No Interviews Of Gunners

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31223, 22 November 1966, Page 3

No Interviews Of Gunners

(New Zealand Press Assoctattont

AUCKLAND, November 21.

Northern Military District headquarters today declined permission for reporters to speak to gunners recently back from Vietnam, on the resolution passed by members of the New Zealand battery condemning the Labour Party’s withdrawal policy.

An official said permission would have to be given by Army Headquarters, Wellington, which had control of a I force once it went overseas I

He said Northern District headquarters knew nothing of a resolution, apart from press' reports, and had received no| directive from Wellington on the subject.

The Rev A. S. McKenzie, the Presbyterian chaplain to the New Zealand battery.

said today he had not heard of a resolution being passed by troops condemning the Labour Party's policy. Mr McKenzie returned yesterday from duty in Vietnam. I

i An artillery officer back ■ from Vietnam, Major R. B Potts, said today he knew ’ nothing of the resolution un--1 til he read about it in the I newspapers.

|. Major Potts said he consid ered there was nothing official about the resolution. | “It might well have been ;two or three guys who spoke to somebody,” he said “1

know nothing of a resolution passed by the battery as a whole.”

He said the gunners had indicated to a party of M.P.s visiting Vietnam that they were happy to get on with the job and would be upset to be withdrawn.