REPATRIATION DELAYS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 306, 24 November 1945, Page 4

REPATRIATION DELAYS.

There will be disappointment in many New Zealand homes this Christmas'. Soldier sons and husbands who were expected to reach these shores next month will not

arrive until January. Shipping difficulties have caused this delay. The position now is that the remainder of the Eighth Reinforcements, and earlier drafts, and some single men of .the Ninth Reinforcements, will be embarking in Italy and Egypt on the Mooltan and should reach New Zealand by the year’s end. Three other ships leaving Britain between December 6 and 29 will take up the work of repatriation and complete it up to the 10th Reinforcements. It is approaching seven months since the war in Europe ended and repatriation has been disappointingly -slow. So has news of the Division been poor. The Rugby team in England has for the time being monopolised the news. Originally there was some hope that the whole Division would have been returned by February, but it is clear that the task may not be completed until even mid-winter. The men have been - given pleasure by trips to England, and in other ways in Italy, but their anxious wish is to get home and the Government must not relax its representations to have the ships made available. The Government is also silent on the force for duty in Japan. The only recent news 1 was contained _in a message from Italy when Lieut.General Ereyberg, on the “last ceremonial parade” of these 4000 men, mentioned that they would be leaving next month for Japan. It is wrong that parents and relatives of these men should not have first-hand information from the Prime Minister. The force is to be engaged there for six months and next-of-kin and other relatives should be informed fully of its movements.