MORE COMPLICATED

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 118, 15 November 1945, Page 7

MORE COMPLICATED

RETURN OF TROOPS

DIFFICULTIES IN LONDON

(Special P.A. Correspondent.) Rec. 11 a.m. LONDON, Nov. 14.

The return of the Orion to port with engine trouble further complicates the already difficult position of the re« patriation of New Zealand servicemen.

As it is reported that the Orion may not now be ready to sail for a few weeks, the 460 members of tha R.N.Z.A.F. and 135 R.N.Z.N.V.R. men on board will go on leave until a ship can be found for them.

At the moment it seems likely that three ships, the Otranto, the Rangitata, and the Athlone Castle, will be sailing for New Zealand some time during the last week of November and the first week of December, but as the position is constantly changing this is indefinite and only temporary allocations have been made so far.

H.M.S. Atheling, which is a converted aircraft-carrier, sails on November 15 with 60 R.N.Z.N.V.R. officers and 5000 ratings.. H.M.S. Queen, another converted carrier, v/ill leave tor wards the end of this month.

While the Service departments have a difficult position to handle, New Zealand House has far more complications. There are some 2000 wives and children of servicemen wanting to get to New Zealand as soon as possible, and 200 expectant mothers, 500 fiancees, and 6000 New Zealand residents, who have been obliged to remain in England during the war. Their reactions at not being able to go by the next boat range from annoyance to rudeness.

At the moment servicemen have the first priority for return, and the majority of the ships are being used as troopers. Next in priority are expectant mothers and dependants, followed by fiancees and. residents. No ship of any size has been available for civilians since August, but it is hoped that berths for 160 will be available at the end of the month. These will be allocated to expectant mothers, while 50 more expectant mothers will sail shortly in the Tyndareus. New Zealand House deals as patiently as it can with angry letters, and can only point out that the position is the direct outcome of the war that sh,ips simply are., not available. How Nlong it will take to find passage for this long queue is a matter of guesswork. New Zealand is in exactly the same position as other Dominions, the London offices of which are" equally inundated with demands for passages. There was also recently the case of English wives of American soldiers demonstrating in London' to be taken to America. •