SOLDIERS MET IN DESERT

Southland Times, Issue 24593, 15 November 1941, Page 8

SOLDIERS MET IN DESERT

High Commissioner’s Tour (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) WESTERN DESERT, Nov. 12. The High Commissioner, Mr W. J. Jordan, brushed the yellow Western Desert dust from his black homburg hat with the sleeve of his tropical suit. “This thing looks a bit funny here,” he said and then put it back on his head and resumed the strangest tour of inspection I have ever followed. It was as if he flipped the pages of scores of family albums, chosen at random and in almost every one found a picture he knew. There must be no other man who has a more personal knowledge of New Zealanders overseas or their families or friends or the towns and streets they lived in than he. Hardly a single group with whom he talked failed to bring to light some personal link. Names and addresses of ' parents and friends tumbled one after another into a little leather-covered notebook. INFORMAL TOUR Mr Jordan’s tour was completely informal. It had to be, for the way he kep x stopping his car to chat with the soldiers he happened to glimpse would have turned any fixed programme upside down. He needed no introduction besides his own “Morning, gentlemen,” for everybody seemed to know he was Bill Jordan. He would ask the men where they lived in New Zealand, what their jobs were in the Army, how their health was and then crack jokes and chat easily with them. It was the same with every, ne from brigade commanders to private soldiers.

Mr jordan walked in and out of the dugouts, peered into one-man sleeping holes, and had the cooks open their home-made colonial ovens to show him the meals in preparation. He was bounced ov?r bumps and tracks to visit posts. 'on escarpment he had on the roadside a mug of strong black tea with a convoy which had stopped for lunch. Mr Jordan’s outstanding impressions were the good health, fitness and high spirits general throughout the force. He felt proud to meet the troops and was confident they were ready for anything.