HOME TO-MORROW

Evening Star, Issue 24915, 13 July 1943, Page 2

HOME TO-MORROW

SOLDIERS FROM MIDDLE EAST ARRANGEMENTS FOR EARLY MORNING RECEPTION Soldiers of tho 2nd N.Z..E.F. on furlough from the Middle East will reach Dunedin by special trains tomorrow morning, and arrangements have been made to give them a fitting welcome and to provide for speedy transport to their homes. Tho train with the men for Duncdin and neighbourhoods close, at hand, with a complement of 450, will arrive at 6.35 aim. A train with 350 men for stations south of Dunedin will arrive at 4.38 a.m., and will remain at the station for - about 20 minutes while the soldiers are provided with refreshments by the Otago Patriotic Council. No one will be allowed on the Railway Station platform on the arrival of the train with tho men for Dunedin, but a speciiil enclosure outside the main entrance to the station will be provided where the next of kin -will meet their soldier relatives. Next of kin will require a ticket to admit them into this, enclosure. Largo numbers of these tickets, which are issued to those -who produce "telegrams advising of the return of a soldier, were given out at the Drill Hall to-day, and those who' have not yet obtained these tickets may do so at a special box in Anzac Square which will be open till 9 o'clock to-night. Five bands will tako part in the welcome, to the Dunedin men when they arrive* at G. 35 a.m., two being stationed on the platform and the others in Anzac Square. Tho bands will cease ploying when the train has pulled in, and the Mayor (Mr A. H. Allen) will extend greetings to the men and a welcome home iii a brief talkthrough the station loud speaker, A gift of a Scarf and mittens will then be made to each man by the -women workers of the Otago Patriotic Council.

Arrangements have been made so that little time will be lost in taking the men to their homes. They will enter tho enclosure in positions according to the locations in wliich they live. There they will be greeted by their next of kin, and cars will be allotted to take them aiid their next of kin home. Those for South Dunedin aiid all south suburbs will 'leave from the south entrance to the enclosure, those for the city area, all hill suburbs, and Wakari will leave from outside the main entrance to the station, and those for all northern suburbs, including North-cast Valley, Gardens, and Opoho, will leave from the north end of the enclosure. The area of Anzac Square will he roped off, and members of the E.P.S. and the police will, control the traffic. Members of the Home Guard will act a,s pickets about the enclosure area. Over 400 cars have been arranged for by the chief traffic inspector (Mr E. H. Barrett), and provision will be made for the conveyance of four next of kin with each returning soldier. It is important that next of kin should locate themselves in the portion of the enclosure from which their soldier relative will leave by car, arid that . they be ready to board a car im- ! .mediately they have greeted him. ' This will save a great deal of time and obviate any confusion. The soldiers themselves have been grouped in the traiii according to the locality -to which they wish to go by car. Those at the front of the train will be for the south end : of .the city, those in the centre carriages for the city and hill suburbs, and those at the rear of the train for the northern suburbs.

Streets in the Vicinity of the station will be picketed before and during the arrival of the train, and no cars will he allowed in the streets' within three blocks of tlie station.

Men arriving by tho 6.35 train who do not live in Dnnedin or suburbs will be conveyed to the Services' Welcome Club for a meal. They will later leave for their homes \by train, by N.Z.R. buses, or by car which will !be arranged by tho Army. Two officers who have returned from service with the N.Z.E.F. in the Middle East will meet each of the trains at Oamaru to inform the men on the trains of the arrangements made for their reception. Each man will he given a paper setting out all arrangements and giving him other information, which will be useful to him on arrival and during his stay in Dunedin. . '

' F6r the benefit of next of kin and the general public the city transport department has made arrangements for the running of special trams and buses to-morrow morning from the various suburbs to the railway station. Special trams Will leave Normanby, St. Clair. Anderson's Bay, and St. Kllda at 6.5 a.m., and special buses will leave Maori Hill (via Highgate) and Elgin road (via Morningtoh) at the same hour. The members \ of the bands will travel by these special trams and buses. The chief postmaster has arranged that, at all wayside stations where soldiers may disembark and where no Army personnel is available, local authorities or representatives of the Returned Services' Association will provide for the meeting of the men by their next of kin and transport to their homes.