GALLANTRY OF POLES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 6, 21 January 1942, Page 5

GALLANTRY OF POLES

TROOPS AT TOBRUK Fifteen medals i'or gallantry in action have been awarded to Poles in Tobruk by Major-General Kopanski, commander of the Polish forces in the Middle Bast. They were presented on November 11, when the Poles celebrated the liberation of their country after the defeat of Germany in the last war. A remarkable friendship has developed between the Poles and the Australians. There are few Poles who have not exchanged eagle crests for A.I ! .F. badges, few who cannot exclaim in broken English, "Ah! Australians bonzer," eyes rolling at the same time with rapturous admiration. Proudly, when their English is good enough, they have told me, "We are the Australians of Europe." The Australians like the Poles, because of their daredevil recklessness, grim determination to be good soldiers, and sense of humour. A correspondent saw a Pole with, two pistols strapped ccivvboy fashion around his waist. From the jackboot of another a. dagger hilt peeped. There were hand grenades inside his shirt. "Pm a dinkum tourist," 1 he 1 said. Some Rations The Poles have made themselves at home in a desert of stones sqorclied by the sun, where' even tough Australians from outback, accustomed to heat, dust, flies, water scarcity and bad food blanched. They rereive the same rations as British, troops, but the wizardry of the Polish cooks turns tinned bully beef and tinned vegetables into tasty feasts which are not enjoyed by the Australians or British,, whose cooking is much plainer. The Poles have acquired the Australian habit of tea drinking in the front line, only a few hundred yards from the enemy. The Poles are using guns, equipment and munitions left behind whert the Italians fled in panic from Tobruk before the victorious British nearly a year ago, and many Italians have been killed by bullets ami. shrapnel from weapons which were once their own. Italians Scorned' The Poles, scorn for the Italians was equalled only by their desire tomeet the Germans. "Italians, bah!" they say, grimacing expressively. They love to tell as a great joke that the point where the lines are closest to the Italians was named by the; Indians. It is identified on militarymaps as Cheetah Post. "It is because the Ttalians run soi fast," they explain, and rear with laughter. Like the Australians, the Poles are volunteers. Their army is composed mainly of young men. Many are youths of 17 and 18. But every one, young an<4 old, has an account to settle with, the Germans. r