DE WIART’S PART

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25427, 7 January 1944, Page 5

DE WIART’S PART

SURRENDER OF ITALY HIS MISSION OF MERCY General Carton de Wiart, the mystery man behind the Italian surrender negotiations, chuckled over the latest stories of his Lisbon secret mission, says a writer in the Daily Mail. I met him in, the West End as he was striding along to his club—his cap at the familiar jaunty angle over his blind eye, his walking stick dangling from his empty sleeve. He was looking vigorous, sprightly, and as much the cavalier in modern army dress as ever. I had not seen him since he returned home. He was incommunicado when he arrived, and only his family, Downing Street, and a few people at the War Office and the Foreign Office knew where he was to be found. But he talked to me, as a friend, with all his old freedom and humour. He was particularly amused when I told him of a tale from Tangier which pictured him behaving in the Portuguese capital like some dark character from a William le Queux thriller. That William le Queux touch really tickled him. “ No, no, I assure you—it was nothing like that,” he laughed. “Not a little bit of it.” Under Nazi Agents’ Noses

Reports reaching this country say that this one-eyed, one-armed V.C. of world-wide fame appeared conspiratorially on the British Ambassadors doorstep in Lisbon at 3 o’clock in thy morning, and slipped indoors with his accompanying Italian general and diplomat “ under the very noses ” of German agents. He thought that sounded fine. “But, no,” he said, with a grin of delight. “ it wasn’t like that, either. And what’s more, I wasn’t smuggled into an Embassy official’s home and secreted there. Naturally, I can’t tell you all that did happen out there.” General Carton de Wiart believes the German spies in Lisbon are lying when they say they knew he was there all the time, and actually recognised him in the street. “I’m fairly sure,’’ he said, “ that I was never noticed."

The general, whose many wounds and martial exploits made him a legendary figure even before the 191418 war ended, was released by the Italians after nearly three years of captivity. Badoglio and the Italian King needed a man of high rank and proved integrity to accompany their envoys to Lisbon to offer surrender. They could not have made a better choice than Carton de Wiart. His work finished, he was whisked out of Lisbon as secretly as he was taken in. He had been back in London several days before his closest friends knew of it.

Ever since his return he has been voluntarily conducting a new mission—a mission of mercy. As soon as news of his arrival was made public, people all over the country began to write to him. begging for' news of husbands and sons and sweethearts captured by the Italians. Pathetic Inquiries

“ There have been thousands of these letters.” he said, “ and many are really pathetic. One detects the need for some word of comfort, even if no real information is possible. “My camp was very small. I know practically nothing about any of the rest. But I’m very busy just now trying to help in any way I can. Lots of people have come to me here in London to ask me about prisoners, but some have not been able to travel, and so I’ve gone to them. . “There were only about a dozen of us in my camp. I’m glad to say I’ve seen the families of most of them, and have been able to give some first-hand new s.” _ , _ . , Every morning General Carton de Wiart walks to his club to get the letters which still pour in. A porter opens them for him, and then he sits in a corner in a deep leather armchair, and goes through them very carefully, making notes.

General Carton de Wiart, V.C.. L. 8., C M.G., D. 5.0.. is 63 and a proud grandfather And in spite of his loss of an arm is still a first-class shot and a wonder with a sporting gun. He lived for nearly 20 . years in Poland. He commanded British forces in Norway. In the Boer War he was wounded twice, and in the last war nine times. He comes of distinguished Belgian stock, and was born in Brussels, but educated in England. He >s now Mr Churchill’s envoy to Chungking.