Prime Minister Peter Frazer of New Zealand, who visited the Near East en route to London, today praised the performance of Palestinian troops, in an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
“The Palestinians fought splendidly in Greece and Crete, shoulder to shoulder with the New Zealanders and Australians,” he said. “They shared the trials and tribulations unflinchingly, bound by the bonds of the Empire.”
He expressed gratitude for the welcome the Anzac troops received when they arrived in Palestine. “When I landed at Lydda to visit Anzac camps, troops rushed forward to greet me, carrying armfuls of oranges. The people of the whole countryside sent word to our commanders that the orange groves constituted open house for our troops, who could enter at any time of the day or night and help themselves to as many oranges as they cared to eat. The hospitality to these boys, far from their homes, who had seen the fiercest fighting, has been wonderfully touching.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
