ANZAC TRADITION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 April 1941, Page 5

ANZAC TRADITION

REAFFIRMED AT HIGHEST STERN RESOLUTION OF TROOPS PRAISED. ENEMY'S RUTHLESS EFFORTS FOR DECISION. (British Official Wireless.) " RUGBY, April 21. In a leading article headed “A Fighting Retreat,” “The Times” says: “The withdrawal of the forces of the Empire which has just been carried out in Greece must have been extremely difficult and made possible only by the sternest resolution —by the Anzac tradition reaffirmed at its highest. Yet, carried out it has been, and apparently without excessive loss compared with those inflicted upon

the enemy.” “The Times” proceeds: “There is evidence that over and over again our men have had to rely on a light machine-gun mounted on a truck to oppose the swoop of hostile aircraft.” ' “The German command is. out for a decision. It will hesitate at no sacrifice, nor.is there any reason to suppose that the German troops in general will fail to respond to its driving, even if the Austrian alpine units should be beginning to find the strain too great, Whatever the outcome, it seems certain that never yet’ has Hitler encountered, either physically or morally, resistance of the quality he now has to face.”

GERMAN ADMISSION

ADVANCE HELD UP BY BRITISH REARGUARDS. UNTIL COVERING TASK COMPLETED. (By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright) LONDON, April 22. The Allied withdrawal to new defences in Greece has now been carried out, with a success largely due to the Australians’ and New Zealanders’ rearguard action. The movement has taken place under violent air and land action, but British headquarters emphasise that our casualties have been light. A curfew has : been imposed in Athens from 9 p.m. to sunrise. A German broadcast admitted that the British rearguards had held up the advance for three and a half days in Greece, and said that British troops had blown up bridges across the River Vistritza, and had withdrawn to very well prepared positions. It said that the Germans found it impossible to get any further till the British rearguard, their covering task completed, was withdrawn.