NAZI BESTIALITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 2 June 1941, Page 6

NAZI BESTIALITY

PEASANT HOMES BOMBED IN CRETE DESTRUCTION THROUGHOUT ISLAND. FALSE CHARGES AGAINST PEOPLE. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service.) CAIRO, May 31. In the spreading of wanton destruction among the hitherto peaceful hamlets and villages of Crete, the Nazi has added another infam- i ous page to his record of brutality ’ and crime—probably one of the I most sordid of all. ' Tn the past he has bombed civilians vzithout warning—in fact, s that has! been part of his programme. He has also slooped to all kinds of 'wokery. detf-U and. lying, bi.it. in C''.-': • :'x' i-w : welded all the baseness into a das-1 In a clean sweep throughout the is-1 .'■.nd be let loose ail the hell al his: command, to wreak irreparable havoc among the homes of tbe peosents shepherd;'. and fishermen. Hardly had the smoke commenced 'o clear away when out of the planes fluttered thousands of while pamphlets, dropping like great ugly snowflakes upon the grieftorn people below, to warn them of what was going to happen—after it had already occurred. As usual, the pamphlet was in any case based on falsehood, as is testified by many of the troops who have just returned. It read: — "To the population and military forces on Crete: "It has been brought to the notice of the German Supreme Command that German soldiers who fell into the hands of the enemy on the island of Crete have been ill-treated, and even mutilated, in the most infamous aYid inhuman manner. A punishment and reprisal, lherefoi'e, is announced as follows: Whosoever commits such crimes against international laws on German prisoners of war will be punished in the manner of their own cruel action, no matter be he or she a man or woman. The localities near which such crimes have been committed will be burnt down., and the population will be held responsible. Beyond these measures, further and sharper reprisals will be held in store. "The German Supreme Command.” Above is an exact copy cf one of the pamphlets shown to a representative ; of the New Zealand Official News Service by a New Zealand soldier back from Crete. To the best of his know- . ledge—and many others confirmed the view—nothing like what had been credited io the Cretans or our troops had happened. "If there was any dirty work doing Jerry managed to himself,”’ the soldier added. From all accounts, the German troops were treated very well and, in 1 .. e J . CaS ? le i n i urcc l prisoners, no i distinction was made between tbe treatment meted out to them and that received by our own patients. human being in Crete, whether man, j woman or child, should be killed. “The Germans stopped at nothing to terrorise us. Capturing a hospital on the outskirts of Canea, they dragged all the wounded able to walk from their beds, and made them stumble ahead of their advancing troops, as a protection. I saw our wounded men approaching. We went forward to greet them, but cculd not understand why they were shooting at us. Then one wounded officer escaped and revealed the Nazi ruse, whereupon we carried out a flanking movement and killed every German in that detachment.”