LETTER FROM MEMBER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 128, 11 July 1941, Page 5

LETTER FROM MEMBER

TERRIBLE CRETE EXPERIENCES RESTING IN EGYPT An interesting letter dated June 16, from Sacond Lieutenant A. G. Hultquist, M.P. for the B&y of Plenty, has 1 been received in Opotiki by Mrs I. B. Bodman, secretary of the Opotiki branch of the Labour Party. The letter was, written after the Greece and Crete campaigns in which Mr Hultquist was engaged. The writer states that the cable Avhicli he sent from Crete to say that he was safe would have reached New Zealand just as they were in "Hell-Fire" again, during which his brother Ron was wounded, and Mr Jack Lyon had been killed, and he himself was exposed to constant danger. Mr Ron Hultquist was wounded when he was on his way out from Maleme Aerodrome, while he and other men were after a-Hun sniper. Mr Hultquist stated that he saw Mr Jack Lyon the day before he was killed, on his way out of Galotos. He was an outstanding soldier, and when tlie Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. Peter Fraser, was in Egypt, he got thp whole story from Jack's fellow officers . Mr Hultquist stated that they 'had no hope in Crete witli German aircraft over them in hundreds ail the time. However, they left theii mark on the Hun, and the writer siaw some terrible sights. It was hard to imagine what a parachutc landing was like, but the Huns hart it down to a fine art. During the battle, Mr Hultquist thought of his friends in the Bay of Plenty, and felt that they were well worth it all. The strain op one's nerves, and lack of sleep to wards the last week or two told on most. Mr Hultquist said that he looked forward to getting back to the Bay and taking up the reins again, ahd serving the people, perhaps bettei than before. The writer stated that he oftersaw Cant. C. D. BroAvn, but had not seen him since returning from Crete as his unit Avas elsewhere.