BACK FROM ARCTIC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 September 1941, Page 5

BACK FROM ARCTIC

SOLDIERS OF FRENCH ARMY ESCAPEES FROM GERMANY. HOW THE NAZIS WERE ELUDED. ißv Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) LONDON. September 11. Norwegians from Spitsbergen revealed that the British took off 1600 Russians from Laasbillen Bay before the recent, raid and told the Norwegians to prepare to leave later. The Spitsbergen expedition brought back to England a party of 183 officers and men of the French army who, in small groups, had made perilous escapes into Russia from German prison camps. They will join the Free French forces.

One officer told his tale in London today. He said that the French soldiers were taken prisoner early in the war and sent to a camp in Germany, but they were determined to continue the fight. After months of preparation they evaded the strong guard and found themselves outside the camp. This officer could speak German fluently, and because of that his party was able to take a train without being noticed. They had a shock when a party of German officers and guards from the camp actually boarded their train. Fortunately the Frenchmen were not seen.

At last they reached the frontier. They tried twice to cross before they were successful, and once rockets were fired and dogs were sent after them. Finally they managed it by boat, and then they had to creep two and a half miles through deep snow with barbed wire in it. After all that, when they arrived in Russia they were interned, but when Germany invaded Russia they were released and sent to Spitsbergen, and, as they said today: “Things are different now.” The people of Spitsbergen who returned with the British expedition are now settling down in their temporary quarters in this country. Their general attitude to the sudden parting from their homes was expressed by the young wife of a miner, who said: "It was a terrible wrench, but if it is helping to defeat Hitler we are glad to make the sacrifice.” Most of the people have never been out of Spitsbergen before, and they are looking upon the whole episode as a great adventure.