ROTARY CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 12 August 1943, Page 4

ROTARY CLUB

ADDRESS ON WAR EXPERIENCES.

NEW MEMBERS INAUGURATED

At today's meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club, at which the president, Mr J. H. Cunningham, presided, Private Kenneth McEwen, who is on furlough from the Middle East, gave another interesting talk on the Libyan campagn of 1941-1942. Private McEwen described his experiences while he was attached to the Fifth Brigade Headquarters in the action at Sidi Rezegh, where the hill and aerodrome were captured and the & action on the ridge at Menastir. He told of his experiences while he was one of a wrecking party testing the defences at Bardia. The party was subjected to a heavy artillery barrage and after being under fire all day was able to return late at night. The entry of the South Africans into Bardia and the release of New Zealand prisoners, including those captured at Sidi Rezegh, were described and reference was made to the fighting in -which the Australians broke through and ended the siege of Tobruk. 4 Private McEwen received an attentive hearing and at the conclusion of his talk was accorded a hearty vote’of thanks. The Ven Archdeacon E. J. Rich, inauguration officer, initiated Messrs J. Bouzaid, H. A. R. Dunderdale, S. V. Sharman, F. Shearer and R. T. Woollarns as members of the club. Visitors to the luncheon-were Mr J. G. Lancaster (Wellington) and Captain Wilfred Free.