ORDER OF RETURN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25287, 22 August 1945, Page 6

ORDER OF RETURN

SOLDIERS OVERSEAS LENGTH OF SERVICE OTHER POINTS DISCUSSED (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday "Every endeavour will be made to bring back to New Zealand those men of the Second N.Z.E.F. who are to be returned from overseas in the order in which they were despatched," said the -Minister of Defence. Mr .Jones, today. Mr .Jones was asked whether servicemen overseas would be returned in the order in which they left or whether some priority system as announced by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, to apply to forces within tho Dominion would be followed. The policy to be adopted for the forces within New Zealand is to first demobilise men in certain essential industries, such as coalmining and activities connected with building construction. Tho statement by the Minister therefore implies that no such priority system will be employed for men from the Middle East. The 6th Reinforcement is the first batch of overseas men duo to return, to he followed by the 7th Reinforcement and so on. The Minister was reminded that the Australian Government had announced the composition of Commonwealth forces which would be used to occupy Japan and he was a.sked if he was in a position to state whether New Zealand intended to be represented during the occupation period by either ground, sea or air forces. Mr .lories replied that he preferred to make no comment at this stage. With the sudden end of the war it is natural for relatives of men who are overseas to expect that they will be returned to New Zealand within a short period, but official quarters emphasise that so far there has been no improvement in the shipping position to warrant any such hope. When asknd today if he could cominput on shipping arrangements which are being made to return New Zealand servicemen to their own country, Mr •Tones said that the Government had taken up with the British Government the question of obtaining additional j shins to bring the men home from Italy | a lid a reply was awaited. NGfED AIRMAN WING COMMANDER GIIAIY HOME ON SHORT LEAVE i New Zealand's highest scoring fighter pilot, Wing Commander Colin F. Gray, D.5.0.. D.F.C. and two bars, who distinguished himself early in the war and built up a notable record in the sue- ; ceediug years, passed through Auckland !11 ii> week on his way to his home at j Gisborne. He travelled by air from Engj land for a period of leave in New Zealand.

Wing Commander Gray, who has n score of 27A enemy aircraft, was horn in Christchureh in 1914 and -was educated at Christcliurch, Wellington and Napier. In 11)38 lie was accepted for a short service commission in the Royal Air Force, entering the service a short time after his twin brother, the late Flying Oflicer Kenneth Gray, D.F.C. The latter was one of the first two New Zealanders to be decorated with the D.K.C. during tho war in Europe. Wing Commander Gray was awarded the D.F.C, for his pnrt in the evacuation from Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain. He later flew Spitfires in North Africa and was awarded the D.S.O. for gallantry in Tunisia. His twin brother was killed on operations and another brother was killed while serving in the Army. Wing Commander Gray will be given a civic welcome at Gisborne today. NAVAL DECORATIONS SERVICE IN MEDITERRANEAN (P.A.). WELLINGTON, Tuesday Advice has been received from the Admiralty that the King has approved the award of a bar to the Distinguished | Service Cross to Temporary-Lieutenant E. H. G. Lassen, D.K.C.. of Oxford. North Canterbury, for gallant service in the .Mediterranean in action against, | enemy light forces last March, and the award of the Distinguished Service Cross to Temporary-Lieutenant A. 0. Wood house, of Napier, for gallant service in the Gulf of Venice last April. A BOY KILLED STRUCK BY FLYING METAL A 15-year-old hoy was killed instantly today. He was struck by a flying fragment of metal when a bracket on his father's traction engine broke under a strain. He was Bernard Keith Robinson, son of Mr and Mrs A. Robinson, of Waimate.. The engine was doing haulage work connected with the clearing of a channel in a creek. MAN FATALLY INJURED A young man who was found injured at the bottom of the lift well in the premises of C. C. Wakefield and Co., Ltd., Anzac Avenue, on Monday afternoon, died later. He was Mr William John Heenan, single, aged 22, of 121 5 New North Moan, Mount Albert. Restorative measures were applied when the man was found, but he died soon afterward. An inquest was opened before the coroner, Mr A. Addison, yesterday morning and adjourned. NEWMARKET COLLISION A light motor-car driven by Miss Eleanor L. Ilellabv, of 01A .Mountain Road, Fpsom, was involved in a collision with a motor-truck driven by Mr David Stanley Pole, of 37 Sandringham Road, in Broadway, Newmarket, yesterday afternoon. Miss Hcllaby suffered cuts and shock when the ear overturned and a passenger, Miss Rachel Maiull, of 104 Courtville Flats, Parliament Street, City, also suffered shock. FIRE AT ROTORUA (0,0.) ROTORUA, Tuesday A wooden single-storey building in Fenton Street, Rotorua, occupied by Mr Hing Poy and used as a Chinese laundry, was destroyed by fire this morning, practically nothing being saved. The laundry work on the premises included considerable clothing belonging to Air Force personnel. The building was owned bv Mr H. E. Goodwin. of Hamilton. The insurance is stat&d to b« between £4OO and £6OO.