Champion Cyclist In Refugee Draft

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28181, 21 January 1957, Page 8

Champion Cyclist In Refugee Draft

Among the 52 Hungarian refugees who arrived at Christchurch airport from Auckland by two specially chartered N.A.C. aircraft on Saturday evening was a long-distance cycling champion of Hungary, Mr Cserepanyi Denes. Mr Denes brought with him his wife and two children, a boy aged six and a girl aged four. The children were delighted when, as soon as they were inside the air terminal. N.A.C. Godwit Club badges were pinned to their lapels.

Mr Denes had planned to escape from Hungary long before, and he was quick to take advantage of the opportunity afforded by the revolution. Mr Denes, at times carrying his two children, and his wife walked about 20 miles to the Austrian border. Avoiding Russians Mr and Mrs Kaloisai Rudolf escaped from Hungary with the help of a Hungarian soldier who pretended he was patrolling the Austrian border. Through an interpreter. Mr Rudolf said that he and his wife had at times to lie motionless in the grass for half an hour at a time to avoid the many Russian soldiers and military police in the area. There were 20 persons in the party, several of them children, and thev left the country at the point where the frontiers of Hungary. Czechoslovakia, and Austria meet. Thev took nothing with them but the clothes they wore

“I was a machinist in an arms and motor-cvcle factory in Budapest.” said Mr Rudolph. "Russia controlled everything we produced in the factory, and when the revolt began I joined it ”

Mr Rudolf’s parents are still in Hungary. His wife is a children.’* nurse, and after first learning a little English in New Zealand they both hope to continue in the same work in which they were engaged in Hungary. They have no children. Prisoner for 11 Years

One of the 38 single men. Mr Dienes Fulius. was a political prisoner in Hungary for 11 years. A law student before his imprisonment, he fought with the

university students and workers in the revolt after he had been released from prison by Hungarian soldiers and police. Mr Fulius crossed the Austrian border on December 15 with four other men and two women. ‘‘lt was a verv dangerous crossing. ’ he said, “but the Hungarian soldiers were very good.” He is unmarried and his parents are still in Budapest. The refugees from the first plane were quiet and looked weary, but by the time the second plane arrived they were talking cheerfully with their countrymen who met them. The atmosphere soon became very livelv and many were laughing loudly when the time came for them to go to their new homes. Welcome at Airport The draft of 52 refugees was made up of 38 single men. two single women, four couples and one family with two children. Apart from an occasional piece of sticking plaster, the Hungarians showed no signs of any injuries About 80 persons, many of them Hungarians who had arrived in Christchurch in earlier drafts, were waiting at the airport to meet the refugees. The women in the party were given bouquets by officers of the Red Cross. As they stepped off the the aircraft they were welcomed by Mr L. Glausiuss. the representative of the Hungarian community on the Immigration Welfare Committee. They were met at the entrance to the terminal building by the immigration officer of the Department of Labour and Employment (Mr R. H. Bell) and Mr J. L. Hay. the chairman of the housing sub-committee of the Immigration Welfare Committee.