WAR PRISONERS REPATRIATED

Press, Volume LXXXI, Issue 24591, 13 June 1945, Page 7

WAR PRISONERS REPATRIATED

N.Z.E.P. MEN ARRIVE IN ENGLAND (Special Correspondent N.Z.P-A.) LONDON. June U, Two ships have arrived from Italy bringing nearly 500 liberated N.Z.E.F. prisoners to Britain. They will go to the repatriation centre in Kent, which haa now accounted for nearly 6300 men. There still remain 87 soldiers unaccounted for, the majority of whom are expected to be located soon. Some, however, are believed to be dead, but their number is not thought to be large. Now speaking fluent Italian and German, which he learned while a prisoner of war, Sergeant L. W. (Jim) Deere met his brother, Wing Commander Alan Deere, in London last week. They had not seen each other for eight years. They learned that another brother. Private Brian Deere, who was also a prisoner. is believed to be in Odessa. Wing Commander Alan Deere flew over from Hanover to see his brother. He will shortly leave Germany to take a wing commander’s post at Biggin Hill, the famous airfield from which he operated two years ago. “It means, I am afraid," he said, “that I have to give up all hope of paying a quick visit to New Zealand. 1 ' Nearly 100 soldiers who were formerly prisoners of war have married since they arrived in England. So far, it is stated, well over 1200 New Zealanders have married in the United Kingdom during the war. More than 900 Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel and about 380 soldiers found brides here. Many airmen have been stationed in the United Kingdom for some time, and it is stated that one out of every 11 airmen who came to Britain during the war married here. The majority of the Army weddings occurred when the 2nd Echelon was in England in 1940. Now the former prisoners are helping the total to increase. KING LEOPOLD ABDICATION THOUGHT TO BE LIKELY (Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, June 12. According to the Paris radio wellinformed Brussels circles say King Leopold ha? already decided to abdicate and that the abdication will be efeeiaUy announced within the next