BACK AT CAIRO

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24890, 14 April 1942, Page 4

BACK AT CAIRO

PARTY OF WAR PRISONERS CONDITIONS IN ITALY (N.Z.E.F. Official Nows Service) CAIRO, Apl. 12. Captured in the Tobruk corridor fighting in November, 22 men and n.c.o.’s and four senior officers of the New Zealand Medical Corps arrived at Maadi on April 11 from Italy underlie prisoners exchange agreement. Most of them reached Italy early in January by ship from Tripoli and Benghazi, and some .via Crete and the Corinth canal.

The members of the parly found the New Zealanders in Italy from Greece and Libya cheerful and confident, in spile of small rations. The. -weekly rations of 5-jlb of solid food are fairly short, but Red Cross parcels containing 111 b of food are received each week. Most of the camps are provided with magnificent service. The camps in Northern Italy are cold, but (ho large, crowded dormitories are warm at night. The food is insufficient, and there is little provision for sport except for an occasional game of handball. At Gruppignano. near Venice, there are several hundred New Zealanders, many of them from Greece. Loudspeakers installed recently, giving the Italian and the German news in English, brought laughter and cheers from the prisoners. Books are rare, but lectures and concerts are frequent. Staff-sergeant J. D. Thomson, of Wellington, met his twin brother. Lance-corporal David Thomson, in a camp Italy,'but could not bring him back. Corporal Rock Egan, of Lower Hutt, also met his brother. Lancecorporal Terence Egan, in Italy. Wounded in both legs and with his right arm cut off while serving with (he 23rd Battalion in the Battle of Crete, Private James de Joux, of Christchurch, who has been repatriated from Italy unfit for further service, hid in the hills for five weeks. With two New Zealanders and two Australians. he found a rowing boat on the southern coast and sailed and rowed across the Mediterranean until Tobruk was sighted. An Italian bomber flew over, and shortly after-, wards an Italian Red Cross seaplane, escorted by fighters, swooped down and picked up the five men and took them to Benghazi. Private de Joux was in hospital for 10 weeks. Thence he was sent to Taranto and later to Gruppignano.

NEW ZEALAND PARTY FIVE OTAGO MEMBERS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Apl. 13. An N.Z.E.F. casualty list issued tonight contains the names of prisoners of war who have been repatriated. The following are reported to be safe in the N.Z.E.F. base camp (the rank is private unless otherwise stated);— Speight. Lieutenant-colonel Norman Charles, Dunedin. Tennent. Lieutenant-colonel Alan Arnold. Dunedin. Twhigg, Lieutenant-colonel John Martin. Wellington. De Clive Lowe. Major Trevor Grahame, Auckland. Bright. Corporal George Alfred, Auckland. Costelloe, Thomas Francis, Wellington. De Joux, James Edward, Christchurch. Denmead. Norman Arthur, Christchurch. Dunn, Edward Robert. Hikurangi. Eagan, Corporal Urban Hugh, Wellington. Finlay, Ronald Gerald. Christchurch. Gardyne, James William, Gore. Gribble, Corporal James McDonald, Levin. Grimshaw, Thomas. Kaitangata. Ireland, Corporal John. Wellington. Jack, Warrant Officer (ID Ronald Melville, Christchurch. Lewis, George Ernest Williamj-Welling-ton. Loach, Alfred Edward, Wellington. Muir, Warrant Officer (I) Raymond Bruce, Auckland. Mulrine, Wilburt James, Balclutha. O’Connell, Staff Sergeant Daniel, Christchurch. O’Connel, Norman Douglas, Gisborne. Philling, Bombardier Raymond Spencer, Wellington. Powell, Robert Alexander. Wellington. Smith, Corporal Roland Stavers, Christchurch. Stanborough, Albert Douglas, Woodville. Sone. Arthur Simean, Anderson’s Bay. Thomson, Staff Sergeant John Daniel, Te Kuiti. Wilton, Temporary Sergeant Albert Vivian. Nelson.

Lieutenant-colonel Speight, of Dunedin. who was reported missing, believed prisoner, on January 17, was in command of the 6th Field Ambulance since the middle of last year, when he was promoted to his present rank, having gone overseas as a major. He has been an officer in the New Zealand Medical Corps for a number of years, and before the war served in the Otago University Medical Company. Major Trevor Grahame de Clive Lowe, who was posted missing, believed to be a prisoner of war, on January 5, is a son of Dr George de Clive Lowe, of Auckland. His brother. Major Selwyn de Clive Lowe, was taken jerisojier in Crete.

MUTUAL REPATRIATION - DETAILS OF AGREEMENT RUGBY, Apl. 12. The first operation for the mutual repatriation of sick and severely wounded Imperial and Italian prisoners of war and protected personnel other than those required to care for their compatriots has been completed in accordance with the agreement reached between the Imperial and the Italian Governments. The British hospital ship Llandovery Castle arrived at Alexandria on April 11, bringing 16 officers and 113 other ranks. The sick and wounded Imperial personnel now landed at Alexandria include Indians. Australians, New Zealanders, and men from South Africa and Rhodesia. Arrangements are being made for all the sick and wounded to be returned to their homes as soon as they are well enough to travel and the necessary transport facilities are available. The protected personnel will similarly be returned to their homes on leave prior to re-employment. The negotiations which resulted in the present’exchange were conducted through the medium of the Swiss Government as the protecting Power. It is the intention of the Imperial Government and of the Italian Government that it be followed by similar operations in the near future, and that all those entitled to repatriation should be similarly transferred as soon as their claims have been investigated by the medical commissions which have been established. The Cairo correspondent of the British United Press says that a lieutenant who was among the exchanged wounded stated: “I spent most of my time in hospital at Casterta. We received half pay, but high I rood prices prevented much buying. ] For instance, chocolate was prohibitive, j I saw only Italian papers and heard i Italian broadcasts, both of which were j full of propaganda.” Other prisoners stated that they had i no nurses in Italy, but they received | splendid attention from Sisters of j Charity. Reuter's Cairo correspondent says ; the repatriated men are quartered in ! hospitals. Al 1 complain of the meagic 1 rations in Italy, although their guards : fared little belter. Exercise facilities j were also limited.