COCOS DETACHMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25287, 22 August 1945, Page 3

COCOS DETACHMENTS

PEACE CELEBRATIONS CABLE AND WIRELESS LINK (R.N.Z.A.F. Official War Correspondent) BURMA FRONT, Aug IS Moil of tho Royal Now Zealand Air Force serving on Cocos Island, the Koval ,Air Force's nearest base to Singapore, celebrated the news of the Japanp.se surrender with personnel of a detachment of a Netherlands naval air squadron. Dutchmen and Javanese staged a highly-interesting concert, featuring a Javanese hand. There was also a hurriedly-arranged picture show and a victory ration of two bottles of beer for every man. But it- was not all jubilation. Armourers worked long after the cease operations order on long-range aircraft: so that they could carry out a day and night search for the crow of an aircraft lost on the last operation of the war in the Indian Ocean.

| Although the .Fapnnp.se established in Sumatra and Java paid scant attention to the lonely island of Cocos, in the Coeos-Keelinc: group, between Australia and Ceylon, ocea.sional reconnaissance aircraft passed over. The home island, on which is a little settlement of about 2000 souls, was bombed about a year ago. For several years a cable and wireless station lias been in existence on one of the smallest islands. When the Japanese took over Sumatra and Java, the cable station, manned by a little group of civilians, continued to function and maintained a valuable link in the chain of Imperial communications. JEWISH WAR LOSSES FUTURE OF REFUGEES The part of the Jewish people in the war had been out of all proportion to their numbers, and it had been estimated that almost one-third of the prewar 16.000,000 .Jews in the world bad been killed by the enemy, said the Rev A. As tor, Rabbi of the Auckland Synagogue, in an address. He said the number of Jewish people killed during the war was ten times more than the number of persons killed in the British Empire. "If they had been killed in war, our mourning might not be so great, but they were killed in the most humiliating and cruel manner," he said. , Quoting from a recent address by Mr James G. Macdonald, chairman of the United States advisory committee for refugees, lie said that Unrra had clearly indicated that it was not assuming responsibility for the 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 people, mostly Jews, who could not reasonably be expected to return to their homes because conditions there were not favourable. The foundation of a Jewish State in Palestine was the only solution. UNIVERSITY SPORTS OTAGO TEAM SUCCESSFUL (P-A.) DUNEDdN, Tuesday The New Zealand University winter sports tournament was concluded today in ideal conditions. Otago, with '2B 1-I'J shield points, won the competition by a comfortable margin. Canterbury was runner-up, with 17% points. Following were the concluding results:— Men's Basketball.—Victoria 50, Massey, —<>; Otago, 20, Auckland, P.'. Canterbury wort the Basketball Shield, Auckland, Victoria and Otago tieing for second place. Coif.—Otago, :i matches: Auckland, 2; Canterbury, 1. The Burt Cup was won bv Otago. Final Shield Points. dago, 28 1-12: Canterbury, 17%; Auckland. 10 1-12; Massev. 2/V. Lincoln College, 0. PROFESSIONAL BOXING (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Tuesday Dick Baker (Invercargill), 11.2%. defeated Fred -Souther (Butt Valley), 11.(J, on points in a professional middle-weight boxing contest over 12 three-minute rounds in the Town Hall last night before a crowd of about 2500. Sou) hee fought strongly, but Baker's superior boxing gained liini the decision by a narrow margin. Southee floored Baker for the count ol four in the tenth. A right put Baker down for nine in the 11th round, but the invercargill man came hack strongly and his finishing effort assured him of the decision. INTERNATIONAL TENNIS (Reed, U. 30 p.m.) SYDNEY, Aug. 21 The American Lawn Tennis Association has been invited by the Lawn Tennis Association of Australia to send a team to Australia in December or January to take part in the Australian championships. It is felt that America will lose no time in challenging Australia for the Davis Cup and a visit by an American team will give a lino on Australia's chance of holding the trophy. BILLIARDS TOURNEY Champion of Champions.—li. Whitford, Auckland open champion, and J. Shepherd, Auckland amateur champion, commenced a match at Barton and Med ill's Hall last evening. At the end of the first session the scores were: Whitford. .Mil (in play) breaks of 35, s:t, 2s. 02, .'is. "i'J, Shepherd, '17!), breaks of 27, .Ml, 21'. 11, oil, ,'[; i The average for the session was III.*) The second session will be played this evening, commencing at K o'clock. B Grade Championship.- - Results of matches played las! evening were:—T. Moore, 2.M), lieal K. llnrtwell, l.Mi; ,). Cosgrove, 2.M1 (break of 32), beat E. Lock, 21ti. The unities for tonight are: L. McGregor v. \\\ McC'alliiiii, 7 o'clock; A. Williamson v. I>, K. Porter, S o'clock. CONFERENCE DATES New dates have now been fixed for two local body conferences in Auckland which were postponed because of the end of hostilities and the ensuing pence celebrations. A meeting of local body representatives will be held at the Town Hall on August H 0 to discuss the question of contributing toward the cost of surveys in the Mangcre district necessary for the selection of an aerodrome site. Regional and town planning questions will he discussed at a local body conference in the Town Hall council chamber on September 4.