Special to “Camp News!”

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 1, 3 May 1940, Page 2

Special to “Camp News!”

© Message from Major-General B. C. Freyberg V.C., G.0.C., N.Z.E F.

This message, to be published in “Camp News” in New Zealand, is being written in another camp, rather different from what you are used to, both in its extent and surroundings, but nevertheless it is a bit of New Zealand now. From my office I can see tents, wooden buildings and stone bordered paths, while not far- away a sergeants’ mess has a garden, both soil and plants having been transplanted from near the Nile. Over the hill are Battalion Camps and Parade Grounds, and Russell Terrace along which the first Regiment marched in on that historic day six weeks ago. We have settled down to the life here since then. As a nation we can always adapt ourselves to our surroundings, and everyone is making the most of Egypt. In their spare time many are becoming keen Egyptologists; while the new swimming bath, which the New Zealand Government has given us is very popular, and will become even more so when the hot weather comes. As you will have heard already, football has not been forgotten, and we felt proud when our Rugby team defeated convincingly a combined Army and Air Force team. As a training ground Egypt is ideal, and now that the camp is established we look forward to welcoming those who are at present training in New Zealand.

What the next move will be in this strange war it is impossible to foretell, but our aim remains clear. The great effort being made by the Empire and our Allies,, both in the military and economic sphere must not be abated, for until Nazi Germany is defeated there can be no peace. The Australians and New Zealanders form part of a great Army concentrated in the Middle East which is ready should Germany, checked on the Western Front and blockaded at sea, or any other nation, decide on an attack towards the East. Time is on our side. Secret re-arma-ment and the organisation of the nation on a permanent war footing gave Germany an advantage at the outset.. Now that advantage is lost and Germany is faced by the gathering might of two great Empires—the French and the British, who have the moral and material support of all the great neutral nations of the world. The coming of the armies of Canada, Australia, India and New Zealand to the theatre of war has made a great impression on both friend and foe. Now we are training hard for whatever task may lie ahead. The N.Z.E.F. will soon be ready to get on with the job, and I am convinced that, when the time comes, they will win a name equal to that of their predecessors who played such a gallant part in the last war.