Mediterranean Algiers Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1943, Algiers, Algiers Page 16 the stars and stripes saturday june 19, 1943our reporter pvt. Jack meets British ruler continued on Page 16 walk through luxuriously Green gardens under flowering Trees and past the Kings guard of Honor composed of Irish and Coldstream guards. From secluded Vantage Points other guards with fixed bayonets watched the proceedings. The atmosphere was smart and keenly alive except for the sixty Odd men of the fourth estate who marched As wilted Flowers. Many were veterans of several wats others had interviewed Hitler and Mussolini with scornful calmness and i like to remember the Story i covered from Ina Leigh est Tower of the san Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge. But this a assignment a was different to meet George Viking of great Britain Ireland and the British dominions beyond the seas and emperor of India although the gentlemen of the press hid their feelings beneath a mask of Cool indifference i wonder How Many wrote in their diaries that night a met the King of England i did. Admiral of the Fleet and that moment had almost arrived. There was a faint attempt at a dress right dress Quot after we had gathered on the White stoned Patio of the Villa facing tile Glass enclosed inner Verai Iua. On the Balcony above we spotted his majesty messed in the White uniform of the Admiral of tile Fleet wearing epaulettes of one wide Gold strip and four narrow ones. He appealed to be surveying tile situation not with a Majestic aloofness but with Hie serious Eye of a businessman. I suddenly realized that being a King is a business and a mighty difficult one. We had been told to Conte to a attention when tile King approached. E did and omy bluntly turned our Heads to see what was going Oil. The 47-year-old Monai Wii jus lace dignified and Tan shaded by his visor Type naval Cap seemingly unaffected by the grinding of tile movie cameras. Moved slowly Down the line acknowledging each Salute with the Barest inclination of his head As the correspondent gave his name and tile paper he represented. A and tile paper represented. A brie handclaps completed the ceremony King conversed quietly with quite a few especially tile British writers. About six More kingly sidesteps and he d be face to lace with me a i Doug face. All my fears returned. Would he think i had crashed the party were my fingernails clean what if he asked me u question what would be the question what would be my answer we As my Cap tilted at tile right Angle Man alive was that locket unbuttoned i flexed my right hand in an imaginary handshake was that the right amount of pressure the Momeni passes then the King of England stood before me. And i was saying in a surprisingly Strong Clear voice i recollect now a sir private Foisie of the stars and and we were shaking hands moderate pressure in both sides i Felt very Small and Humble Tike Hie first time i asked my old first sergeant Michael j. Camino for a pass. Then the moment of a life Story had passed. He had not asked me the question for Winch i had prepared an answer. He had t even asked a question for which i had no answer. I could not remember whether the signal corps photographer had chosen that moment to snap a picture tie told me later he Hadnot. Too bad. Now no one will Ever believe me it i unwound Nom my trance soon enough to once again observe the King. I noticed that he fumbled continually with a Large Gold ring on his right Liana no maybe it was his left third Finger no. I think it was his fourth. Anyway. For me he was no longer on a Pedestal. I knew now that he like All other men. Sometimes found his Job difficult and trying. But unlike other men. I knew King George i would not let Down. He was the living Symbol of a Rule by so i looked a my right hand that had Shook his right hand i decided not to Wash it for a week at least. On the inside looking out under the vigilant Eye of an m.p., two j Erry prisoners stand glumly behind a barbed wire enclosure set up near the front wondering wha to a going to happen to them next. They probably passed through one of the prison Camps described in the Story below photo by Arm y pictorial service signal corps Lousy Jerries get scrubbed nyties behind bars by pvt. Paul stars and stripes ration Crook jailed Hartford Charles Canter former chairman of a rationing Board fainted when he was sentenced to nine months in jail for Selling Bootleg Gas coupons. Police say gamer sold sheets of coupons from a Dollar to a Dollar and a half a slice l the four of them were busily sawing Wood and they seemed to be working together harmoniously. It was surprising that two were nyties and two were mommies if not for the uniforms it would be