BRITISH EVACUATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 May 1941, Page 6

BRITISH EVACUATION

TEXT OF MR CHURCHILL’S STATEMENT Conduct of Troops Worthy of Highest Praise OUR LOSSES SMALL PART OF THOSE INFLICTED ON GERMANS (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.20 p.m.) RUGBY, April 30. _ The heartening’ news of the withdrawal of the British Empire forces from Greece was given in the House of Commons by Mr Churchill at question time. He said: “As I am most anxious to give the House, the nation and the Empire information at the earliest possible moment, and also in view of the extravagant claims made by the enemy, I think it right now to ■ give the figures, so far as they are known to us, of ,the evacuation of our forces from Greece. Up to the time when the evacuation was seen to be inevitable, we had landed about 60,000 men in Greece, including one New Zealand and one Australian division. Of these, at least 45,000 men have been evacuated. (Cheers). Considering that our Air Force was, through the superiority of the enemy, forced to leave the airfields from which alone it could give effective cover to the retreat of our troops, and, that only a small proportion of it could cover the points of embarkation, this must be considered remarkable. “The conduct of our troops, especially the rearguard, fighting their way over many miles to the sea, merits the highest praise. This is the first instance where air bombing, prolonged day after day, has failed to break the discipline and order of marching’ columns. In actual fighting, principally round Mount Olympus, Grevene and Thermopylae, about 3,000 casualties, killed and wounded, are reported to have been suffered by our troops. This is a very small part of the losses (inflicted on the Germans, who on several occasions, sometimes for days at a time, were brought to a standstill by our troops, sometimes one-fifth of their number. Nor does that take account of the German losses in any assault made upon them by the Greek and Yugoslav armies.’’ Mr Churchill, after stating that he could possibly give the House a fuller account in the forthcoming debate, concluded: “I think I have said enough to show the House that, painful as cur losses are, we have much to be thankful for, and the Empire forces have much to be proud of. ’ ’ Sir Hugh O’Neill asked: “When the Premier says 45,000 men have been evacuated, does he mean that they have successfully reached their base without mishap?’’ Mr Churchill: “I believe that is so. Indeed I think lam well within the figure.’’ Questioned further on equipment, Mr Churchill said: “Heavy equipment could not, of course, be removed, but the Germans are not short of heavy equipment.’’