A RANKER'S DIARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 50, 8 May 1942, Page 5

A RANKER'S DIARY

GLIMFSES OF LIBYAN BATTLE CAPTURED MAN'S EXPERIENCES EVENTS FROM DAY TO I DAY The following diary extracts by, Signalman L. K. Ryan who was cuptured by tlic Germans and interned at Bardia until finally released by the South Africans will be cf interest to those of our readers whose relatives participated in the Libyan campaign. Dec. 30. Cold showery night, slight activity. Cup col Tec 9 a.m. Ration truck arrives 10.30. Great excitement. Rations —2 biscuits (2 days) 12 cigarettes. Usual 2. and 10 for New Year. A bit early. More: activity during morning. Coffee 12 p.m. Rice 1 p.m. —best food yet. 5 p.m. two small naval vessels fire a few shells. Shore batteries returned fire but no damage either way so far as we could see. Traded my 10 cigarettes for one biscuit. Day has been bright and sunny. Wind cool as usual. Dec. 31. Nearly full moon. We feel that the big attack will' not develop until the moon goes out, so are not particularly hopeful. About 4.30 a.m. a terrible barrage all arcaind the perimoter. Moon, not quite set. 7 a.m. guns quieter and can hear machine gunfire. Is this the day after all-? 8 a.m. three bombers over, dropped loads 8.15. Four more bunches, of five or''so over all' the morning. Shells landing near and in sight pretty regularly.* Have doubts whether ration truck will venture out to-night. It didn't.

Jan. 1. Gold showery night very little activity. Some rations arrive about midnight, rice and semolina (2 days) . Understand "no more biscuits. No tins bully beef, two days cigarettes (4) arrive about 8 a.m.. Have cup semolina for breakfast, quite good, but no> milk, or sugar of course. Bitter wind, showery, all stay under blankets and hope for early release.

Jan. 2. Terrific barrage about midnight, lasted till 7 a.m. Shells landring all round and all of us just about nervous wrecks. 7.30 a.m. interpreter tells us Bardia has surrendered, but to stay where we: are meantime. At 2 a.m. by) the way someone blew a whistle and the Germans set fire to nearly everything, transport supplies, fuel, buildings and all that would burn. We had a free Guy Fawkes; show, but couldn't appreciate it. No water arrived yesterday so we empty our water bottles into, cookhouse utensils sot that we can have a small issue l of semolina. 11 a.m. First troops arriveSouth Africans, and Ave gcit out at last. .(The Germans since 7 a.m. had ben busy smashing up anything of. any value). S.A. chaps give US all the food and cigarettes they have. Send, in truck loads of Ity food and cigarettes. Found tons of bread. Some baked that morning.. 1 p.m. German prisoners march; out like soldiers, Itys like a rabble., Cigarettes raining down on us. Went out scrounging, not much success, too tired to walk far. Some got cameras, gramaphone, typewriter, clocks, watches and many other varied articles. Have a civilised feed for tea. Bread, potatoes, onions and meat. Weather getting worse so those who wish can shelter in buildings near by. Our bunch got a nice room looking over the Fort of Bardia. About 8 p.m. we hear a strange noise and look cut to see the submarine calmly circling round in the bayi below. Apparently moving out on account of not receiving an answering signal from the shore. S.A. chaps open, (ire with rifles and he then- moves smartly out to sea. Unfortunately noi guns handy to have a go with. : Jan. 3. Miserable weather,-getting ' lis out as soon as possible. More cigarettes, good, breakfast. Leave ' Bardia by truck about 11. Pass ■ miles of Ity prisoners. S.A. troops ' give us a great hand all along the Tine. Arrive at first camp at 3 p.m. Tea, biscuits, sardines, butter, jam, tinned, fruit and cup of tea, hot rum, 50 cigs. Sleep on floor of trucks. Tommies in charge, of us now and two chaps driving our . trucks gave us all tljeir blankets, and must have Avalkedi round all night to keep warm. Nobody could have been treated better than we were on the Avhole trip.

THIS WEEK'S COMPETITION THE GARDENERS PROPOSAL Here is a piece of 'blank' verse and I want you ta fill in the blanks So that it reads sense. All the missing words have something" to do with gardens or trees and I am telling you the first one because its hardest and will show 3-011 what I mean. I feel so "melon-caulie" dear Since you have — away The — has seemed so very long, [ — far you all day. No — — your sweetness, Don't — your nose at me. But take the IS — ring And -—< married be. Just think and do your best. The best three answers will receive free picture tickets Avith mj T best comjliments. P.T.W. ti

New Zealand Soldiers' A statement that there were no better soldiers than the New Zea"landers was made in an address' to the Auckland Rotary Club by Major Harvey Turner, who established the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo. Their bravery, tenacity and amazing powers of endurance were beyond all praise, he said. As! a resul tof what he had seen of their magnificent achievements under terrible conditions he had been distressed npon returning to New Zealand to note the bickering and rumour-mon-gering that seem to be prevalent in the Dominion. He appealed] to his fellowmembers to use their influence in the direction of dropping all differences in the politics, creeds or personal relations so that the country should be thoroughly united in :t •Firm resolve to defend itself with alj its resources in men and material.