PACIFIC ACTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 11, 1 October 1943, Page 4

PACIFIC ACTION

NEWS that the New Zealand Division in the Pacific had forsaken its monotonious garrison duties and had been ordered into the active war theatre, where it had effected a landing and was now firmly established in its new base, will come as refreshing information to the Dominion. The greatest satisfaction at the move however will probably be entertained by the troops themselves, who if we were to glean anything of their feelings between the lines of their letters were heartily fed up with the routine of colourless garrison work and would welcome the chance to; exchange eternal manoeuvres for a real 'smack' at the Japs. That they have already experienced something akin to a baptism of'fire is conveyed by the news that a flight of Tojo's 'kites' have duly honoured their new base with a medium sized bombing raid which did no damage. The Division is from all reports in good heart and fighting fit. No doubt the forward move by the Australians at Finchhaven and the capture of Lae airfield have had something to do with this long delayed advance of garrison -troops and we can expect, as a result even more momentousmoves in the Pacific in the near future. The war with Japan even on the restless Chinese front appears to have undergone a decided change, in which over the past two months at any rate, the main feature has been the inactivity of both sides. Behind this surface appearance however there is ceaseless planning and building up by both commands for the forthcoming offensive, and we are not so foolish to imagine that our wily little foeman have forgotten their hungry plans for Pacific dominance, on that he has decided to rest on the laurels of his lightning-like victories of eighteen months ago. New Zealand is far from being out of danger and her battlefront is now being peopled with her own sons who are manning the Solomon and Papuan defences along with their Australian and American colleagues. We can rest fully assured that like the 'Kiwis' in the hard-bitten Eighth Army, they too, when the: test finally comes, will acquit themselves with the traditional initiative and heroism for which New Zealanders on all battle fronts have become famous.