THE TROOPS IN EGYPT

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 117, 16 April 1940, Page 3

THE TROOPS IN EGYPT

GRATITUDE TO THE XAVT. (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) March 15. Only experience can bring a lull realisation of the sense of security which the ships of the British Navy a.re giving to the “All Red” routes in \ these days of peril at sea. To travel . in a convoy guarded l>v great, grey ships of war is to understand for the first time the meaning of the silent, efficient service which is the Navy’s responsibility. Members of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force have had that cx- [ perience. Throughout our long sea voyage to Egypt we seemed to feel, day in and day out. the protection which our cver-watelilill naval escorts i were giving us. The sight of sleek cruisers, a battleship bristling with armaments, and an aircraft carrier closing comfortably in upon the lines of transports at sunset never lost its thrill. At daybreak they were out on i the horizon again, cruising, patrolling, watching. I How closely they watched! One of our ships might fall back behind the rest; the great battleship would wheel about and come hurrying down through the company of liners, spray flying from her bows, a churn of foam at her stern, a lamp flashing urgent, inquiring messages from her bridge. Circling the lingerer, she would stay close until she had been reassured. Since the units of our naval escort underwent changes at several points in the journey, by the time it was completed we had been watched over bv ships serving under the flags of New Zealand, Australia, Britain and France. It was a. constant source of wonder and, surprise .to discover that some new ship of war had slipped unostentatiously alongside our troopships. AVe went above decks one morn - ing. for instance, in time to see the speedy destroyer in the accompanying photograph gliding past us to take up her position. ■When she had joined us. and whence she had come, were mysteries to us. But once more that comfortable feeling of security expressed without words our gratitude to the Navy. BOAT DRILL. The captain insisted on our knowing our boat drill as we travelled on our way to the war. In every cabin was a notice telling us the numlver of our boat in case we met with disaster at sea. livery Saturday the alarm rang, literally shrieked through every corner and cranny of the ship. To our cabins we rushed, grasped our lifebelts and, as we rushed on deck, pulled them over our heads. In the process be it admitted we often collided with a fellow-man going in another direction. On deck, by our boats, we fell in in two ranks and as the officer called out our names the ship’s crew let go the boats till the gunwales were level with the deck. Our officer was armed with his revolver and we had one soldier with rifle ready, too, to enforce a discipline that in such an extremity might possibly call for drastic action. The crew ran up on the deck with blankets and rations and the ship’s officer who was to navigate the boat stood by his men. Two of the crew jumped into the swinging boat and cleared the halyards. In a few seconds we could have been in our boat on our way to the water below. Provision was made to bring up those in hospital. AYo waited for a little while, then came a whistle and a signal from the adjutant. “Party dismiss” came' from our officer, and we were back again at our deck games, or our letter pads. There was no slacking allowed at boat drill —we were soon ready to meet an eventuality which, by'good fortune, never came.