RETURNING SERVICEMEN

Greymouth Evening Star, 25 October 1945, Page 5

RETURNING SERVICEMEN

QUESTIONS INTHE HOUSE MR. FRASER'S STATEMENT WELLINGTON, October 24. The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, was again in his place after a fortnight’s absence through sickness, when the House of Representatives resumed at 2.30 p.m. to-day. The afternoon was devoted largely to Ministerial replies to questions. . Mr Kidd (Nat., Waitaki) gave notice to ask- the Prime Minister whether the Government would set up a special committee to inquire into reported grievances of servicemen who returned to New Zealand on the liner Andes, and who were reported to have been required to spend two extra days crossing the Tasman Sea in order not to arrive in New Zealand on Sunday or a public holiday. Mr Kidd said many of these men were prisoners of war for long periods, and were entitled to the Government’s most sympathetic consideration. Mr Fraser, replying to a question by Messrs MacDonald (Nat, Mataura) and Algie (Nat., Remuera) about arrangements for shipping to ensure the return of the balance of N.Z.E.F. men’ from the Middle East, said: “Continuous representations have been made to the British Government for the allocation of ships for this purpose. The position is being closely watched to ensure that the return of our men is not delayed. The latest communication received from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom indicates that our needs are fully understood and that every step is being taken to return our men home at the earliest possible date.” Mr Fraser, answering Mr Holyoake (Nat., Patea) who had asked if the 1 Prime Minister was seized of the full consequences of the watersiders’ decision to refuse to load cargo on ships proceeding to the Dutch East Indies replied: “The answer is in the affirmative.” In reply to the second part of Mr Holyoake’s question, Mr Fraser said that the Government did not intend to delegate Government responsibility and authority on foreign policy to any person or persons Mr MacDonald said he fully recognised the difficulties in regard to shipping which faced the British authorities at present. However, it was difficult to maintain. the mens interest during a waiting period after the war was over, it was possible only if those who were kept waiting were given the fullest possible information on all steps being taken on their behalf by those in authority. Mr MacDonald said the question had been raised by himself and Mr Algie because of a disturbing tenor in letters received in the Dominion from soldiers in the Middle East. These letters indicated there had been a growing feeling of bitterness among men waiting tor a passage home. ■ Mr Fraser said it was because ot peculiar difficulties attaching to the return of our men from the Middle East theatre that General Sir B. Freyberg had made a point of taking the men into his fullest confidence concerning the arrangements being made for their return. For a while the information we were getting about shipping was disappointing. Mr Fraser said he personally had. undertaken negotiations with the British authorities to secure the best possible provision for the return ot our men. He had been in constant touch with the Dominion’s Secretary, the Ministry of War Transport, and Mr Attlee in regard to the provision of ships to bring our men home as rapidly as possible. ANDES’ SLOW VOYAGE -■

Mr Fraser said in regard to the Andes, that without passing any reflection on that vessel, it was a surprise to him that, after travelling so speedily for the greater part of her voyage, she should have taken, so long to cross the Tasman Sea. it 1 had been on that ship, under the circumstances, I would have been one of those who would have been impatient,” said Mr Fraser. Mr MacDonald: It has happened before to some hospital ships. . Mr Fraser said that there might be some explanation for the apparent slowing up of the Andes, but he could not see, at present, what explanation there was. The objective should be to get our men home as rapidly as possible. “As nearly as I can see, we will not have the last of our men back before March,’ said Mr Fraser. He knew the spirit of the House and of the country Personally, he was very impatient, but we were doing our best. He agreed that the men ought to be told what W Mr b Jones d s°aid that there had been difficulties and uncertainties about our men coming home, but that naa not been the Government s fault. General Freyberg, when Britain, had, at the request of the Prime Minister, done his utmost to get indications as to when the men oi the Division coula get home. Since V E. Day and the release of some 6000 nrisoners of war, all of whom were now back home, there had been large numbers of Air Force and Navy personnel, as well as soldiers, bioug back The shipping position had now eased considerably, but there were demands from other Allies lor the return of their forces , to A h A ir fi t°mln None would suggest that fit men should get preference of transport over prisoners of war, oi who had suffered terribly at the hands of the Japanese. It was hoped to have the Tenth back by Christmas, and that tne Eleventh would leave by the middle of December, arriving, here in January and that the rest would be back about March or April. It. had also to be remembered that a brigade had have transport to Japan. AIR FORCE OFFICERS

