Part 2 of 2.
A talk by radio commentator Rex Keating of the Egyptian State Broadcasting Service, on the invasion of Greece by the Italians.
"The recruiting depots are working overtime to cope with the stream of volunteers. Within a few hours of the declaration the industries of the country had been thrown into immediate acceleration. The Greek navy is already playing its part. It has lost no time in going into action against the enemy.
With an alleged frontier incident closely followed by the Axis presentation of impossible demands at 3.00 o'clock in the morning, Mussolini was merely following in the footsteps of his senior partner but there he made his mistake. He misjudged the spirit of the Greeks symbolised in the action of the 80 year old guerilla leader, General Vada who is harassing Italian outposts in the wild border country. Despite the callous bombing of open towns, the civilian popualation of Greece is behaving with an admirable fortitude. Never in 3000 years have they lost sight of a free democratic ideology of the old Greek republics".
This item is part of a collection of recordings made by the Mobile Broadcasting Units, which travelled overseas with New Zealand forces between 1940-1945. They recorded New Zealanders' experiences of war and messages to their families and friends, which were sent back home to be played on a weekly radio programme.