SAVED KIWI’S LIFE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 62, 22 December 1945, Page 4

SAVED KIWI’S LIFE

AUSTRIAN GIRL’S STORY HID HIM FROM S.S. IN LOFT ' There were many happy family reunions in Ashburton last night, following the arrival of returned personnel from overseas off the Mooltan, but none was happier than the gathering at 26 Beach Road where the Heseltine family welcomed home their ex-prisoner of war son, Private James Heseltine, and his Austrian bride. Time works changes in us all, and when Private Heseltine stepped off the train yesterday there were some friends he failed to recognise.

Private Heseltine owes his life to his wife, Miss Edeltraud Maria Neumann, of Graz, Austria. He calls her “Trudy.” All prisoners of war who did not hold non-commissioned rank were forced to work. Private Heseltine was drafted to a farm 20 miles from Graz, where he met his wife-to-be. By April they could see the flashes from the guns of the approaching Russians at night. At one stage, when the Kiwi was ill, the Germans panicked and he and a Tommy were left completely alone. He recovered in about a week and went back to the farm, only to learn from his wife that the dreaded S.S. were rounding up stray prisoners and sending .them to a concentration camp. They were shooting first and asking questions afterwards • but his wife hid him in the hay-loft on the farm for days»on end. She hid other unfortunates from the S.S. too, and at one stage there were five. stowed away in the loft. In addition she kept them supplied with food and tobacco. Most dangerous of all, she listened to the broadcasts by the British Broadcasting Corporation and brought the news to hidden prisoners. For this she was liable to be shot if caught by the Germans.

Russians Not So Good On account of sickness, Private Heseltine was still at the farm when the Russians arrived. He was in his room when his wife brought him the news that Graz was in Soviet hands. He went out and had a few drinks with the Russians. They gave him some cigarettes and all was well. Next morning, about 5 o’clock, Private Heseltine was awakened by a knocking on his window. His wife’s father wanted him to recover his radio which the Russians had commandeered. Private Heseltine recovered the radio, but found when he returned that a Russian had taken his wife’s watch. Worse was to come, however, for next morning the convoy had moved on, and the Russians had left Private Heseltine nothing but the clothes he stood up in. Several times during the month which followed Private Heseltine tried without success to get through to the New Zealand troops, which were only about 30 miles away; but it was no use. His passport would not get him beyond the town. Once he actually reached the Soviet lines, but they took him back to Graz.

In'July, Private Heseltine and his fiancee went to the registry office to be married, but the officials refused to perform the ceremony because he had no certificate permitting him to marry. He had to fill in a form stating that he did not require a certificate before the officials would perform the marriage. Two days later Private and Mrs Heseltine came out of a cabaret to find British trucks in the \ street. From there it seemed that everything would be plain sailing, but the authorities told Private Heseltine lie could not take his wife with him because the marriage was not recognised. At IClagenfurt he obtained a different ruling and returned posthaste for his wife. From Klagenfurt the ex-prisoner of war and his wife flew to Naples and then went on to Rome. They went on to Cassino, of which they found very little left, by truck, then ~to Taranto, and across to' Egypt, where they waited nine weeks for transport to New Zealand, Mrs Heseltine, jun., has not been in New Zealand long, but already she thinks it is a “good country.” Her Kiwi husband supports her in this—he’s glad to be back in it.