Raupunga's Master To Be Interned

Northern Advocate, 13 February 1941, Page 3

Raupunga's Master To Be Interned

[Special to “Northern Advocate ”l , HASTINGS, This Day.

Captain George Dibbern, owner of the ketch Te Raupunga, which arrived at Napier on January 25 with Miss Eileen Morris, of N.apier, on board, after a voyage from America, has been taken into custody preparatory to his internment on Somes’ Island, Wellington. Captain Dibbern is ,a German by birth, and after his arrival the authorities forbade further use of. his vessel and sealed it, but no restrictions were placed upon the owner, who was allowed his freedom in Napier until last night.

Back Once More.

Captain Dibbern, discussing the possibility of his internment a few days ago, said he came back to New Zealand with full confidence that he would receive fair treatment. He felt it his duty to bring Miss Morris back to her people now that there was so much danger abroad in the world. “Needless to say,” he added, “I do not relish the idea of internment. I spent a long time on Somes’ Island during the last war. "I am engaged in writing a book and would therefore prefer to be able to move freely about and not be subjected to the routine of an internment camp, which is not conducive to the best of one’s writing ability, but, of course, if the .authorities consider It necessary for me to be interned, then, of course, I shall have no complaints. When this war is over I j want to feel I have done the right thing. “Prowling- About Streets.”

“I have been accused of prowling about the streets, but everything I have done has been quite open. If I had stayed in my home they would have said I was sneaking and hiding myself.” Captain Dibbern was born at Kiel, Germany, and is 52 years of ,age. He was living in New Zealand at the time of the last war, and was interned here. Then for eight years .after the armistice he farmed in Hawke’s Bay. He later returned to Germany, where he built the ketch Te Raupunga. The vessel arrived at Auckland in June, 1935.