HAVEN FROM WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23818, 20 November 1940, Page 14

HAVEN FROM WAR

EVACUATED CHILDREN GAIETY AND PATHOS MOVING SCENE AT MELBOURNE MELBOURNE, Nov. 32 After a voyage of ten weeks, during which they crossed the equator three times and shared accommodation with a large contingent of British troops for thousands of miles, 477 British children evacuated from England, Scotland and Wales have reached Australia. During their voyage, water and provisions had been short at times, there had been cases of measles and chicken pox, but when the Polish liner drew iu at Port Melbourne tho hundreds of happy little faces that lined the rails and the massed cheering and singing from shrill voices told of the general good health and high spirits in which they had reached their strange new land. "Wo have brought you the Crown jewels of England," said tho officer in charge of the men and women escorts, Mr. C. H. Kilbv. At tho wharf to meet the children were the members of tho Overseas Children's Reception Committee. What they and the small group of wharf labourers, seamen and officials saw could never be forgotten. Along the port side main deck from fore to aft there was a wall of bright faces, coloured caps and hats, ribbons, dolls, floral frocks, wind-tossed curls. There was a rippling laughter from hundreds of young, high-pitched eage.voiccs; the broad-grinning faces from countless portholes of Polish seamen, the pleased and proud countenances of the 36 escorts who had tended the

youngsters 011 the long voyage and now stood behind them on tho decks. From somewhere along the rails came a treble and tremulous cooee. Immediately these children from the north of Scotland to the south of England. from the towns of smoko stacks anil the havens of fishing trawlers, picked up-the strains of a song that almost brought tears to tlie eyes of the watchers —"Waltzing Matilda," newlylearned and well-practised by the little pilgrims specially for their arrival in Australia. It took a long sea voyage to repair some of the damage done to the warshattered nerves of many. 1* or the lirst fortnight at sea the escorts had to wrestle with this; They found that when they went round the cabins at night to cover the sleeping children some of them leaped up and shrieked "Itaid," and made for the doors. They had to be soothed back to sleep. Many of these children suffered night horrors. Some of them had come from the isle of Wight, which was heavily attacked by German bombers. _ And while hundreds of them were waiting at hostels at a big English port before embarkation they were three times. The healing qualities of time, the sea air and community life had produced happy, carefree youngsters when the liner reached Melbourne. flioy were dressed just as their mothers had sent them to the receiving depots. in England, Scotland and Wales. Drawn from the schools of 60 different education authorities, many still wore their school colours 011 caps and hats. Many of tho children had on their shoulders their leather schoolbags; all had tied to their blouses or shirts the cardboard identification discs with name and number. Strong friendships developed during tho voyage between the children and the Polish seamen and British sailors, and there _ were some moving scenes as small children wept in the arms of seamen as they said goodbye.