EVACUEES FROM SINGAPORE

Southland Times, Issue 24675, 21 February 1942, Page 4

EVACUEES FROM SINGAPORE

Mother And Twin Daughters

(Special) AUCKLAND, Feb 20. Evacuated from Singapore during the height of the fighting on the Malayan peninsula, Mrs N. A. Cessford, an Englishwoman whose husband is a member of the Singapore Municipality, has arrived at Auckland on her way to Christchurch to join relations. She has brought with her her twin daughters, Norah and Sheilah Cessford, aged four. Her son is in Christchurch, where Mr and Mrs Cessford left him to be educated while they were visiting New Zealand on furlough some months ago. Mrs Cessford left Singapore three weeks ago and was necessarily able. to bring with her only a small quantity of clothing and a few personal possessions. So far as she knew, she said, pointing to the few things she had with her, these were the only possessions she knew she owned. She did not know what had happened to her home. She had received a cablegram a week ago from her husband, but had heard nothing of him since then. The evacuation, she said, had been hardest on the children because they did not understand why they had been rushed away so suddenly. Although they were possibly the youngest evacuees yet to have reached New Zealand from the Far East since the entry of Japan into the war, the two girls showed little signs in Auckland ofi-’ their ' recent experiences. While waiting for their mother they played contentedly with their dolls and took a lively interest in their new surroundings.