AUCKLAND MEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume 82, Issue 25300, 6 September 1945, Page 4

AUCKLAND MEN

OYER 600 FOR CITY TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS About 1400 return members of the Expeditionary Force from the city, South Auckland and North Auckland arc-as will arrive at their homes today and tomorrow. A draft of 287 former prisoners of war is expected by train from Wellington at 6.30 a.m. today, and two trains will arrive tomorrow morning with a large part}' of men from the Middle East who reached Lyttelton by the Strathaird. A fleet of motor-cars provided this morning by the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Association and the Red Cross Transport Corps, as well as Army vehicles, has been mobilised to take the men and next-of-kin to their homes. To ease the demand on transport, the authorities have made an appeal to next-of-kin to limit their requirements to one car for each soldier. The maximum car load will be five persons. The first special train tomorrow is due to arrive at Frankton at 3.49 a.m. and at Auckland at 6.30. It will carry 430 men for the city and 134 for North Auckland. The men for the north will be taken to the transit camp at Mechanics' Bay for a meal before connecting with the Opua express. The second train, which is expected to arrive at Frankton at 4.54 in the morning and at Auckland at 7.51, will carry 371 men for South Auckland stations and 183 for the city. Meals will be provided on the journey. Men for Auckland with surnames beginning witli the letters A to P will travel on the first train, in addition to the North Auckland men; The second train will carry Auckland men in the Q to Z category, in addition to men for Hamilton, Hotorua, Bay of Plenty and the King Country. To cope with the personnel on both trains, the Commercial Travellers' Association will provide 200 cars and the Red Cross Transport Corps 80. As with previous drafts, the arrival platform at the railway station will be divided into alphabetical sections according to the initials of the soldiers. Private cars will be allowed at the Parnell Park end of the Strand only. They will not be permitted in the area used by official vehicles. Red Cross cars taking about 53 men to the northern side of the harbour will be given priority on the vehicular ferries. PROTEST BY NEXT-OF-KIN EARLY HOUR OF ARRIVAL The early hour of arrival of the special trains bringing returning members of the Expeditionary Force to Auckland today and tomorrow has been the subject of protests to the Auckland Returned Services Association by a number of next-of-kin. As a result, the president of the association, Mr A. P. Postlewaite, has sent a telegram to the Minister of Railways, Mr Semple, drawing his attention to the difficulty experienced by next-of-kin living in suburban areas who wished to meet trains arriving at Auckland at 6.30 a.m. WARM WELCOME SCENES AT WELLINGTON ARRIVAL OF THE ORION (P-A.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday There were scenes of rapturous welcome when the men who returned by the Orion disembarked this morning, and some of the soldiers were almost knocked off their feet by the rush of relatives and friends. Several Of the waiting parties had large banners of greetings and formed a triumphal procession out of the shed. The first men away were for Gisborue and Hawke's Bay, who left on a train at 9.40 a.m., and all of the others will bo on their way home by tonight. Elaborate arrangements have been made for the entertainment of the Australians and Royal Navy personnel in clubs, theatres and private homes. CHINESE HOLIDAY SHOPS CLOSE THREE DAYS Chinese shops, market garnens and laundries will close on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in celebration of the end of the war with Japan. Chinese restaurants will not he closed. No special ceremonies have yet been planned and it is expected that the celebrations will take the form of general rejoicing in Chinese homes. The Chinese community in Auckland j received advice yesterday from Nanking that the armistice between China and Japan would be signed officially today. Owing to the short notice it was decided not to start the holidays today as many Chinese are engaged on essential contracts which they would liko to before ceasing work. All Chinese fruit, shops and laundries in the Waikato will close for three days, starting today. FROSTS IN WHANGAREI (0.C.) WHANGAREI, Wednesday There have been three successive frosts in Wbangarei up to this morning. This is an unusual occurrence for this time of the year.