REPATRIATED PRISONERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 14 August 1944, Page 6

REPATRIATED PRISONERS

RECEPTION IN ENGLAND AFTER ARMISTICE ORGANISATION ESTABLISHED London, Aug. 10. An organisation is being established in England tp deal with repatriated prisoners of war when they arrive in this country from Germany after the armistice. New Zealand soldiers will be administered by the Second N.Z.E.F. (United Kingdom) Reception Group under the command of Brigadier Hargest, with Lieut.-Colonel L. F. Rudd as second-in-command, airmen will come under the jurisdiction of an R.N.Z.A.F. Headquarters department directed by Squadron Leader K. Crichton, and sailors of whom there are very few will return on loan to the Royal Navy and be under the direction of Mr S. R. Skinner, Naval Affairs Officer. So far the organisation is being sketched in the widest terms but the N.Z.E.F. has already acquired a large country house for tHfe headquarters camp anti there will probably be another five or six camps established. Every repatriated prisoner will receive immediate medical and dental attention if required. There will be officers of the Patriotic Fund Board and Y.M.C.A. to attend to their welfare and special attention will be given to clothing, pay and mails. On arrival from Germany the men will go direct to these camps in order that these details will receive attention and then they will be given a period of leave. New Zealand camps will, it is expected. be partly staffed by men sent from the N.Z.E.F. in Italy. Similar treatment will be accorded airmen, ex cept that they will go to an Air Ministry Reception Centre before receiving leave. As there are only about 20 New Zealand sailors who are prisoners they will probably be treated individually. It is, of course, impossible to estimate the period which will elapse between the men reaching England and sailing for New Zealand, as it depends upon the availability of shipping, but it is obvious that every precaution will be taken to see that former prisoners will be well cared for during the interval. Instancing the spirit of the people of Britain to extend hospitality, the New Zealand Forces’ Club recently circularised a number of people who acted as hosts to New Zealanders throughout the war enquiring whether they would be able to take former prisoners at short notice for a few weeks. Already over 1000 invitations have been received assuring them of a warm welcome.—P.A. Special Correspondent.