RELIEF AIRCRAFT

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

RELIEF AIRCRAFT

PRISONEBS OF WAR

MEN IN THE FAR EAST (S.R.) WELLINGTON, Tuesday *The transport aircraft which are to leave Whenuapai airfield for Singapore to repatriate service and civilian personnel of New Zealand nationality who have been prisoners in the hands of the Japanese will take off as soon as word is received of the British occupation of Singapore. The aircraft will carry medical stores, food, maintenance equipment and medical and maintenance personnel. Inquiries made today from the Minister of Defence; Mr Jones, showed that at the end of June there were 84 New Zealand service personnel listed as being prisoners of war in Japanese hands. The total is made up of 27 officers and 57 other ranks. In addition there are 82 officers and 102 other ranks who have been classified as missing in tho Japanese theatre of war. Officials in the Prime Minister's Department were unable to estimate the number of civilian prisoners this afternoon, but a list is being compiled and will be ready for announcement tomorrow. "Ready Within 24 Hours" About three days ago the South-east Asia Command asked New Zealand what] could be done to help servicemen and civilians who were prisoners and internees in Singapore, Malaya, Thailand and other places in the Far Fast. The answer was: "Heady within 24 hours." It is proposed to send the large transports of the H.N.Z.A.F. to a forward base in Borneo now occupied by Australian troops and from there to a base nearer Singapore. The flight to the advanced base is being made via Pacific islands on an extension of the present routes of the H.N.Z.A.F. Transport squadrons. When the aircraft leave with their released prisoners they will fly back through Australia, which means a saving of a day and a-half on the outward route. Food and Equipment Ivich aircraft has been fitted to accommodate 10 passengers in bunks and each will carry a male medical orderly and a medical officer. Kvery ounce of food and equipment for the personnel has to be taken from New Zealand for the conditions to lie encountered in the forward areas arc not known at present The scheme iuvolv.es the establishment of a completely independent maintenance unit for the aircraft to be used in the area as well as requirements for an advanced base, perhaps at Singapore, when the organisation permits of a shuttle service from the front area to the Borneo base. Particular emphasis has been laid on medical stores and equipment because of the conditions found among prisoners of war and internees liberated in the Philippines. DEPARTMENT'S ACTION HOUSES DEMOLISHED PROPERTY UNDEVELOPED Criticism of the Housing Construction Department for acquiring a property and demolishing two large houses on it some years ago and then not rebuilding, was made at a meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council last night. The property is at the corner of Mount Eden and Edenvale Roads. "This appears to me to be growing into a monument of departmental mismanagement," said Mr F. C. H. Cowan. "The first part of the property was acquired by the department six years ago and a two-storeyed house accommodating, four families was demolished. Twelve months later, the second part was acquired, and a second, six-roomed house was demolished." The section was now badly overgrown, and Mr Cowan pointed out that a rough, hilly -section in Symonds Street was being developed for flats, when this perfectly good, level section, which was the best in the borough, was available. Mr Cowan moved that the Minister of Housing, Mr Semple, be requested to ask the department to make some practical use of the property without delay, or to state at what price it would be willing to hand it over to the borough for a park. The Minister bad previously indicated verbally that the price would be about £4OOO, said the town clerk, Mr A. D. Jack. Several members said they would oppose paying that price for a park, and Mr N. C. Sneddon remarked that he was under the impression that, after the department had spent about £IOOO on plans and similar preparations, it "did not intend building on it. The motion was carried. FUGITIVE CAUGHT ARRESTED AT MILFORD The arrest was made at Mil ford last night of Roy James Whelan. aged Ho, who escaped from police custody while receiving attention at the Auckland Hospital on August 2. Dressed in dark clothes, he offered no resistance when taken by surprise by Constable H. E. Fell, of Takapuua. Whelan was arrested on a charge of theft on August 1. but owing to the injuries he received in a struggle beforehand he was taken to the Auckland Hospital. He escaped clad only in a pair of pyjamas. He will appear in the Auckland Police Court this morning, where he will be charged with escaping from lawful custdHy. DRAINAGE SCHEME HARBOUR BOARD'S SUPPORT "The board has approved and assisted the development of the Auckland metropolitan drainage scheme, and it sees no reason why such approval should now be withdrawn," stated a recommendation approved at a meeting of the Auckland Harbour Hoard yesterday, in answer to a letter from the Auckland and Suburban Drainage League asking to be informed of (he board's attitude toward the Hrown's Island scheme. The league also requested that the board should hear a small deputation on the subject, and it' was decided that, if the league still desired to wait on the board, the deputation should be invited to attend next Tuesday. AIR FORCE RELEASES WORK AT REMUERA DEPOT The recent verv considerable reduction of operational and training activity has enabled the Hoval New Zealand Air Foreo to quicken the rate of discharges provided for by reductions in its establishment which had been ordered before peace was declared. The system being followed is that men whose homes are in the Auckland district are being sent from their stations to the depot at Heniuera for discharge. This system has resulted in Heniuera handling men from such stations as Wigram, Taieri, Harewood, Oliakea, Whenuapai and Ardmore. At Remuera the men receive filial medical examinations and attend to the many administrative details which have to be completed before they can effectively return to civilian life. The rate of discharge is governed very largely by the speed with which these details can be completed and the Heniuera depot is increasing its staff to deal with the demobilisation. MAORI CONSTABLE (0.0.) GTSBORNK. Tuesday By the swearing in of Mr A. P. Hi raj as a constable in the police force at Gisborne, a precedent has been established for the Dominion, as he is the first full-blooded Maori to assume that office in New Zealand. As a part-time native constable at Te Kaha for 12 years he rendered valuable service in dealing with East Coast Maoris. He is to ba etationed at Ruatoria, ,