KIWIS TUNE IN TO BBC

Southland Times, Issue 25668, 10 May 1945, Page 7

KIWIS TUNE IN TO BBC

NEWS OF END CAUSES SURPRISE (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) TRIESTE, May 8. All spare wireless sets in the New Zealand Division were tuned in this afternoon to the 8.8. C. to hear Mr Churchill’s pronouncement signalizing the end of the war in Europe. In Trieste itself, in beautiful seaside resorts such as Grignano and Sistiana, and in many others camps along the coastline and in the hills, groups of New Zealanders listened in silence. It is difficult for anyone in the division to realize that it is all over—that the powerful army which a few short weeks ago was resisting us with all its old vigour has collapsed with the German nation into the abject humility of unconditional surrender. Even when the armies in Italy gave up the ghost a few days ago, when the division’s “total of prisoners topped the 40,000 mark we were slow to think that the absolute end was upon us. Jerry had been beaten so many times before and had always come back. Last night was marked by some celebration and a spontaneous fireworks display of German flares. Today, which has been a brilliant one with the faintest of sea breezes, was spent by those troops off duty in letter writing, boating, swimming and sightseeing. On the glassy waters of the gulf a variety of improvised craft move about, each with a cargo of sunburned Kiwis enjoying their first contact with the sea for months. Several of these craft are clipping along at nearly 40 knots, bouncing from ripple to ripple. There are German one-man surface torpedoes over-run and captured in perfect condition. All our men had to do was to dump the charge overboard and they had a perfect pleasure launch. One of the classical statues in the grounds of the Dulce of Oasta’s palace at Miramare now wears a hat. In one hand she bears aloft a large suitcase on which appears a silver fern and the inscription “Going home?” SHY AND BEWILDERED In Trieste the population is still hesitant, shy and bewildered. The broad streets are quiet and some of them almost deserted. Irrespective of how the people feel concerning the defeat of Germany there will be few celebrations here until the official nationality of the city is decided. The air of reticence and strict neutrality on the part of the populace does not quite extend to the swimming pool. Here the young people of Trieste lie sunbathing with pre-war enjoyment and indifference. The scantiness of the attire of both sexes is startling, even by Palestine standards, but the troops ■ using the swimming pool are rapidly getting used to that. Among the supine figures of the bathers children spin crazily on newly-found toys—the mountings of anti-aircraft guns.

This afternoon Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg visited the headquarters of the 12th Lancers and congratulated them on their fine co-opera-tion during the breakthrough. The 12th Lancers and the sth Medium Field Regiment both requested the privilege of wearing the New Zealand silver fern next to their own insignia and this has been granted them. They now share this privilege with that other famous English formation which fought with us at El Alamein and whose trucks we have seen many times in Italy bearing the New Zealand emblem.