GALLANT WORK.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 135, 8 May 1940, Page 7

GALLANT WORK.

BRITISH TROOPS PRAISED. FEARFUL AIR BOMBING. LONDON, April G. “You were the advance guard, and we thought we would be able to get you guns and aeroplanes which won id have made it possible to fight such a machine as opposed you, but, as you know, very soon the race went against 11s,” stated General Sir Edmund Ironside in welcoming the Allied troops from Central Norway who landed at. a northern port on Sunday. ■The men made no sign as he read a message from-the Secretary of War (Mr O. Stanley) congratulating them on their stand south of Bomba, and praising the' withdrawal as an operation worthy of the British Army’s highest traditions, but when General Ironside added, “To that I wish to add my little thanks,” the men’s soldierly restraint broke down and they clapped, cheered, shouted and whistled, those behind climbing on the backs of those in front as General Ironside passed down their lines. General B. C. T. Paget, who conducted the withdrawal of the troops from Southern Norway, revealed that his men were 100 miles from their base when he received the order to withdraw. That it was successfully carried out was mainlv due to the splendid endurance and fighting qualities of the units engaged. They 1 ought five separate rearguard actions on their way back. ' 1 The men told vivid stories of the air attacks to which they were subjected. A sergwint of the Royal Engineers who served in the last- war said: “The shelling and machine-gunning was less heavy than in the. last war, hut the air bombing was something fearful. At one time 40 aeroplanes over us simultaneously dropped 400 bombs. “The Germans did not discriminate between. Red Cross ambulances and anything else. They just bomlx'd everything off the road. Spies were everywhere, and every move we made was known to the Germans almost as soon as we made it.” Another sergeant with nine years’ regular service praised the gallantry of the withdrawing troops. “It was wonderful rearguard fighting especi- . ally as the men had had nothing to eat for 30 hours,” he said.