EVACUATION OF ABYSSINIA

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 32, 7 February 1941, Page 5

EVACUATION OF ABYSSINIA

5000 SQUARE MILES ITALIAN TROOPS AND CIVIL ADMINISTRATION ANGLO-ETHIOPIAN ORDER BEING SET UP (By Telegraph— Frees Association—Copyright] Received Feb. 6, 7.55 p.m. LONDON, Feb. 6. A mass evacuation of Italian garrisons and civil administration from 5000 square miles of Abyssinia followed the British successes in Eritrea and the harrying by patriots. More and more Abyssinians, freed by the completion of the harvesting, are taking up arms and the garrisons were faced with the desperate choice of retreat along an ambush-infested road, or to surrender. The evacuated area comprises the Walkait and Agade districts, bordering the Sudan, between the Setit and Atbara Rivers. Haile Selassie's regulars are chasing the Italians and have already established a temporary Anglo-Ethiopian civil administration. The R.A.F. is dropping hundreds of thousands ot leaflets telling Abyssinians throughout the country of the successes of their countrymen and the Allies. The conflagration is rapidly gaining and spreading to the heart of Abyssinia. Active patrolling continues in southwest Abyssinia. Strong native African patrols have captured Belesgugani, a defended Italian post 41 miles inside Somaliland, and are pushing its garrison.

The British battering ram pounding into the foothills and uplands is now four miles from Keron. The Italians are apparently planning a delaying action and have already staged an encounter in the village of Sciabor. Troops, who advanced 150 miles in a fortnight, have shown that they are capable of storming the most formidable positions. The British main advance has been along a smooth type of country.

The Italian rearguard from Agordat is struggling to escape along a parellei secondary road and is being constantly harried by patrols which are mowing them down with machineguns and taking many prisoners. The R.A.F., spotting for our artillery, is also swooping down and machinegunning the miserable columns. Lining the path of our drive to the Red Sea are streams of prisoners, heaps of battered tanks and lorries, droves of mules, piles of guns, rifles and equipment. Like the Libyan forces these men are pressing into service all possible captured material to assist the advance.