MAKING PROGRESS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23322, 4 October 1945, Page 6

MAKING PROGRESS

Victims Of Japanese Brutality Hospital Ship Arrives (N.Z.P.A.) AUCKLAND, Oct. 3. The hospital ship Tjitjalengka arrived at Auckland with 459 victims of Japanese brutality, neglect and semistarvation. Most of them are British sailors, soldiers and airmen, the rest being Australians, South Africans, New Zealanders, Indians and Chinese. They have beri-beri, dengue, tuberculosis, malnutrition, and other diseases contracted in Japanese prisoner-of-war camps. Many have limb amputations. The ship is a Dutch vessel charted by the Admiralty. She anchored in the stream to-night and will berth tomorrow morning, when the patients will be transferred to various hospitals in Auckland province. The ship will leave shortly for Wellington, where it will receive from the New Zealand hospital ship Maunganui some patients bound fbr Australia, she will then continue to Sydney. All the patients and internees are from prisoner-of-war and other camps in Japan. They joined the ship at Tokio. When they came aboard at Tokio the majority were said by the ship’s doctors to have been in a pitiable state. Some were walking skeletons. Since then the majority have made amazing progress. None has died. Message From King The Governor-General has received from his Majesty the King the following message to prisoners of war repatriated from the Far East:—“The Queen and I bid you a very warm welcome home. Through all the great trials and sufferings you have undergone at the hands of t 0 Japanese you have been constantly in our thoughts. We know from reports we have already received how heavy those sufferings have been. We know also that these have been endured bv you with the highest courage. We mourn with you the death of so many of your gallant comrades. With all our hearts we hope your return from captivity will bring you and your families a full measure of happiness which you may long enjoy together.’’