New Zealand Army’s Chief

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 307, 29 December 1939, Page 6

New Zealand Army’s Chief

MET BY WARTIME COMRADES Major-General B. C. Freyberg, Y.C., when he arrived in Sydney from England on his way to Wellington to take command of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was met at the Rose Bay flying boat base by the man who handed .him flares with which to swim ashore under fire at Gallipoli. His old batman was also at Rose Bay to greet him, says a Sydney paper. Major-General Freyberg earned tho V.C. when he swam from H.M.S. Canopus to light decoy flares on the Turkish coast before the Anzac lauding. While Turkish fire was directed at the flares, the full Anzac landing was made some miles away. Commander H. Bennett, now control officer at the Rose Bay flying boat base, was navigating officer in the Canopus when Lieutenant Freyberg swam ashore at Gallipoli, lowering a raft with tlireo flares to plant on tho shore. The object of the feat was to attract Turkish flro so that troops could be landed elsewhere. The flares were prepared by Commander Bennett. Mr. E. Downs, of Long Jetty (N.S.W.) was Major-General Freyberg’s batman during the Gallipoli campaign. Ho camo to Sydney to greet Major-General Freyberg, and was one of the first to shake his hand when he stepped ashore from tho flying boat.