," " said* General Sir Claude Auchiriiecki'" Commander-in-Chief, Middle East, addressing a New Zealand patrol of. the Long - Range. Desert /Group after, having personally inspected both them, and, their equipment at their base headquarters. It was early -oh an autumn 'morning and the long! row' ol stockily-built trucks with .the. ihen standing smartly at" post made an impressive sight: \ Irving expressed, his. pleasure at; tbje bearing of the "men. the general went on to ; sayt fc "T'have- heard a lot about you, and,l ;*msui-elhat 1 sjifilfj a lot more. I know ,ihe /valuer o* the work, you are doing. -In fact£ we could-not get on without you. »'is

■ AMin'i Job Yri "'■ -f- ---" I know that your work has been] lonely arid dangerous: At - the', same: time, it is oh the whole a man's job/ There will be plenty more Ot it ahead; I ; am sure that we can rely on yb# to bring back the kind* Of* hews we want, as you have done, an thei past.' This winter the^pedple;that are* behind now will be able to, get on * bit, too; and as they move you will be going on ahead of them. I ? want, to thank you for what you have done, and I know that you will do just as; well-in the future." l The patrol which was inspected was? one which had taken part, in. many? long and adventurous mostly-right into the heart of territory. Their task has been'mainly, of a reconnaissance, nature, but therewere times when they had to be pre-! pared for 1 sudden action. -Many'of them had been with the desert group in the days before and during the last big Libyan push, when the Imperial; troops had brought their victorious;; advance to the centre of Benghazi.: Included among them was Troopeis R.= J. Moore who, by, a heroic tramp over. 210 miles of desert, had saved the* lives of his companions as well as his own and had as a result won the Distinguished Conduct Medal. '.';

• : ', The Person*! Touch j- ';;v:/ • ..?• Stopping and speaking id every s man In turn, the general .made per--sonal inquiries as to their length ot service with the patrol and how theywere liking .the work. He was particularly interested in Trooper Moore's exploit and asked him several questions concerning it. ' Ready for-instant action,.,the menf looked bronzed-and "fit. Sbme.bf.ithemi were wearing* their : desert headgear; and sandals, which gave them a wild, Arab appearance redolent of wander- . ing tribesmen. Their trucks, too, were ready for the desert road at a moment's notice. Well Armed against attack from the air or from land they had an air about them of mobile se- , curity. Veteran vehicles of' rolling wastelands, they had.' proved their suitability, as had those who rode in them, for the tbUgh job they had to ad. '■ ■-•; w■;•..";.■;-■' ' :.'