COMMUNISTS' SUCCESS

Chronicle (Levin), 26 October 1946, Page 5

COMMUNISTS' SUCCESS

Received Friday, 10.20 p.m. PEIPIXG, Oct. 25. Tlie autlioritative newspaper Takungpao reports that Nationalist foj-ces were serioush' defeated by Communists along Cbina "s" northwest frontie'r, near Yulm 100 miles nortliward of Yenan. After ten days ' bitter fighting, tlie main Nationalist forces withdrew to Kun Kiachwan, about 90 miles southeastward of Yulin. Communists reported to be operating from Kaihsein, 60 miles eastward, have broken through all Nationalist defence rings, menacing the defenders of Yulin itself. The garrison is reported to have calleil for.airborne support, but with j Government forces heavily eommitted elsewhere in China, the possibility of sueh support in the near future is eonsidered unlikely. j

Eighth Army and who had "nightlv pitcheil their moving tents a ilay's march nearer home", until they ivere liome and victorious/laughed like one. That was the spirit of the fourth Alamein Battie reunion at London. No one possihly hut the British peoples who had made the Eighth Army, could have understQQd why 5000 veterans, having heard apd applauded their wartime army commani|er to the echo, . should contentectiy sing ' 'Xiiii iviariene," the swan song of their enemies while they waited for their wartime national leader to speak to them. No one hut the British could understand why this famous wartime leader, tnougn no longer Britain's political leader, was cheered by many-who could disagree with him m politics but still appiaud him as a great national figure. All the famous old signs of the desert tracks were there — tlie ball and bar of tlie Teutli Corps, tlie leading antelope of the Thirteenth, the black boai; of the Thirtietli, the charging rhinoceros of" the First ilrmoured Division, .tlie reii rodent of the Desert Rats, the fox liead of t'ho Tentli Arniouroil Division, tho doublo letter tee sign of the Fiftietli Division (from Tvne to Tees), the II.D. and red circle of tlie Fiftylirst Highland Division, and red oval of the Fortyf'ourth Division, and between them all, together as they were in line at Aibniein, tlie fernleaf of the Second New Zealand Division, the yellow and green circle of the First South African Division and the red flying bird of the Fourth lndian Division. With them too was the white platypus and boomerang of the Ninth Australians who, at Alamein, lield tlie British fiank wliere it restVd'on the sea. Above them all was the gold crusaders eross on a white background, of the Eighth Army, flanked by flags of all nations vhose men had marched and fouglit in the force which had done all its leader had asked and "hit the enemy -for six out of Africa". Viscount Montgomery himself paid the several hundred pounds requirod to book the hall and the 5000 men who at* tended the reunion were only a proportion of those wlio applied for tickets. Even London 's largest hall could not eope with the wliole Eig'hth Army. From galleries overlooking the central red carpeted floor of the hall, the scene on the floor was strangely reminiseent of otliers in which many of these men had taken part. Civilian maeintoshes and suits which vastly outnumhered unifQTHis, wade no difHerence.

Everywhere were animated groups talk ing, smoking, laughing and shaking jiands. • ' v. When Viscount -Montgomery spoke, all The men nearest the rostruni sat crossleggeil 011 the floor to listen to hiiu as they had so often sat on the saiut and even the Field-Marshal's cotnniand: "Those at the baclc sit ilown so the rest can see," had a familiar ring. There were even odd beer bottles 011 the floor tliough by army reunion standards j this was a decorous assenibly. Everv man of the 51)00 had a souvenir programme, packet of cigarettes and a copy of Vis-J-eount Montgomery 's aiinix-ersary message liauded him. The souvenir proi gramnie had as its frontispiece a typical "two tvpes" cartoon whose signiiicance in its reference to "Gippy Tummy ' ' as sliells scream overhead, would not be lost on any man who served in the desert. New Zealand Represented New Zealand had its personal repre sentation at the function. Some 16 members of the Second Division who are now in or near London, sat under the Division sign. Aniong tliem was Brigadier S. II. Orump who c'ominanded the N.Z.A.S.C., Brigadier J. M. Mit ehell, Seventh Anti-tanlc Reginient. Lieut.-Colonel, formerly Brigadier, R. Queree who commauded the Divisional Artilierv, Colonel F. B. Admundson, Fifth Field Ambulanee, and Lieut.Colonel L. N. McKay, Fourth Field Reginient. When Mr. Churchill concluded his address and turned to leave the rostrum, Viscount Montgomery caught him by the arm and led him back. The response to his call for three cheers for Mr. Churchill, and then one more-, was one of the most resounding even the Albert Hall can ever have heard. Mr Churchill was plainiy moved and for once seemed momentarily. at a loss for words. Then: "God hless you, all men of the Eighth Army. Your country owes y'ou a great debt," he said.