WELCOMED IN EGYPT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 June 1941, Page 6

WELCOMED IN EGYPT

MAJOR-GENERAL FREYBERG & HIS MEN •f MET BY NEW ZEALAND PREMIER. TROOPS TIRED BUT GRIMLY RESOLUTE. I By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright ) (N.Z.E.F. Official News. Service.) CAIRO June 3. The first welcoming hand outstretched to Major-General Freyberg as lie stepped ashore in Egypt on his return from Crete was that of the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Fraser). The hearty handclasp between the leading civilian and military representatives of the Dominion spoke volumes of the appreciation and gratitude to the general, officers and men of the" New Zealand forces who had been in Crete and had fought so magnificently there, as well also as relief on the part of Mr Fraser that the general and the men under his command had been safely evacuated, and on the part of the general of pleasure at arriving back among friends and colleagues with so many of his men. after fighting one of the most difficult battles, or series of battles, of all time. Mr Fraser, accompanied by Mr C. A. Berendsen, arrived in Alexandria from Cairo on Thursday evening and occupied Friday in visiting, in Alexandria hospitals. New Zealanders who had been wounded in Crete. He also met personally men who had arrived on the previous day. General Freyberg and those with him arrived at 4 a.m. on Saturday morning. Brigadiers Puttick. Stewart, and Inglis also returned on Saturday morning and Brigadier Hargest on Sunday morning. Officers and men had been arriving since Thursday evening. Mr Fraser had many consultations with the Middle East Command, sea. land and air. on the important subject of the evacuation of our forces in Crete. WAITING FOR THE SHIPS. As the long, grey ships drew into the wharves. Mr Fraser watched and waited to welcome the Dominion’s fighting men who were on board. Last weekend Mr Fraser visited a port of disembarkation. He stayed up throughcut the whole of one. night, waiting for the ships as they came in at irregular intervals. Bearded, tired and torn men breathed a quiet and grim determination which impressed all who witnessed the disembarkation. On the wharves the men received food and hot drinks. The Y.M.C.A. did splendid work in giving food and toilet, gear and doing all they could to make the soldiers comfortable. The same was true when the men eventually reached their transit camp. •Mr Fraser went, out in the middle of the night to welcome back Major-Gen-eral Freyberg. who stayed with his troops until the evacuation had been almost concluded. The general looked tired and worn, but he too breathed thq same quiet determination as his men.

During the day, Mr Fraser visited the wounded at hospitals and went rut to see the men who were settling in their transit camps. It was amazing to see how rapidly the condition of these men improved after they had enjoyed food and a rest. One could not help but notice their fine physical condition. The weekend was a particularly strenuous one for Mr Fraser. In spite cf his accident earlier in the week, he continued with a minimum amount of sleep to satisfy himself in official quarters that everything possible was being done for the New Zealanders and at the same time did not miss one opportunity to see the men who had suffered such a terrible ordeal and had fought in such adverse conditions.

BADLY WOUNDED 500 BRITISH PRISONERS IN CRETE. ACCORDING TO ROME REPORT. (Received This Day, 1.5 p.m.) ROME, June 2. A radio message stated that British prisoners in Crete include 500 badly wounded. FAREWELL TO CRETANS BY GREEK MINISTER OF JUSTICE. (Received This Day, 1.25 p.m.) CAIRO. June 2. “.I have never seen men in such fine physical condition," said the New Zealand Prime Minister (Mr Fraser), after visiting the transit camps of New Zealanders evacuated from Crete. The Grdek Minister of Justice, who was the last member of the Greek Cabinet to leave Crete with the evacuating troops, sent a message to the Cretan people: "General Freyberg has asked me to express the British and Imperial Forces’ admiration for ihe heroism and morale of the Cretans and also of the Greek troops in these critical hours. Your conduct has been magnificent.”