FREE MESSAGES

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 9

FREE MESSAGES

SERVICE TO FAR EAST

P.A. AUCKLAND, September 6. • Free service for the interchange of messages between British military and civilian prisoners freed from the Japanese and their relatives in any part of the British Empire has been instituted by Cable and Wireless, Ltd. Mobile telegraph units known as "Telecom" have a personnel including 22 young New Zealanders who recently left after graduating from the Auckland training station. They are moving in closely behind the occupying forces' in conjunction with military and civilian rescue organisations. Messages will be taken from rescued persons and transmitted to their relatives as quickly as possible. Four New Zealand youths who have gone into Singap(|;e in a cable ship are Ronald Desenna and Basil Chambers, of Auckland, and Michael Fulton and Kelvyn Healy, of Nelson. They will be engaged in the restoration of the cable service and the transmission of messages. Cable and Wireless, Ltd., would be diverting other cable ships to the Far East area, as there will probably be a good deal of repair work necessary, said Mr. C. T. Halsted, New Zealand manager of the company. There was a great possibility of other graduates from the Auckland school going to Singapore when the cable routes via Singapore were restored. Greatly improved facilities in the service between Great Britain, Australia, and New Zealand would result.

The delivery of cablegrams destined for New Zealand and the taking of free replies will be in the hands of the Post and Telegraph Department. The department has instituted a similar additional service between freed New Zealand prisoners and their next-of-kin in the Dominion.