IN SINGAPORE

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 5

IN SINGAPORE

69 NEW ZEALANDERS

RELIEF SHIPS ARRIVE

(R.N.Z.A.f-. Official War Correspondent.) OFF SINGAPORE, Sept. 5. We have just arrived off Singapore and are approaching Clifford rier. The first hospital ship to sail in is commanded by a New Zcalander, Laptain James Wilson, whose people live in Dunedin. Messages from medical units, dropped from aircraft at sea indicate that 16 men of the R.N.Z.A.F. have already been found on Singapore, as well as 53 New Zealand civilians, including three women. Yesterday, sailing in line astern down the Malacca Straits through a narrow mine-swept channel, we saw pillars of dark smoke where the Japanese were apparently destroying oil dumps and rubber supplies. When I last saw Singapore the city was blanketed in dense smoke, sirens were wailing incessantly and enemy bombers were continually overhead It was an hour of bitter defeat tor the British nation. Today it is a very different scene. The outlines of the city are clear in" the peaceful afternoon light. The harbour is crammed with the might of British Navy cruisers, destroyers, and many transports loaded with troops. Landings were carried out this morning, and our troops now occupy large areas of the city. Within another hour we expect to be ashore and engaged on the work of relief among our prisoners. The Minister of Defence (Mr. F. Jones) states that as soon as the names of the New Zealand service personnel and New Zealand civilians are received the next-of-kin will be immediately notified by telegraph.