NEW ZEALAND LOSSES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 June 1941, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND LOSSES

I CAMPAIGNS IN GREECE & CRETE CASUALTIES TOTAL OVER 5,700. 213 KILLED AND 1187 WOUNDED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Of 16,530 New Zealand Iroops sent to Greece or Crete, the Government has been advised that 5783 are casualties, comprising 213 killed, .1187 wounded, 41 known prisoners and -1342 still unaccounted for. Making this statement in the House o£ Representatives yesterday the Act-ing-Prime Minister, Mr Nash, said that these figures roughly described the position. He had previously been informed that 11,180 men had been evacuated to Egypt, this figure evidently including the 1187 wounded listed among the casualties. He explained that the previous total unaccounted for in the two campaigns had now been modified in a way that could not quite be reconciled and it appeared to be overstated. The latest figures received reduced the total of the New Zealanders unaccounted for in the Crete campaign, to 2450. "1 have just received more news today about casualties both in Crete and in the Greek campaign,” Mr Nash said. Dealing first with those relating to Crete, the Acting-Prime Minister recalled that in his statement on Tuesday week last he said that the number of New Zealanders unaccounted for had been put down tentatively at 2800. He was glad to say that the latest figure reduced that total to 2450. These men were for the most part| probably prisoners of war. ; “I regret to say that 1 have also' been informed that the number of men so far known killed in Crete is now set down as 87 and the number of wounded is 671. These wounded apparently are in Egypt. These figures are, of course, subject to correction and should not be taken as final, “I am very pleased to say that, since the battle, 3700 men have arrived back in Egypt from Crete fit and’veil,” Mr Nash said. “Their spirits are excellent."

Figures for casualties in Greece, which had become available that day, gave the number killed as 126, the number wounded as 516, and prisoners of war who had been officially notified to date were 41. The number missing —that was unaccounted for —was 1892 as yet. The majority of men in this group were probably prisoners of war. These figures gave a total casualty ot 2575 for the Greek campaign, and he was informed that should be accurate, within a very few. Of the 16,530 who went into Greece, 5230 had been evacuated to Egypt and 8400 went to Crete, and the first records showed that 2900 were unaccounted for. That number, he was informed, had now been reduced to 2575. Of the number of 8400 who went to Crete, 1300, including nurses and units which were not required in Crete were evacuated to Egypt before the fighting began. After the fighting, 4650 were evacuated, including some wounded, and 2450 were unaccounted for.

Discussing those unaccounted for, Mr Nash said the latest information indicated that the figures had been modified in a manner which could not quite be reconciled with that total. To the 2450 still unaccounted for, there had to be added 87 killed and 671 wounded, who were in Egypt, making a total of 3208 casualties.

Answering a question by Mr Polson (Opposition, Stratford), whether the Government was using the services of the Red Cross in gaining information, Mr Nash said the Government was obtaining whatever information it could from every source and as soon as it came to hand it would be released to the House.