READY FOR ACTION
NEW ZEALAND DIVISION AT FULL STRENGTH AGAIN. REORGANISATION & HARD TRAINING. (N 7. E F Official News Service.) CAIRO, July 12. Brought up Io st rengl h by the absorption of reinforcements from its ample reserves, many of whom have trained in tin* desert for a considerable period, the New Zealand Division has been completely reorganised and has settled down to training. Undaunted by their experiences in the recent campaign in. Greece and Crete, but rather, on the contrary, with a spirit of quiet confidence in their own personal superiority over the Nazi, troops, the men of the New Zealand Division are throwing themselves into the task of hard training with, renewed vigour. Training has been in progress for some lime. After returning from Greece and Crete the men were given a period of leave and on their return the reorganisation, of the units began without delay. The only thought, in the minds of all was to be ready for action again as soon as possible. It is a new division that has now resumed training, new not so much in the sense that new faces have appeared in the ranks but new in that it is able to launch into arduous training possessed of the valuable experience and knowledge gained in the recent fighting. SPIRIT OF OPTIMISM. New Zealanders have faced the enemy for the first time and found that, man to man, he is not their equal Furthermore, they have studied his method and learned much of value. Little wonder then that a spirit of optimism inspires the present training efforts. The reorganisation of the division was not without interest. Many old hands have now been joined by brothers or friends who were members of reinforcement units. Brothers who have not met in many months are now together in the same units. Most of the reinforcements taken into the division are already experienced in the desert and have graduated in the hardening-up process.
Already the senior officers are lecturing the officers, n.c.o.’s and men on different aspects of the campaign, and consequently the efficiency of the training of the division has considerably increased. Apart from benefiting from the new instruction, the men themselves, who are among the most intelligent and observant soldiers found anywhere, have learned their own lessons. USEFUL EXPERIENCE GAINED. The resourcefulness of the average New Zealander enables our men to apply to advantage the lessons they themselves derived from the fighting. This, combined with the more enlightened instruction now being received, will produce a division that can be counted on to undertake any task. Indicating the keen spirit existing in the N.Z.E.F., strong competition was found in all reinforcement units for places in the division when the reorganisation was in process. Those who still required more training before joining the division were very disappointed, but they will have the benefit of advanced training based on the experience of the recent fighting. Tlie people of New Zealand may rest assured that it is not a broken division now in training. It is a rejuvenated but wiser fighting body attacking solid, hard training with a light heart and eager for an early meeting with the enemy.
The spirit of all ranks may be best gauged from' the statement of a wellknown New Zealand athlete now recovering from a serious wound. This man, an officer in a unit which had close contact with the Nazis, says: "The sooner I get out of hospital and get a crack at the Huns again, the better 1 will like it. Give us conditions where both sides have equal support, and each New Zealander will be capable of taking the Huns two and three at a time."
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1941, Page 4
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617READY FOR ACTION Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 July 1941, Page 4
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