Russians Report British Soldiers Desert to Soviet

Grey River Argus, 30 September 1949, Page 5

Russians Report British Soldiers Desert to Soviet

(N.Z.P.A.—REUTER CABLE)

(Rec. 10.10). VIENNA, Sept. 29. Soviet zone officials in Vienna have refused to hand over two British soldiers, because, they said, those soldiers had asked to be allowed to remain in the Soviet zone as political refugees. Earlier, the Russians told the British authorities that they were ready to hand over the men, who are alleged to be deserters, together with a British lorry, along with two racing cars, aboard which the men were driving when they were detained. The cars were used by a British team in a road race at Brno, in Czechoslovakia, and the lorry was stolen from, outside of a Vienna hotel. The Russians told a British officer, who went to collect the men, they would not be released, because they had signed a statement saying that they did not wish to return, and that they wanted to be considered as political refugees.