EVACUATION BY AIR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25952, 19 September 1945, Page 5

EVACUATION BY AIR

SINGAPORE ORGANISATION WORKING SMOOTHLY (R.N.Z.N. Official War Correspondent) SINGAPORE, Sept. 17. The third aircraft of the New Zealand prisoners of war flight took off early this morning with 16 more civilians and prisoners of war, bringing the total evacuated by air to 48. The organisation is now working very smoothly. The evacuees are accommodated in a comfortable house while waiting for their air passage, and are given special food, good clothes, and proper medical attention. So far as is known, only about 30 persons remain to be moved from Singapore, but it is expected that more will be arriving from Sumatra and Java at any time.

Reports of the number of New Zealanders in camps in the Netherlands East Indies are far from precise, but inquiries among the returning Australians and British who are streaming in by air indicate that there are few New Zealanders at the main camps. The New Zealand prisoners of war flight reconnaissance party, which was sent to survey the situation at Java and Sumatra, is due back to-day. In the meantime there has been a hitch in the evacuation of Australians and British away from Singapore. An Australian troopship was delayed because the Australian authorities refused to allow their evacuees to occupy the troop decks, although ships are being loaded with only 60 per cent, of their troop-carrying capacity. A number of British civilian internees walked off a troopship yesterday, complaining about the accommodation and food. The few New Zealanders who elected to return by sea may be affected by the present difficulty, but before the end of the week no Singapore evacuees will be left here.