2ND N.Z.E.F. WAITING TO RETURN HOME

Southland Times, Issue 25763, 29 August 1945, Page 4

2ND N.Z.E.F. WAITING TO RETURN HOME

Definite News Not Yet Released

LAKE TRASIMENO, August 27.

There is only one topic of conversation in the division today, “When are we going home?” While discussions wax merrily and rumours fly wildly, the men await definite news with a patience which will be wearing thin if they are kept in the dark much longer. Till the Japanese war stopped a certain amount of training was done in preparation for the Far East. Now that is unnecessary, but unit officers are working hard to keep the men interested and are doing an excellent job under difficulties. The division is camped in a large area completely surrounding the lake. About one-third of the division is absent each week at a rest camp on the Adriatic.coast near Senigallia, and all units have leave parties to Venice, Florence and Rome and at a mountain leave centre. For those in the camps the general pattern of the day is a unit parade, and a route march in the morning and sports in the afternoon. The evenings are filled in with reading and letter writing. There are movies about twice a week, and in some units lectures and debates. The division is awaiting expectantly the return from England at the end of the month of Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Freyberg, who is expected to bring back definite news. The health of the troops generally is excellent. Clippings from Trieste newspapers which have reached the division express the deepest regret at the division’s departure from that city.