WELLINGTON, October 24. Hundreds of Air Force officers returning in the Andes from Britain held an indignation meeting while the ship was crossing the Tasman, and decided to send a telegram to An Headauarters, asking for hard-living pay They complained that although fhly were officers, they were forced to travel under conditions that weie unsatisfactory even by third or fourth class standards. Their case is to be taken up officially with the Government. They objected to being quartered on the lower decks in hammocks by- the hundred, and to having to d o cleaning and general duties which, as officers, they would not normally be required to do. One group took a visitor down into their sleeping quarters where, they said, 130 men lived during the . voyage, and where only four wash-basins were available. This detail was typical of. numerous grievances they were keen to The Andes carried 1500 airmen to New Zealand, of whom 1000 were officers. The officer commanding the Air Force draft, Wing Commander J. R. Maling, Christchurch, said it had been decided some months ago that because of the shipping position all officers would have to be prepared to accept reduced standards of accommodation. That was agreed to by the various chiefs-of-staff and Governments concerned. Owing to the shortlage of first-class accommodation m the Andes, said Wing- Commander Maling, a large number of officers had to travel under troop conditions. The

officers concerned held a meeting while the ship was crossing the Tasman, and discussed the demand foi some financial compensation by waj of hard-living pay, which under certain conditions were available to An Force personnel. He said he mtendec to carry the men’s representations tc the authorities;. They, objected strongly to the principle involved m then having to quarter at they did. MAINLY ABOUT EGGS. WELLINGTON, October 25. That the egg-throwers and catcallers on the Andes were probably men who had seen little service overseas, and who were taking the opportunity of venting their pent-up feelings on well-meaning officials was the expressed opinion of three Air Force war. veterans, interviewed on their arrival on the Andes ir Wellington yesterday. They wen Winer Cnynmandfir H. L. Andrews

M.8.E., Kaitoke; Squadron Leader S F. Browne, D.F.C. and Bar, Wellington, and Squadron Leader S. I. Baird Browne said he thought the trouble was caused by the men who had only recently gone overseas. They hac anticipated a good war, but had seen hardly any active service and in some cases none at all, and consequently they were very much disappointed. x . Much of the discontent aboard said Andrews, resulted from the officers being accommodated in troops dormitories and in quarters usually occupied by lower ranks. More than three-quarters of the servicemen aboard the ship were officers anc n.c.o.’s. They had grown accustomed to being waited on hand and foot in England, and when faced with the necessity of washing their own dishes aboard and generally catering for themselves, they had received rather a shock. „ , „ As for the supply of eggs, most of the men concerned had probably saved them ■ from the morning s breakfast table. There was certainly an abundance of eggs aboard, added the wing commander. Some of the men would ask for great platefuls of eggs at their -meals, but could only manage to dispose of half of them. Many untouched eggs were consequently thrown into sluice buckets. A member of the crew, of the Andes said that in his opinion the New Zealand servicemen had been “the best lot of chaps” the snip had yet carried, and they were in high spirits until the Andes had left Australia. v AUCKLAND WELCOMES AUCKLAND, October 25. “We want the wharfies,” was one of the signs chalked on a carriage of a special troop train which arrived from Wellington this morning. Apart from signs on carriages there was no outward demonstration by the returning servicemen of their grievance concerning the slow trip of the troopship “Andes” from Melbourne to Lyttelton. J . The warmth of the reception accorded the troop train on its trip from. Wellington more than compensated the men for the delay on the final stage of the trip, said one Air Force officer. Even at small stations large crowds turned out in the early hours to cheer the men on their way. A large crowd welcomed the men at Auckland. ' _____