FLIGHT FROM FRANCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 September 1940, Page 5

FLIGHT FROM FRANCE

LADY WILFORD’S EXPERIENCES. [per press association.] • AUCKLAND, September 19. By a grubby collier, on which six fifth columnists aimed to do their utmost for the enemy, and by a troopship, Lady Walford, widow of Sir Thomas Wilford, a former High Commissioner for New Zealand in London, managed "to escape from southern France a few days before the German invasion,' and has now arrived at Auckland. Advised by the British Consul at Cannes on'June 17 to leave within 12 hours, Lady Wilford, with 700 evacuees, left the following day for Gibraltar in a small collier. Developing engine trouble, the collier put into Port Vendres, and thus lost the convoy. After leaving Port Vendres the collier was attacked by a submarine, which had received torch signals from the six fifth columnists, on board, and it was only through the captain’s skill that they' were saved from the torpedo, which missed, and ..the shells, which fell wide. When the collier’s gun was manned, the submarine dived, and was seen no more. Desperate, the six enemy agents then attempt to seize? the ship, but were overpowered and placed in irons. • Lady Wilford was in the after hold during the trouble. On reaching Gibraltar the evacuees were transferred to a troopship which, with 1400 evacuees and 450 troops, arrived safely at England. An Englishwoman who also fled from southern France said that five of six Italian aeroplanes which harassed them on the road from Vence to Cannes were shot down. Lady Wilford said she was very ■ glad to be back in New Zealand. She left by the Limited for Wellington.