SECOND ECHELON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 November 1940, Page 4

SECOND ECHELON

ARRIVAL OF DELAYED LETTERS EXPRESSIONS OF GRATITUDE IN ENGLAND. HELP GIVEN BY SOLDIERS IN BOMBED AREAS. (From the New Zealand Official War Correspondent in Great Britain). ENGLAND, November 2. Six months after sailing the Second Echelon of the New' Zealand Expeditionary Force received yesterday an instalment of mail posted in New Zealand while it was at sea and forwarded first to Egypt. Though some of the letters are still to come, those so far delivered include postings as early as May 5 and as late as June 18. The aid given by New Zealand soldiers after two recent instances of air bombing of south-eastern towns has been warmly commended by the civic authorities. In the first case the Chief Constable in a world famous cathedral city wrote as follows to the general officer commanding: “On Friday a number of enemy bombs were dropped on this city causing extensive damage and fatal injuries by direct hits. A number of New Zealand soldiers in the vicinity at the time without hesitation or command from their senior officer immediately rendered valuable assistance to the police and essential services. The city extends to you its grateful thanks for this help.”

The second instance was reported by the Mayor of a smaller town in a similar letter: “About a dozen men in charge of a company sergeant-major (named),” he writes, “rendered valuable assistance in helping to remove the debris and in rescuing the bodies of persons killed and injured. I shall be grateful if you will tender to the ser-geant-major and his men our very grateful thanks for this assistance.”

These are the most conspicuous examples, but scarcely a week has passed during our two months in this forward area without instances of New Zealand troops helping either in the succour of the injured or the repair of damage caused by enemy raiders. What irks our boys is that there are few chances of hitting back. When, one does present itself it is seized with enthusiasm as when one unit on rifle range practice this week sighted a formation of fighters and bombers diving to attack a nearby town. It is rarely that enemy aircraft come within rifle and machine-gun range but two of this formation did and the unit’s aircraft post went into action with a will accompanied by cheers from its fellows. It is claimed that both the low-flying raiders were hit and significantly each released its bombs and made off homewards almost immediately the New Zealanders began firing.