HONGKONG ESCAPE

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 25056, 21 November 1944, Page 6

HONGKONG ESCAPE

NEW ZEALAND AIBMAIf)" . PRAISE FOR THE CHINESE (P.A.) WELLINGTON. Monday "I hare nothing but the utmost ad« miration for the way the Chinese nation, with so few weapons and resources, has been carrying on the fight against Japan," said Squadron-Leader E. D. Crossley, M.C., R.N.Z.A.F., in an interview today. Squadron-Leader Crossley is the only member of the Royal Air Force personnel stationed at Hongkong at the time of the Jap. anese attack who survives and is not a prisoner of war. The R.A.F. unit to which he was attached never became operational in the battle to defend Hongkong, because its aeroplanes were destroyed in the first Japanese bombing attack on their aerodrome. Squadron-Leader, or, as lie was then, Pilot-Officer Crossley consequently became attached to the. Winnipeg Grenadiers as a machine-gunner in the defence of the island. He was taken prisoner, and spent two months iit one of the prisoner of war camps on the island. Captured and Released An escape was made by SquadronLeader Crossley in the company of two others. When they got away from the camp unnoticed, they were lucky enough to find a small boat, but the craft was spotted and fire was opened from the shore. The boat was hit and sank beneath them, and thev had to swim the greater part of the strait ■ between the island and the mainland at Kowloon. Once ashore, all three were captured by followers of the Japanese puppet head of the Nanking Government, Wang Chin-wei, whose death was reported recently. They were released when their captors found they were of no use to them and could not be held for ransom. They were no sooner on the move again toward the interior of China than they ran into another group of Wang's men, and were again made prisoner, and again set free. Aided by Chinese Their next captors were guerillas, who were operating under the Chinese National Government, and they were ' held prisoner again until their bona fides were established. They were then supplied with Chinese clothes and passports, and made their way on foot to Kukong, in Kwangtung. They had covered about 300 miles from Kowloon on foot, but henceforth to Chungking v they were carried by transport. At Chungking they were taken charge of by the British Consul, and later evacuated in a China National Airways Corporation transport plane to Calcutta, via Lashio, Burma. Squadron-Leader Crossley has since seen service in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, flying in the air transport service'. The Military Cross waß awarded ■ after his escape from Hongkong, hut the citation or the award, an unusunl one for an airman, has not been released by the authorities.

LECTURER ARRIVES AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE IN GERMANY Discharged after two periods of service with the Australian Imperial Force in Australia and New Guinea Mr T. R. N. Lothian, of Melbourne, arrived by air from Australia yesterday to take up an appointment as lecturer in horticulture at Lincoln Agricultural College. Canterbury. Mr Lothian, who is aged 31, was born in Melbourne and educated at Scotch College and Burnley Horticultural College. His wife, who is already in New Zealand, was formerly Miss E. V. Chaffey, of Christchurch. Caught in Germany by the outbreak of war, Mr Lothian was in Munich two days after the Germans marched into Poland. He got away by one of the last trains, but was held up at Cologne. "It was no picnic," he Said briefly describing the journey. "We reached Cologne at 4 a.m. and they told us that there were no more trains running. Eventually, however, one came along and we went on into Belgium." Mr Lothian then returned to England, where he had previously been studying at Kew, and completed his course before returning to Australia and enlisting. He was discharged from the A.I.F. for a period on medical grounds, but was later again mobilised, commissioned, and sent to New Guinea in charge ot a garden produce supply unit growing food for the Australian forces in the area.

KING'S COLLEGE POST NEW BURSAR APPOINTED The St. John's College Trust Board yesterday appointed Mr Nelson C. Pierce, of Auckland, to the post of bursar of King's College- in succession to Brigadier J. G. C. Wales. Mr Pierce, who was selected from 38 applicants. filled the position during Brigadier Wales' absence on active service. Born at Napier, Mr Pierce was educated at King's College, and was 8 prominent swimmer before the last war. He enlisted in 1914, and was on active service for four years, in spite of losing an arm on the Somme in 1916. On returning to civil life, lie became secretary to a number of organisations, including the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association for three years. Mr Pierce is a keen amateur gardener, and has been secretary of the Auckland Horticultural Society for about ten years. MESSAGE FROM STALIN (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Monday The Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. has received the following cabled message from Marshal Stalin: "I thank you.tor your congratulations and friendly gooa wishes to the Soviet people on the occasion of the anniversary of the foundation of the Soviet- State. I share your conviction that the approaching peace, like victory over the enemy, will n assured by means of close co-operation between all freedom-loving people. SYDNEY FLYING-BOATS The following passengers left for Sy - nev by a Tasman Empire Airwa, flving-boat yesterday MessrsJ. Bremer. J. H. Tucker, H. H. Sterling, ,T. S. Gill. H. C. Whitehouse, E. A. Cameron. N. Bowman. R. G. C. G. T). Higginson„Mesdames R. Hampan. W. Acott, K. A. Hiegmson, D. Clark, R. K. Wills. D. Endean, Misses ,f. C. Bland, R. A. Ballantyne, Masters B. C. Clark. D. Clark.. A Tasniar. Empire Airways arrived from Sydney yesterday w the following passengersMesdames E. E. Hudson, N. M. Lynch, 0. »• Wnddell. Messrs D. R. Andree Booker. F. H. Bass, W. B. Darker, L. ,T. Donaldson, W. H. Edwards,. H. C. Hucks, A. A. Lembree, T. R. Lothian, E. L. Rutledge, W. Skeates. S. C. Stichbury. W. S. Stich burr. J. Waddell, A. Wachner.

PERSONAL ITEMS Mr TT. TT. Sterling left for Sydney by Tasman flying-bont yesterday. The Hon. W. E. Parry, Minister ofInternal Affairs, left for Wellington last night. Mr F. H. Bass, secretary of Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, returned r Australia by 'air yesterday. The Ven. F. H. Petrie, Archdeacon of Rangitikei and vicar of Fedding. been appointed by the Bishop of ington, Rt. Rev. H. St. Barbe Hoi land, as his vicar-general.