Ciao, Kiwis!

Mr. John Cocker, a New Zealand soldier who was in Trieste at the time of the occupation, submits the following New Zealand newspaper report copied from the paper shortly after the end of World War II. The report includes 2 reports copied from Trieste newspapers:

Few Kiwis who were in Italy at the end of World War II will forget the occupation of Trieste, and doubtless the same can be said for the majority of the citizens of that much-disputed city. It is now almost a year since the New Zealand Division handed over control of the city to the Allied Military Government and shortly after, left the city for a rest period on the shores of Lake Trasimeno. Writing of the New Zealand Division at the time of its departure, one Trieste newspaper stated:

"To the New Zealanders who are leaving our City and the Territory of Trieste go our cordial salutations. We will not forget the hours of expectation before their tanks and soldiers, after hard fighting up the peninsular, arrived for a spell in Via Ghega and Plaza Del Unita covered with flowers and led by a joyous flag waving crowd. Moreover, we have come to know them, these strong and fine looking young men who came from a distant land similar to our own. Cordial, ample, open-hearted, of big and serene ideals, they were our liberators and our guests and now, as good friends they leave."

And from another Newspaper:

"This is written to enable you to understand what you saw today written on the tanks and trucks which carry away from us those soldiers -citizens- those open hearted, easy going, clear spirited New Zealanders. 'Caio Trieste' was written so because 'ciao' would be spelt that way in English. They have borrowed our brotherly form of goodbye or cheerio. It was a 'ciao' of nostalgia that we saw, not frivilous or a 'ciao' of worldly circumstance, because many of them were sad to leave this city which entertained them so well; a city more brotherly, intimate and kind than all the other cities they have passed through in their long and bloody campaign. They found here too, a similarity in spirit and appearance to their Auckland and Wellington. They found here a second home unfortunately, at the present time rather full of political turmoil. How could we but love boys who overthrew the last Nazi and Fascist resistance in our fair city, and who were our guests from May, their youthful pranks with our children, their loyalty and their democratic army. Goodbye New Zealand brothers. We are happy that you are returning to your country before you become corrupted like ourselves by this sick place called Europe, where, if you stayed, she would with her evil, gnaw into you all, as she has eaten into us. So, farewell friends, goodbye and please understand us."