Troops’ Leave Train Derailed, No One Hurt

Northern Advocate, 4 June 1947, Page 6

Troops’ Leave Train Derailed, No One Hurt

(P.A.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Six carriages of a special train bound from Auckland to Wellington with .1 Force troops on leave were derailed at Hihitahi. north of Taihapc. and 177 miles north of Wellington, shortly after 3 o'clock this morning. No one was injured.

The engine and first three cars and the guard’s van remained on the track. The accident occurred on a straight section of line.

The cause is at present unknown

The troops are being ferried from the scene of the derailment to Taihape by Army transport from Waiouru.

They left Taihape at 10.30 a.m. in a special relief train due at Wellington at about 4 p.m. The accident caused a second train carrying civilians and troops, also from Auckland, to be detained at Ohakune, and these passengers are being ferried from Hihitahi to Taihape, from where they will come to Wellington by special train which is expected to arrive at about G p.m. Passengers for Hawke’s Bay. Taranaki and the Wairarapa will be taken to their destinations by special trains aided by military transport. Senior engineering and transportation officers left Wellington early today to investigate the accident. Local engineers were early on the job and breakdown trains were sent from both Auckland and Wellington at about 7 a.m.

Relief Arrangements

(P.A.) DUNEDIN. This Day. About half of the members of J. Force due to be relieved will arrive in New Zealand about the end of the month. The Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) announced yesterday that the relief will be made in two lifts in the transport Donera. The Donera will first call at Kure and will leave there probably next week. The relief force will leave New Zealand during the first week of July. It is expected that the remainder of the occupation force will leave Kure in the first week in August and will arrive in the Dominion about the middle of August.