hard to Tell which was guard and which was prisoner. But there was no doubt about this being a prison Camp. Doyens of Earth Brown ten s were clustered in the Cen or of an enclosure surrounded by a Saohie Row of barbed wire about ten feet i h groups of prisoners strip a to the Waist were gathered on the inside. Their Deer Tan showing they had roasted under the hot african Sun for a Long time at regular intervals along the outs de of the Camp w ire raised platforms a h with a Tom in v who had a Bren gun close at hand at the tent of the commandant was a pleasant efficient British officer anxious to talk about his Job. He said that this was an enlisted menus transient Camp run by the British. Prisoners stay Here anywhere from two Days to six weeks depending on transportation facilities before being shipped to great Britain or the so Afes Camp leaders in charge Quot As Long As they Are Here Quot he explained Quot tilt internal management of the Camp is left entirely to them. I Issue my orders directly to t to Ca in leaders one for the germans and one for the italians who in turn pass them from the compound leaders to the tent leaders. I mall selected the top leaders who Are the Only permanent prisoners he re b s Des the Cooks and several skilled workers. Prisoners Are allowed to make complaint to their own leaders who Ell me about them but let me Tell von there have to it Een very Little i the commandant described Hie procedure of handling prisoners from the time they arrive at the Camp. At first the men Are sorted in alphabetical order their names recorded. And anything that might pass for a weapon is taken away. S. Green staff writer mommies get up. They breakfast at 7, eat lunch at 12 30 and dinner at 5 30. Their food is the same As the British get. Quot they Are frankly amazed at the scale of our feeding Quot the command int said. A they came Here expecting i to Between meals there is no lung much to do no games or books because they wont be Here Long anyway. So they spend their time tidying up the Camp washing their clothes playing cards or just laying around but they do have one method of recreation Quot the other night we had a concert by a mixed italian and but a band a the officer related. The Barid is a to a Niece affair with several Fine violinists and saxophonists and an excellent accordionist. It. May seem Peculiar but a of the in ind their own instruments. Prisoners will Chuck away a lot before chucking away their inst Zuments. There were also a Boche opera Singer and several italian singers Liev had mute a Good tone playing their own music. Such As selections from the opera a a Tosca and some Neon Ditan songs. He said the propaganda drilled into the Axis soldiers is so fantastic he even mention some of the rum irs they bring with them. To Bein Serai a Hui them out he provide. Newspapers rho stars and stripes is very pop ago it was a lot lower because they had just been Defeated. They understand Why they had to give up Many of them had surrendered without firing a shot. After a Little time their Good old nazism tries to assert itself. But i Haven to found them trying to convert my men vet Quot lie chuckled. A Bunch of yanks were outside the Camp piling into trucks. They said they had just delivered Sev j Oral truck loads of italian and German prisoners. Quot we were coming Back from up explained a sgt. William Arnzen of cat Girardeau to. Who was in charge Quot when they gave us this detail of guarding prisoners. No Bing much Hap iced for the two Days we travelled with sgt. Joe Schmidt of Kyle Texas. Had talked with some of the germans in their own language. Quot Thev still believe Hitler is going to win a said s Shmidt. A one of them told me As soon As they capture Russia the British Wail fold up pretty quickly but they did t have my sch to say about the United s Erjavac of Pitts Hie same thing in Quot they think the they did t give but have they were seemed As Cpl. Joseph Burgh Reky red these words nazis Are tops us and trouble anything to do with us always hungry arid it a the italians thought the Avis controlled Oran and cd Asa and none in them knew that Pantelleria fell a remarked pvt. Edward Tutsto of Chicago. A they would t believe about Pante Peria until i Shower them in a the stars and then Thev believed daily Roi Tine the prisoners receive a close examination by doctors. Quot you would ire surprised How Many of them Are completely Lousy Quot the command int said. Quot the last Bunch turned up 80 percent. Clean men Are sent directly to the tents but the Lousy ones Are disinfected the hair Cut off head and body. And they Are thoroughly washed before being allowed the prisoners daily routine begins at 6 30. The same tune the ular since there Are always one or two who can