NIGHT PATROLS IN DESERT

Southland Times, Issue 24818, 10 August 1942, Page 4

NIGHT PATROLS IN DESERT

New Zealanders’ Main Activity

(Official War Correspondent, N.ZE.F.) CAIRO, August 7. Night patrols and artillery action have been the chief activity of the New Zealanders ih the central sector of the Alamein front during the past week. A later moon has given more scope for the patrols, who are able to approach much closer to the enemy in constant search for information. Wire stretches the entire length of the New Zealand front on the western tip of Ruweisak Ridge. From holes in the sandy shale the New Zealanders look across wadis and rolling ridges towards the German positions. The Germans are busy digging with hand tools and power compressors, breaking the hard rock close to the desert surface. Both sides have their fronts wired and between is No Man’s Land. Captain E. T. Halstead, official archivist with the N.Z.E.F., who returned to Cairo today from the front line., said that night patrols were engaged in the area salvaging vehicles, burying dead, seeking information and raiding the enemy, but the German was wary. He had been told that “mad bushmen from New Zealand” would come to the lines at night with knives and grenWhen dawn breaks both sides lob shells at each other until sunlight creates mirage effects, the targets becoming blurred images. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. quiet settles over the front, broken only by random shellfire with shrapnel bursting overhead. Towards evening, when the mirage fades, the targets clarify and shelling is resumed until sunset. MOSQUITOES AND FLIES It is hot on the New Zealand battlefront, but not unpleasantly so for troops seasoned to desert warfare. A cooling breeze usually blows from the Mediterranean. For a short period a southerly breeze brought swarms of mosquitoes from the rainy Sudan. They disappeared to the intense relief of all with a change of wind, z Swarms of flies now annoy the troops—there are flies everywhere. The troops say: “To hell with shelling. What about the flies?"

Some New Zealanders brought mosquito nets from Syria. They have cut fly-covers for their faces. Various ingenious methods have been invented to control the pests. The food for the New Zealanders is adequate. They have real bread, bully beef, biscuits, tinned stew, tinned sausages and even New Zealand cheese. Fresh tomatoes and lettuce are beginning to arrive. The water ration is small, but adequate, and is increased occasionally to allow washing. The men are remarkably clean and fresh. Their general appearance favourably impresses all visitors to their area.

Night time is patrol time for the New Zealanders. The Germans spend the nights waiting for the inevitable New Zealand patrols, which are sure to cause trouble somewhere along the front. Jerry sends up flares from sunset to dawn. At the slightest noise fixed guns trained on likely approaches open up. IN NO MAN’S LAND

The enemy sends vehicle recovery parties into no man’s land. They can be heard by New Zealand engineers engaged in wiring and mine-laying. One German tractor driver is now well known to the New Zealanders as “Maxie.” New .Zealand engineers can hear the Germans in no man’s land calling softly, “Maxie, Maxie.” Along comes “Maxie” with a spluttering tractor. It would not pay. the New Zealanders to fire on “Maxie” for it might draw fire upon themselves and interfere with their own work. Anyway the New Zealanders are blowing up abandoned German vehicles and “Maxie” is finding less work to do. In one of the most forward positions is “Igri Gully” (“Hurry up” is the New Zealanders’ translation of the Egyptian word igri). It is a long wadi stretching from the New Zealand to the German lines. The New Zealand end is dominated by a German field gun known by the New Zealanders as “Whispering Willy.” Already it has done damage to vehicles and caused casualties. Near the entrance to Igri Gully the other day stood a Kiwi with the notice: “Beware of Whispering Willy. Within 20 yards of this spot you are liable to receive his attention.” A list attached to the notice gives the casualties caused by “Whispering Willy.” Constant attentions by Stukas have caused another wadi to be called “Bomb Alley.” Every morning and every evening “Bomb Alley” is heavily bombed.