VICHY GUILE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 May 1942, Page 4

VICHY GUILE

TROOPS IN MADAGASCAR DECEIVED TOLD JAPANESE WERE ATTACKING. FIERCE RESISTANCE EXPLAINED.* (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) DURBAN, May 19. When the British troops appeared off Madagascar the native troops forming the bulk of the French forces were told that the Japanese were attacking the island. This, according to British wounded who have arrived from Madagascar, is the reason why the French fought so fiercely until they discovered that the invaders were British. One soldier said that captured French soldiers were generally pleased that the British had come instead of the Japanese. A surprising number showed Free French sympathies. Another soldier said once they discovered we were not Japanese the natives gave us food and drink and pointed out the weak spots in the defences. The French civilians, however helped their soldiers by saluting every British soldier? thus giving the snipers a fine chance. We lost many men this way. Another soldier told how after landing at Courier Bay they hiked 25 miles straight into the battle and found the French entrenched in strong positions and quite fresh whereas the British were tired. “That was why the resistance at first was stiff but our reinforcements soon arrived.”

One of fifty marines who participated in the surprise landing from a destroyer behind the French defences and helped to bring a quick offer of surrender from Antsirana said: “We located the barracks of the defenders of which all were asleep except one who was making tea. We eventually rounded them up and took charge of their guns. No one in this detachment expected to return but a white flag appeared on the barracks, the defenders of which apparently believed they were confronted with a substantial force. Thus nearly 400 surrendered to fifty marines.”