Great Hardship

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22321, 12 April 1944, Page 3

Great Hardship

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS INTENSE GUNFIRE FACED STORY OF PERSEVERANCE j (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) NEAR CASSINO, April 10 ! A lone small New Zealand i formation which for several days held out on the lower slopes of I Monte Cassino as a connecting ! link between Castle Hill and the southern side of our front has ! emerged from battle reduced in i numbers but with a story of perseverance in the face of the greatest hardship and danger. These men were in the original attack which gained for us those positions vital to the success of the major plan. Difficulties were encountered from the beginning, the men having to fight their way even to the starting ; line. It was an early morning at- ; tack, but throughout the day after ; crossing the starting line the New Zealanders were unable to move be- , cause of the intensity of the mortar | and machine-gun fire. : In the late afternoon they reached ! their first objective and proceeded to clean up their right flank. A company strongpoint was made of the position, but sang&rs which they had i made of rocks, were teh men’s only I protection. ! New Zealanders Cut Off i Next morning the enemy recap--1 tured a position previously held by i other troops further up the slope in a counter-attack on Castle Hill, which : meant that the New Zealanders were ! cut off. They sniped at the troops j storming the castle, but were unable |to move. The enemy was on higher ground only 600 to 700 yards away. A fighting patrol was unable to establish contact with our troops in ! the town. There were no supplies the second day and there were then twelve wounded men at the ccmI pany headquarters, j The troops’ isolation was completed ' -when a direct hit on the company headquarters destroyed the wireless. | Supplies, which on ihe third day • were dropped, brought ammunition but no food. The nights were particularly cold, but the men had greatcoats or blankets. Water there was in plenty from two carefully-guard-ed wells, Plastered by Artillery “Our artillery plastered the hillside with smoke the next day and it was like continuous night,” I was told by one of the soldiers. The number of wounded men increased to 18, including some Indian troops, whose food had to be specially prepared. Two parachutes with rations landed in the area next day. Contact was eventually made with the Indians, and when the New Zealanders withdrew it was under cover of a heavy barrage from our guns. On the last day enough supplies were landed in the area to have lasted a fortnight.

The men all have the highest praise for the efforts of the airmen to bring them supplies.