SEAMEN & TROOPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1940, Page 4

SEAMEN & TROOPS

MEN ON SICK LEAVE REACH SYDNEY ACCOUNT OF CONDITIONS IN MEDITERRANEAN. CAMPS & FOOD PRAISED. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY. October 18. About 30 New Zealand and 60 Ausralian troops from the Middle East, and Australian naval ratings who have been serving in the Mediterranean, have arrived in Sydney on sick leave. Most of the men are suffering from tropical illnesses, and a few are recovering from operations. They emphasised that sickness generally among the troops had been negligible and warmly praised the medical services and the camp sanitation systems. They said the food was good and that the camps were as comfortable as- they could be made in a climate where the temperature sometimes soared to 120 degrees in the shade. A New Zealander said there was hardly a man from the Dominion who had not gained at least a stone. Only two of the Australians in the party had actually been under fire. That was when they were serving temporarily with a British anti-aircraft unit, which was bombed by Italian planes. Several of the New Zealanders, however, mentioned bombing raids on the Libyan border.