PRISONERS OF WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24820, 12 August 1942, Page 4

PRISONERS OF WAR

LIEUT.-COLONEL TENNENT MEETS RELATIONS

During his stay in Invercargill Lieu-tenant-Colonel A. A. Tennent is endeavouring to meet as many as possible of the next of kin of prisoners of war. He spent four months as a prisoner of war in Italy and he has the addresses of relations ‘of New Zealand prisoners of war whom he met there. He has already visited a number of these relations and hopes to meet more before he leaves for the north on Sunday night. Lieutenant-Colonel Tennent said yesterday that if a meeting of next of kin of war prisoners, whose addresses he had not got, could be arranged he would be pleased to be present. The Red Cross Society in Christchurch was arranging such a meeting and he would attend it on his way north. Yesterday morning LieutenantColonel Tennent visited the Waihopai school, of which he is a former pupil and dux. He was accompanied by Mr W. J. A. McGregor. He was introduced to the children by the head master, Mr A. Thomson, and he Spoke to the pupils of Standards HI, IV, V and VI on some of his experiences in Egypt, Libya, Syria, Greece and Italy. The children followed the address with the keenest interest and at the end bombarded the speaker with questions. On behalf of the pupils Malcolm Imlay thanked Lieutenant-Colonel Tennent for his address. At 5 p.m. today Lieutenant-Colonel Tennent will address a meeting of members of the Invercargill Returned Services Association at the association’s club rooms. He will speak of his experiences as a prisoner of war in Italy.