DARING EXPLOIT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23966, 16 May 1941, Page 12

DARING EXPLOIT

ESCAPE FEOM DAKAR INTERNED NEW ZEALANDER 80 MILES IN LIFEBOAT

(OX-..) DUNEDIN, Thursday The story of a daring and exciting escape made by a number of British and Allied residents who were interned at Dakar is told in a letter received recently from one of the prisoners, Mr. E. I). Hodge, of Dunedin. Mr. Hodge u as working for a builder in Wellington at the outbreak of the war, and signed on a vessel trading between this country and England. When he reached England he transferred to a Greek boat:, and it was apparently from this ship that he uas interned at Dakar by the French authorities. "At last I am able to write to you nil," states the letter, which was written at Bnthurst, Gambia. "I am free mid safe in an English port after nearly If) months of imprisonment in Dakar. What a difference there is under the British flag! We despaired of ever netting awav. The United States Consul had given up trying to get us free, and there seemed no way out. 'J he Dakar harbour was guarded by destroyers, submarines and patrol boats, day and night. Last Monday night, however, we talked an officer into helping us, and we launched a lifeboat into the water and eight of us -two Canadians. one Jamaica boy, three Greeks, a boy from Cyprus and myself—crept into it.

Submarine Evaded "We sneaked between a patrol boat and a submarine and worked our way through the net. We got a fright when a submarine cut right across our stern about oOft. away, but they did not see us in the darkness. Then we hoisted the sail, and were lucky to get a strong wind for about five hours. After that the wind died, and we had to row like the devil.

"Wo got another fright on Tuesday afternoon as a French ship changed her course and circled round us. We thought the game was up, but they left us alone and we kept on. On Wednesday morning we nearly sailed into the French port of Koalaeh bv mistake, but got away without being seen. Then a strong wind eame up and we made good time, actually catching and passing a Portuguese schooner outside Bathurst.

Welcome to Gambia "At five o'clock, 42 hours after leaving Dakar, we pulled into Bathurst

SO miles with a lot of zig-zagging. And what a welcome! The police, the military, even the Governor, welcomed us to Gambia. They have given us good beds, good food and some money, and done everything in their power to make us welcome. "This afternoon. J. think, we sail for Freetown, where we can get a ship for Fngland, and we are anxious to get into things. The boys are all excited and happy. It is like being born again, being here. No words could describe Dakar—fhe insults of the French, the food, drv bread and macaroni and goats' meat at the last.* We are enjoying good English meals. I guess Dakar will be torn apart bv the Governor and the admiral, as we are the first, British to get away; in fact, the only white British not'in concentration camps."