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Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXI, Issue 5357, 15 February 1916, Page 7

Returned soldiers tell some of their exploits while in Egypt. One popular pastime was to commandeer any motor vehicle that, might he standing unoffensivelv Ly the road sidle with no one in charge and return in style to camp —leaving the car a discns't distance down the road to prevent, detection. A I>.innevirke trooper just back from the trout tells a yarn in this connection. General Birdwood, officer commanding the Forces, one day emerged front a place where ho had been calling, in time to see a number of Australians commandeering his car. He wont to them, saying, “Here my men, that’s my car. you nnisn’t Hake that,” but the Kangaroos took no notice of him, drove back to cantp, and left the General to “pad the hoof,” if ho cared to do so. In fact, motor car stealing got such a habit that, eventually every driver of a oar had on demand by the police to produce bis driver’s ticket —and oven this did not wipe out the passion of the troops for motoring (at. someone rise’s expense) instead of walking.