INCIDENTS ON WHARF

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27569, 11 December 1950, Page 4

INCIDENTS ON WHARF

Soldiers Ordered Off

HAULED BACK ON BOARD PA WELLINGTON, Dec. 10. After being ordered off the Ormonde by their artillery commander, Lieu-tenant-colonel J. W. Moodie. three K Force soldiers made a sensational return to the ship by being hauled aboard with ropes and many willing hands. Their return was not completed before a series of incidents which led -to a near-riot by a large crowd on the wharf. One soldier, in his attempt to return, fell in and was hauled out by a rope. The force was allowed to wait on the \yharf until the ship’s siren called them back. This was heard about' 11 a.m. At 11.45 a.m. three soldiers, who had apparently wandered away from the wharf, arrived with kit bags, pairs of boots and some bottles of beer. They were noticed by a K Force staff sergeant, who went ashore and brought them on the ship.

Shortly after • they were on board, Lieutenant-colonel Moodie, ordered that they be put off the ship. To the accompaniment of boos and jeers from soldiers on the ship and civilians on the wharf, they were forced down the gangway. Halfway down the gangway, army provosts who were on the wharf met the party and an argument ensued whether the three soldiers should be brought ashore. Eventually they were pushed on to the wharf, with one soldier struggling against his passage down the gangway and holding to its rails. On the wharf, a hostile crowd endeavoured to release the three soldiers from the provost. One woman struck a sergeant on the back of the head. One civilian who endeavoured to assist the sergeant was attacked by two young men.

A crowd of civilians pushed their way between the sergeant and the soldier, enabling the soldier to return to the side of the ship. A big man, he slipped from the hands of his helpers when he jumped for the rail and fell into the sea. A rope was dropped, and rescuers climbed down the piles and he was eventually brought back to the wharf. He vanished in the crowd for a time while his companions by the stern of the ship passed up their kitbags and threw themselves into the many welcoming hands of their fellow, soldiers. They came aboard to the accompaniment of loud cheers and these were redoubled when the man who had fallen in swung himself up hapd over hand along a rope to the rail. He was accosted and taken below. The other two, it is believed, scuttled for safety into the thickest group of soldiers. Lieutenant-colonel Moodie and other officers present had no comment to make on the incident. The soldiers concerned said they had been ordered off because they were late in returning to the ship.