NEW ZEALAND GUNNER

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21907, 10 December 1942, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND GUNNER

ESCAPE FROM ITALIANS RESCUED AT BENGHAZI (OfTlelal War Correspondent. N.Z.E-.F.) (Received Dec. 10. 3.15 p.m.) LIBYAN DESERT, Dec. 5 Almost five months after he was captured in the New Zealanders’ first battle in Egypt, a young Wellington machine-gunner. Corporal J. R. Gardiner, of Miramar, escaped from an Italian prisoner of war hospital and hid in Benghazi until' the British troops arrived and recaptured him. Of nearly 100 New Zealanders who endured sickness and severe hardships as prisoners in Libya from June until early in November, he is the only one to return to his battalion. Thin and pole, his limbs swollen through malnutrition, he told a story today of the magnificent courage of New Zealanders who continuously avoided drafts for Italy, determined that they would hold out until the Italians were driven from Benghazi. Through weeks of illness, meagre rations, and rumours and fcjlse news of the fighting at El Alamein they kept their numbers from the lists of prisoners bound for Italy. With the Axis retreat in November only the New Zealanders in hospital had a chance of escape. Twenty of them climbed to the hospital roof, where they remained in hiding until one day they saw the Italian guards withdrawn. Wild with excitement, some of the twenty came out of hiding and were caught. Just in time Corporal Gardiner hid in a disused building, where for several days he lived on handfuls of sugar. Again he narrowly escaped capture when a group of German sailers from a ship sunk near the coast walked within a few feet of him. British Tanks Rumbled In The British tanks rumbled into Benghazi to find one New Zealander among a group of eight bearded British soldiers left in the retreat. Corporal Gardiner, who fought with the Maoris in the campaign last winter, first became a prisoner when his truck was hit in the whirl of guns and transport that swept through the German lines on the night after the New Zealanders’ battle against the 21st Panzer Division south-east of Mersa Matruh. A few minutes after he jumped clear of it his truck burst into flames. He and several other machine-gunners were left with only a pistol to defend themselves. They were no match for the Germans armed with a sub-machine-gun. Next morning about 100 New Zealanders were paraded before the panzer division’s headquarters. The Germans were furious that the New Zealand columns had escaped through the circle of tanks and guns. Until late in the morning they stood to their guns, expecting another attack. “ We were told that we would have to stand until transport arrived to take us away.” Corporal Gardiner said. Fortunately trucks came for them after three hours. Prisoners* Greatest Moments The greatest moments of the prisoners’ days in Benghazi were when Royal Air Force bombers came over the port. Within an hour or two after every ship arrived bombers were overhead to attack them. “ We measured the height of flame from an Italian ammunition ship at 23 degrees on hand angles, or about 3000 feet.” he said. The Germans tried several methods of spreading among the prisoners false news of the El Alamein battle. One was to leave old newspapers in camp. “ Our doubts about their news were confirmed one day,” Corporal Gardiner said, “ when we found a week-old paper with the ink on it still wet.

“ The conditions in both hospital and camp were appalling, but it was well worth while nutting up with them to realise this wonderful feeling of being free again.”