MADELEINE AND GERMAINE

Southland Times, Issue 23499, 4 May 1938, Page 6

MADELEINE AND GERMAINE

SEARCH FOR OLD WAR COMRADES SOUTHLAND SOLDIER’S DISAPPOINTMENT Many old friendships were renewed by members of the New Zealand contingent at the Anzac Day celebrations in Sydney, but one man, Mr D. Lilico, returned to Invercargill last night with one regret. — For a whole winter during the war Mr Lilico and other members of the 15th Howitzer Battery were billeted in France at the home of two French girls, whose names were Madeleine and Germaine. Long after they left their billets members of the battery returned to pay a visit to Madeleine and Germaine, but found that-their old quarters had been shelled to the ground. It was only as he boarded the ship to return to New Zealand after the recent celebrations in Sydney that the purser told Mr Lilico that two French women whose names were Madeleine and Germaine had been hunting Sydney for members of the 15th Howitzer Battery, but without success. “Nearly all the members of the old 15th are dead now,” Mr Lilico said. “I was told that the two girls had gone to Australia after the war and set up in business.” He added that he had secured their addresses and would write to them expressing his regret at not meeting them.