HAVEN FROM WAR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20414, 26 November 1940, Page 2

HAVEN FROM WAR

EVACUATED CHILDREN GAIETY AND PATHOS MOVING SCENE MELBOURNE, Nov. 12. After a voyage of 10 weeks, during which they crossed the equator three times and shared accommodation with a large contingent of British troops for thousands of miles, 477 British children evacuated from England, Scotland and Wales have reached Australia. During their voyage, water and provisions had been short at limes, there had been cases of measles and chicken pox, but when the Polish liner drew in at Port Melbourne the hundreds of b.appy little faces that lined the rails and the massed cheering and singing from shrill voices told of the general good health and high spirits in which they had reached their strange new land. “We have brought you the Crown jewels of England,” said the officer in charge of the men and women escorts, Mr. C. H. Kilby. At the wharf to meet the children were the members of the Overseas Children’s Reception Committee. What they and the small group of wharf labourers, seamen and officials saw could never be forgotten. “Waltzing Matilda” Along the port side main deck from fore to aft there was a wall of bright faces, coloured caps and hats, ribbons, dolls, floral frocks, wind-tossed curls. There was' a rippling laughter from hundreds of young, high-pitched eager voices; the broad-grinning faces from countless portholes of Polish seamen, the pleased and proud countenances of the 30 escorts who had tended the youngsters on the long voyage and now stood behind them on the decks. From somewhere along the rails came a treble and tremulous cooee. Immediately these children from the north of Scotland to the south of England, from the towns of smoke stacks and the havens of fishing trawlers, picked up the strains of a song that almost brought tears to the eyes of the watchers—“ Waltzing Matilda,” newly-learned and well-practised by the little pilgrims specially for thenarrival in Australia. Shattered Nerves Repaired It took a long sea voyage to repair some of the damage done to the warshattered nerves of many. For the first fortnight at sea the escorts had to wrestle with this. They found that when they went round the cabins at night to cover the sleeping children some of them leaped up and shrieked “Raid.” and made for the doors. They had to be soothed back to sleep. Many of these children suffered night hoi-rot-s. Some of them had come from the Isle of Wight, which was heavily attacked by German bombers. And while hundreds of them were waiting at hostels at a big English port before embarkation they were raided three times. The healing qualities of time, the sea air and community life had produced happy, carefree youngsters when the liner readied Melbourne. They were dressed just as their mothers had sent them to the receiving depots- in England, Scotland and Wales. Drawn from the schools of 60 different education authorities, many still wore their school colours on caps and hats. Many of the children had on their shoulders their leather schoolbags; all had tied to their blouses or shirts the cardboard identification discs with name and number. Strong friendships developed during the voyage between the children and the Polish seamen and British sailors, and there were some moving scenes as small children wept in the arms of seamen as they said good-bye.