POLISH CHILDREN LEAVE NEW ZEALAND

Grey River Argus, 20 April 1948, Page 8

POLISH CHILDREN LEAVE NEW ZEALAND

AUCKLAND, April 19 With mixed feelings a party of 24 Poles have left New Zealand to return to Poland. Each carrying a bulky food parcel, 16 children and eight adults from the Polish camp at Pamatua tiled up the gangway or the liner, Rangitata at Auckland on Saturday morning to begin the long journey back to their homeland. The children' have been away from Poland for three years, they having been forced into exile. They have been in the camp at Pahiatua. About 300 Polish children are still' at the camp. Many will stay in New Zealand indefinitely. Among the adults to depart, were several women teachers ,a woman doctor, and a 75-year-old woman singing tutor. A number of them had come to the camp with their children. They had not seen their husbands nor had most of the children seen their parents since early in the war. when they were transferred from their country to a displaced persons’ camp in Persia and later to New Zealand.

Representatives of the Catholic Youth Movement were at the wharf to help the party to embark. After leaving the Rangitata at London, the Poles will go by another ship to Gdynia. POLISH AIRMAN TO SETTLE IN NEW ZEALAND MASTERTON, April 19 A Polish airman, Flight Lieutenant Witold Bukowski, who has nearly 2000 flying hours to his credit, and who served with the R.A.F. has arrived in Masterton with his wife and small son. The family arrived by the Ruahine and are staying with Mrs LUKOWski’s mother. Fligiit-Lieutenant Bukowski was a navigator in the Polish air force wnen me iNazis invaded Poland. Escaping through Rumania and Syria to France, he carried on fighting till the fall of that country, when he went to England and qualified as a pilot serving with the 301 bomber squadron. His decorations indite the Pohsn cross of valour and two bars, the Polish air force medal and a numoer of British awards. The family intends to settle in New Zealand but . have not yet decided on any particular location.