SWAM FOR LIBERTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 11 May 1926, Page 11

SWAM FOR LIBERTY.

NAVAL DESERTERS.

ESCAPE FROM MARAMA,

IS SYDNEY HARBOUR.

(From Our Own Correspondent., SYDNEY, May 7

Taking tlio risk of drowning, and the nppcarance of snarks. two erter P s from H.M.S. Delhi, who were f e 7 n „ brought Lack to Sydney l»y the Marama from AVellinpton. New Zealand, dived overboard" and escaped before , vessel berthed in Sydney on Tuesu is understood that the two men while the Australian Fleet was • "yew Zealand, but were recaptured lv the Dominion authorities, and placed board tbe Mamma for return to custudv in Sydney. •r'ljev were put in the third class a ,rornrnodation. and given the usual iscilities of ordinary passengers, as it --i not anticipated they would have gn'v opportunity of escaping from the VP s?el before she berthed. But the Marama was late in reaching port on this voyage, and did not pass through Sydney Heads until 7 p.m. Br't.hat time it was dark, and when e he'was turning into Darling Harbour, having steamed up the harbour, those wharves which were not in use—and there were many at that hour—were in pitch darkness. Twenty minutes before the vessel berthed, 'other third class passengers saw the two deserters leap on to the rail on the V OTI s '^ l '' next llle wharves, poise there for an instant, and then dive into the harbour. They both came up together, and turned' on their backs, waving an ironical farewell to those who had watched their escape.

A patrul of naval men was waiting on the wharf when the vessel berthed, and it was not until they had made an unsuccessful search that they were informed of what had happened. By that time, of course, the deserters would have had ample opportunity of landing and making good their escape. Another strict search of the waterfront was made, without success, by the patrol, and then they gave it up. Darling Harbour is notoriously shark infested, but the deserters apparently tcok all the risks without hesitation. Although searches have been made jince. the men are still at large.