“FIGHTING MEN”

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21409, 1 May 1941, Page 8

“FIGHTING MEN”

N.Z. TROOPS PRAISED WELCOMED AND HONOURED ! GOOD MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS Tributes to the behaviour of the New Zealand soldiers in Egypt, both on active service and while off duty, were paid today by LieutenantColonel C. J. Pierce, M.C., E.D.. Officer Commanding the Divisional Cavalry, who has returned to New Zealand on sick leave and who is convalescing at Hamilton East. Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce came home to New Zealand by air. He expects to return to Egypt to resume his duties with the Divisional Cavalry. “The New Zealanders have gained an honoured place in the esteem of the people in Egypt,” said Lieuten-ant-Colonel Pierce, “and they are a credit to their country. They are warmly welcomed wherever they go. They stood up to their training remarkably well and loved every minute of it. They have shown that they can take all the training thal is given to them and that they like it Great Commendation “The only irksome part from thenpoint of view was the period oi waiting before they were able to get into battle. For the New Zealander in wartime is not a soldier, but a fighting man for the ‘duration.’ Those who took part in the Libyan campaign won great commendation from all other troops and from General O’Connor, who has since been captured. In this respect, I would like to make special mention of the men of the Reserve Motor Transport for their consistently good work right through. The New Zealander has shown in this mechanical age a great aptitude for taking machines, and making them function to the best advantage under the most difficult conditions.” The New Zealand soldiers were particularly fortunate, said Lieuten-ant-Colonel Pierce, in the standard of the medical men they had with them. Although, minor stomach troubles were experienced when the men first arrived, no general weaknesses developed among them and they became acclimatised very well. The fly menace was also reduced to a negligible degree, and in a land of flies this was particularly notable. In all, the medical arrangements were far ahead of those of 1914. for this time the New Zealand troops took i their own hospital with them and had |it in operation early in the piece, j The stomach troubles that were experienced were similar to those of 1914. and were even experienced by ; people who went to Egypt and lived | under the best conditions. “Comic Opera Soldiers” j “What do you think of the Italians las soldiers?” was a question put to , Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce. < “I do not think anything of them.” j was the reply. “The Italians are just | comic opera soldiers. They always have been and always will be. It was not that they did not have the equipment or the provisions, for they I were very well off in this respect, j However, they are happy, laughter - i loving people, born and bred in a j sunny climate and they are not mili- ! tarily ambitious. Only a spectacu- | lar success would induce them to make an appearance in a military | campaign. In fact, they were more trouble to us before their entry into i the war when they sat still and kept jour troops tied up watching them." Describing the Western Desert. Lieutenant-Colonel Pierce said it was !a. series of limestone shelves rising i inland from the sea. It was just a I mass of broken limestone on which ; it was difficult for mechanical transport to travel. There was no running water, except in wadis after j rain. A good deal of subterranean water was being developed by Brit--1 ish engineers, and the town of Matruh was watered by an old Roman well which had been developed by j the British.