CHILD EVACUEES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26749, 19 April 1948, Page 4

CHILD EVACUEES

RETURNING TO POLAND WAR-TIME STAY ENDED P.A. AUCKLAND. Apl. 18. Each carrying a bulky food parcel, 16 children and eight adults from the Polish camp at Pahiatua filed up the gangway of the liner Rangitata at Auckland on Saturday morning to begin the long journey back to thenhomeland. They had had several years of enforced exile and departed with mixed feelings. Among the adults were several woman teachers, a woman doctor, and a 76-ycar-old woman singing tutor who had been attached to the camp. Many of them had come lo the camp with their children. They had not seen their husbands, nor had most of the children seen their parents, since early in the war when they were transferred from their country to a displaced persons' camp in Persia and later to New Zealand. The children and adults had few possessions with them when they went on board the Rangitata, but all of them had a large food parcel. Tinned meat, biscuits and chocolate were the main foodstuffs they were taking home. The children were well clothed and well nourished but few of them spoke English well. They had received their schooling here in their own language. Representatives of the Catholic Youth Movement were at the wharf to help the party to embark.

After ieaving the Rangitata at London. the Poles will go by another ship to Gdynia. About 300 Polish children are still at the camp. Many will stay in New Zealand indefinitely.