NEW ZEALANDERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 17, 22 January 1919, Page 4

NEW ZEALANDERS

DIVISION STATIONED NEAR COLOGNE EARLY REMOVAL# TO COAST. IN' VIEW OP EARLY REPATRIATION. Australian and N.Z, Cable Association .(Rec. Jan. 22, 9.45 a.m.) LONDON. Jan. 19.

• The news that the war Is over for Australians and New whatever may occur was received with the utmost satisfaction by the Australian Corps still stationed at Charleroi and Dinant districts. They are mostly comfortably billeted in towns and villages. Bren privates 1 have the luxury of a bed after istreim--1 ous campaigning and constant move- . ment. . j The soldiers find the people extremely hospitable and in contrast with various other places in France and' Belgium, where there was a tendency to exploit . soldiers'. • , , ' . , The Belgian people just released | from the Hun invasion greeted the Australians with the greatest cordiality, and Australian soldiers could frequently be seen taking a Belgian. fami.y, father, mother and children to Ithe local military cinema shows. The New Zealand division remains iH the neighbourhood of Cologne. t The Maori battalion has been < reassembling at Dunkirk with a view ttf repatriation in a Wdy. It is likely that the New Zealanders will shortly move near the coast, in the vicinity of Hiarve, with a view to facilitating demobilisation. The Trench railways are congested, but through trains," composed of ambulance cats now converted into sleepers, are running from Germany to the coast ■ witn.. a view to bringing out all; the 1915 Australians, numbering It has been arranged that 10UD win cross the Channel from Harve to Weymouth every three days, being rep.iaoetf by the latest reinforcements. v It has been derided that all Australians shall embark by hundreds from English ports. , j . Ao Thirteen thousand five hundred departed in . December in fifteen steamers, and eight steamers sailed in January, carrying 6.500. , , The total shipped is over 20,0UU.