NARROW ESCAPE

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 9, 5 October 1940, Page 12

NARROW ESCAPE

British Children In Attacked Convoy

AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE Saw Liner Torpedoed Close At Hand

Safe after an exciting and adventurous voyage, a second official party of 113 English children evacuated from their homeland under the Government scheme arrived at Wellington yesterday.

At the outset of their journey, the convoy in which they were travelling was scattered by submarine attack. A torpedo passed within a few yards of their vessel, and struck another carrying 300 children bound for a sister Dominion. They saw the stricken liner going down, and passengers and crew abandoning her, but had to burry ou and leave the rescue to the escort vessels. They did not rejoin the convoy, but carried on alone. Afterward they learned that of the 900 passengers on the torpedoed ship, not a single life had been lost. The sole casualty was one of the ship’s officers, who was killed when he missed bis footing climbing into a lifeboat. This was the liner reported to have been torpedoed on her ,way to Canada several weeks ago. Cabled accounts of the rescue of the children appeared in the New Zealand papers-at the time. Thought It Only Boat-Drill. The children behaved extremely well when the alarm was given. Most of them believed it to be only another of the frequent lifeboat practices carried out in the early days of the voyage. The attack took place late in tlie evening, stated escorts travelling with the children. They were awakened by gunfire, but at first stayed in their beds, thinking it to be an aeroplane attack. This opinion was strengthened by the rattle of a machine-gun. Thea stewards came to send them to their muster stations, wearing lifejackets and ready for any eventuality. Fron on deck they could see the torpedoed ship, now brilliantly lit up, and with the lifeboats being lowered down the side. She appeared to be settling down slowly, and on an even keel. Heard Torpedo Pass.

' Many passengers said they had heard the sound of Hie torpedo, which had passed within 20 yards of their own ship. “The children were really wonderful,” said Miss P. M. Redmayne, who was in charge of tlie children, in an interview. “They showed no sign of fear or excitement, and behaved just as if it were an ordinary practice. For three nights while we were in tlie danger area they slept in the lounge, in their clothes.

“The captain was most thoughtful, and did everything be could for the children’s welfare. Even when it was touch and go. and he must have been distracted with worry, he saw to it that the childern were served with hot milk and biscuits.’’

(Pictures on page 9.)

FROM BOMBED AREAS OF ENGLAND

Children Met By Prime

Minister

AU evacuated from parts of England which had been heavily bombed, 51 girls and 62 boys between the ages of 5 and 15 years arrived at Wellington yesterday under the Government scheme. Most came to friends or relatives by whom they had been nominated; others, however, to strange fos-ter-parents who bad offered homes in answer to the recent appeal.

The party was in charge of Miss P. M. Redmayne, assisted by Mrs. Anne Best, of the Salvation Army. The Rev. H. A. Hayden, vicar of St. Nicholas’s. Warwick, and Father J. P. Murphy, S.M., were chaplains to the party. Dr. Mary Jennings was medical officer. There were also two qualified nurses and eight other escorts. They were met at Wellington by the Prime Minister and Mrs. Fraser, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Parry, the Minister of Education, Mr. Mason, the United Kingdom High Commissioner, Sir Harry Batterbee, the Director of Education, Dr. C. E. Beeby, Mr. J. W. Heenan, under-secretary of the Internal Affairs Department, and officers of the Overseas Children’s Reception Committee. Miss Redmayne, who is a Quaker, said she had for a number of years taken a keen interest in child and peasant welfare work in many parts of the world. She had worked in Russia and in Greece, where she and three others rented the little island of St. Nicholas for £4 a year as a holiday resort. At the time of the collapse of France she was occupied in refugee* work there, and escaped to England when the German invasion took place. She said that with the exception of the hectic days in the danger zone at the beginning of the voyage, the voyage had been uneventful. There was no serious illness of any kind. The children behaved excellently.

Among the escorts were several trained teachers, and the children were given lessons every day. At Panama they were given a great reception by the* Americans there, and greatly enjoyed the thrill of going ashore in a foreign and tropical land. They rushed about the exotic gardens, were driven round on army trucks, and given ice creams. Many of the Wellington children came ashore last night, but those bound for other parts of New Zealand remained on board the liner, and will disembark today. Awaiting the arrival of the ship was Mr. H. G. Dickie, M.P. for Pa tea, who had nominated the son of a friend in England and had come down to meet the young traveller —Robert Ashley, London, aged 11. The children were a fine healthylooking lot, and appeared in excellent spirits. The Prime Minister and others who met them went among them as they had tea in the liner’s saloon, and chatted to many of them. They were not shy, but were eager to make friends with the people of their new country. Also travelling on the liner were some 50 other children, accompanying parents or evacuated by private arrangement.

CHILDREN ARRIVE IN AMERICA t (Received October -1, 8.30 p.m.) NEW YORK, October 3. A Cunartler brought 250 British children, the last expected this winter. Simultaneously, 31 Governmentevacuated children arrived at an east Canadian port.