TAIHAPE SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 221, 19 September 1941, Page 2

TAIHAPE SOLDIER’S EXPERIENCE

ESCAPED FROM PRISON CAMP IN CRETE TWO MONTHS IN MOUNTAINS (0.C.) Taihape, Sept. 17. A thrilling story lies behind the recent announcement that Private G. N. Johnson, of Taihape, who was first reported missing, and then a prisoner of war, is now safe. Private Johnson is lhe younger son of Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Johnson, of Taihape. Escaping from a German prison camp in Crete, where he was nearly starved, he lived for two months In the mountains, sometimes starving and sometimes eating snails, donkeys’ meat and whatever else he could find. He eventually arrived in Egypt, where he attended the second annual reunion of Taihape soldiers at Cairo on August 30. Describing his experiences in a letter to a brother, he writes as follows: “I’m a.w.0.1. (absent without leave) from a prison camp now. I spent a month in the prison camp in Crete and then my cobber and I escaped and made for the mountains. The guards had a shot at us but it was dark and we got away.

“We lived for two months in the mountains, sometimes starving. I’ve even eaten snails, and donkey's meat. I can speak quite a lot of Greek now and can even make love in Greek! “We arrived back about four days ago and I’m stil la bit weak on it, also my nerves are shot. I was lucky in the scrap. I was clipped four times—on the nose and chin by a plane and had my ear and knee nicked by mortar bomb splinters. There is just a scar left on my chin now and all is well. They've given us 10 days’ leave and I think I have to go into hospital after. I had another dose of rheumatics up in the mountains and cured it with their native whisky. I can’t tell you how we got off the island; that will have to keep.

“I suppose you know Watty Dunn was wounded in the eye and is a prisoner of war. Stan Weir was in the prison camp too. I have to buy everything now as all I came off in was a pair of underpants. I gave my ring to a Jerry for a packet of biscuits. Hadn't eaten anything for seven days. We were nearly starved in the prison camp.”