Impressions of Dominion Editors

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 53, 6 March 1944, Page 5

Impressions of Dominion Editors

(By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.) Received Sunday, 8.50 p.m. LONDON, March 4. Messrs. W. A. Whitlock and H. P. Freeth, members of the New Zealand press delegation who visited Italy have returned to London. Interviewed, they stated that the New Zealand Division was now part of the Fifth Army. After a period of hara campaigning with the Eighth Army on the Sangro front the New Zealanders, now part of the army on the east slopes of the Apennines, are facing the enemy at Cassino where the enemy is strongly placed and holds a large part of the town of Cassino together with the heights on which stands the monastery which was recently heavily blasted by the American Air Force. Along the front of the town runs the Rapido River which with his commana of Monastery Hill and the adjoining heights gives tho enemy an exceedingly strong defensive position. To the right of the New Zealanders is a precipitous mountain area similar to the higher foothills of the New Zealand Southern Alps. The Allied forces have pushed forward in this area and the possession of the dominating heights is being strenuously disputed with the enemy who holds a strong tactical advantage at present, preventing the Allies deploying west of Cassino. The 'New Zealanders are part of the Allied forces whicn must break through before the enemy can be given battle on a wider front. West of Cassino is a wide plain separating the two mountain systems and along this plain runs the mam roau to Rome and the enemy must be driven from it before any substantial advance can be made towards joining up witn tho beachhead forces. Great importance therefore attaches to tne role assigned to the troops on the Cassino front and those in the mountainous area to the east. Messrs. Whitlock and Freeth arrived at the Divisional Headquarters at Cassino the day after the Monastery haa oeen smashed. The monastery was battered beyond recognition, but some oi its walls remained as cover for the German defensive troops and served as an observation post dominating all the approaches to the town of Cassino. The reduction of this powerful defensive position is the task that faces the men under Freyberg’s command. Strong concentrations of artillery are being ouilt up at Cassino and the surrounding areas are being constantly heavily shelled. German artillery retaliation has been considerable, but at that time was largely conhned to the forward areas. Behind the Allied forces there is stretched far to the rear a vast area and a growing accumulation of supplies. The mountains are still covered with snow and until recently the weather was bitterly cold and wet. There had been an improvement during the previous fortnight and the ground hardened, but the nights were extremely cold and wind* of gale force sometimes swept down from the mountains. The greater part of the New Zealand Division has now been transferred to Italy and this meant the establishment of a vast organisation extending right back south to the ports. Big ordnance depots have been built and an admirably sited reinforcement camp constructed at an advanced base. This involved extensive constructional work, including the making of roads, the provision of water and the building of mess huts and recreation huts. The latter included a branch of the Lowry Hut which is a solid building constructed from stone by local Italian workers who have done much of the paving and other stone work. At Bari the New Zealand Forces Club has taken over a large and comfortable building under the charge of Major Charles Bowie, who is assisted by a staff of New Zealand W.A.A.C.’s. Lady Freyberg acts as hostess and has directed much of the furnishing and equipment. The value of this club to the men coming on leave cannot be overestimated. It has accommodation for 150 and can be increased by another 100 emergency beds. Hot baths, excellent meals and the comforts of a good hotel are available. Two large general hospitals have been established in conjunction with the British R.A.M.C. There is a staff of New Zealand doctors, nurses and V.A.D.’s. The hospitals are placed in large modern buildings, many of which have undergone considerable reconstruction. Field ambulances and casualty clearing stations extend to the forward areas and many nurses are working within range of gunfire. The whole of the medical staff woiked at very high pressure to bring the field hospitals up to full efficiency. The sickness rate in the division is extremely low despite the ardours of the winter campaign in the mountains and it has quickly adjusted itself to a climate very different from that of the desert. The division in every way can be said to be fighting fit but all ranks are eager to get the war over. There are still many men who have now had four years of service in some of the most strenuous campaigns of the war. As the campaign developed in Italy an even greater share of the fighting has been thrown on the infantry. A divisional commander talking to the editors emphasised the difficult role the infantry is continually asked to perform. In battle their casualty rats was invariably higher than other branches of the army and the modern infantryman was required to have all the old-time qualities plus an aptitude for handling a wide variety of new equipment. He almost invariably lived under more arduous conditions than other branches and was more dangerously placed. In his opinion the infantryman should have received £2 per day and be given a special insignia after he had come through his first engage ment with credit. “It should be an honour to belong to the infantry and a disgrace to be rejected by it.”