INDIA’S PART

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1943, Page 5

INDIA’S PART

NORTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN. P.A. WELLINGTON, May 28. The story of India’s contribution in the field of supply ’towards the clearance from North Africa of the Axis forces was told to-day for the first time. More than 1,500,000 tons of stores from railway waggons to landing-craft and from electric torches to trouser buttons poured into the Middle East from India in a steady stream during the long campaign that culminated in the victorious battle of Tunis. Long before the full force of American aid gave promise of victory, India was almost wholly responsible for the supply of bulk stores Jo the Middle East, states .the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom (Sir Harry Batterbee). New industries sprang up overnight to deal with the situation. Hundreds of military garages, hospitals, and aeroplane hangars, fabricated from Indian steel, were shipped to the war theatre. Steel was supplied in the desert. The total length of waterpipes alone reached many thousands of miles. At one time India was solely responsible for supplying the Middle East with rolling stock, locomotives, trucks, sleepers, waggons, and all the auxiliary equipment. Timber for jetties, packing cases, ammunition boxes, telegraph poles and the many other articles came from India, while from her naval yards poured a steady flow of self-propelled landing-craft. The battle of El Alamein is said to have been won largely through General Alexander’s use of camouflage. All the camouflage nets supplied by India, if stretched end to end, would loop the world eight times. They were made, not only in large factories, but also in the homes of thousands of villagers. His Majesty’s forces through the Middle East campaign wore clothes made in India, and to a large extent walked in boots supplied by India, .and slept in tents of Indian pattern. The food they ate, to a considerable extent, came from India. The tremendous list of stores supplied include more than 50,000 stretchers, more than 1,000,000 blankets, 250,000 mosquito nets, 150 tons of anti-mosquito cream, 1,500,000 water-testing tables, to say nothing of 335,000 ounces of castor oil.

Several times during the North African campaign when vital supplies expected from the United Kingdom and America were lost, India filled the gap. On one occasion 7,000 tons of steel sheets were rolled in India and shipped to the Middle East for the manufacture of antitank mines, and enabled vast minefields to be laid which proved so valuable during the heavy defensive fighting in Egypt last year. The safe convoying and delivery of supplies rested entirely on Indian warships and merchant vessels. ARRESTS 11)1 TANGIERS. LONDON, May 31. The Press Association’s diplomatic correspondent understands that the British Consul-General in Tunisia has taken up strongly with the Governor of Tangiers the question of the arrest and molestation of individuals in the Tangiers area. He has received a satisfactory undertaking regarding the picketing of the office of the Tangier “Gazette,” and a promise that the reported molestation will be, investigated immediately. The Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean, Admiral Cunningham, sent the Cqmmander-m-Chiel' of the Greek Fleet, a message of congratulation on the prominent part they, took in smashing the enemy in Tunisia. , . , The Greek Commander-m-Chiet replied that the Greeks would continue to do their utmost in the common struggle, until final total victory. Several destroyers of the Greek Navy saw service during the North African campaign, and are still taking part m the operations in the Mediterranean