translate Tor the lest. They also get Union Jack and local French papers. The commandant described the italians and the germans As hav conic lately different character ing is irs Quot tile italians Are either terribly Happy or else they Are completely the commandant said. Quot they wont let a driven but must be led Thev me not amenable to discipline an i often very obstinate. Tile Boone on the other hand is level. We know exactly where we Are with Hun he maintains discipline and is easy to a a it a hard to say what the morale of the germans is. A month if they never had enough to eat. Thev tried to get everything they could and kept asking for cigarettes end is nov. Did i give them any hell. No Quot scared Stife one fit the boys said the germans were scared stiff at the thought of being sent Back to the United s ates. They thought their a boats had sunk every Allied ship in the Atlantic and they boasted that nazi bombers were pounding the hell out of new York Chicago Philadelphia and washing on every lie said the italians were in Good spirits. Quot Happy As a related pvt Anthony Alban is of w Ashington d. C. Quot but they were disgusted when we brought them to this Camp instead of shipping them right out to America. Many of them said they re going to stay in the of. S. When they get there. Some have relatives in tile Albanesi told about one sympathetic italian. Quot last night he saw i was tired and Mot oiled to me to go to sleep that tie would take my Rifle and stand guard and see that nothing happened to me Quot Albanesi did not agree to that reporter recalls last blasting of Island fortress population relieved when Pantelleria bombing stops by Noland Norgaard associated press War correspondent a British major leaned on the rail of our Landing Craft off the coast of Pantelleria eyed the big formations of american flying fortresses Jessing Over us and remarked a what a difference at Dunke que we always ducked when planes came Over because they were Seldom he barely finished speaking when tile fortresses began their attack and we were treated to the fascinating and awesome Climax of the most concentrated bombing attack the world has Ever known a an attack which shattered the defences of Italy a Island fortress broke the morale of its Garrison and permitted the British to land and seize the Island without losing a Man. Great Clouds of dust and smoke suddenly mushroomed from the Earth and Rose in columns As the first formations of bombers swung Over the Tai get Pantelleria a Little port and adjoining Hills from which italian coast defense batteries and pillboxes commanded the quays and Beach on which we Are to land. Bombers arrive the bombers began arriving at 11 30 Friday morning a half hour before the assault troops of this British Landing Force were to begin streaming ashore and a half hour after British cruisers and destroyers had shelled some of the balt i ies guarding the Harbor. Our larger Landing boats waited offshore ready to come in when the assault forces had secured the Beach head. Zero hour for the assault was noon and exactly at that time Back came a radio message from the leading command boat a your troops Are Landing and appear to be meeting no ten minutes later came a second message a White Flag was seen on one of the quays and another was flying from a it Ole High on semaphore Hill behind the town at 12 15 came a third the italians had surrendered and we were to land immediately. Quot we surrender Only two roads to the docks Weie not completely blocked by the debris of shattered buildings and along them came strange process ins a unkempt italian troops Rushing Forward to surrender themselves to the British Dull eyed women who walked As though in a trance hardly Able to believe that tile allies had comr and the bombing hell which had sent them fleeing to the Hills weeks before was past children who like their parents had been without food or water for As Long As three Days each Soldier came ashore knowing he probably must live for at least two Days and nights on the water in his canteen and the food in his pack. But within a few minutes Many were sharing these meager rations. Fortunately we were to learn later a few Wells had survived tile bombing and could be restored to use soon. Those processions were to continue for Days As the italian Garrison totalling nearly 15.000 men my including Many marines and sailors continued to pour Iii from the Hills. They were Happy men a Happy that for them the War was ended Happy that they no longer need live in caves to escape the Allied answers amp a i of of y so a c o / p be s a u i i j of e s e cd c blk so is k e lain 7 in to of a / 4 l a o Vil a or a a s a e p e e n k t f e e a so i u i i Tyr i p a a r a / f l a s 3 e j j h a s
