RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23323, 5 October 1945, Page 5

RETURNING NEW ZEALANDERS

No Being Lost Accommodation Short N.Z.P.A.—Special Correspondent LONDON, October 3. An instance of causes which result in some New Zealanders having uncomfortable voyages home from England is the sudden cancellation of accommodation for nearly 500 K.N.Z.N.V.K. personnel on the Orentes, which was to have sailed on October 9. Plans for the repatriation of naval personnel were announced only after the end of the Japanese war. Their return to the Dominion for demobilisation depends entirely on the rate of release from the Royal Navy. This is being expedited by the New Zealand naval affairs officer in London. Mr S. R. Skinner. The fact that 500 R.N.Z.N.V.R. personnel. comprised roughly of 100 officers and 400 men. are ready to sail for home within a comparatively short time since V-J Day indicates that no time is being lost. But the abtupt concellation of the ship reserved for them and the impossibility of indicating at present when they will sail not only delays the date of their, demobilisation. but also adds to the congestion of men already waiting to sail. It also helps to explain the conditions in ships to which men are drafted at short notice. The necessity to implement the Government's request to repatriate all New Zealand service personnel as soon as possible has been complied with to the fullest extent of the available shipping space by the various service headquarters. New Zealand, in common with all the United Nations, has been given a fair allocation of vessels required for the worldwide movement of forces following the end of hostilities, but the shortage makes long-term planning difficult. Delays Prevented An earlier indication of \ the uncertainty of the shipping programme occurred last month when the R.N.Z.A.F. was given a fortnight to assemble 1500 for the liner Andes, now New Zealand-bound. This was the biggest draft ever moved by the R.N.Z.A.F. in any theatre. While many personnel are inconvenienced at being embarked at such short notice, it has since become evident that the size of the draft has prevented very substantial delays in further repatriations occuring in the next few months. The high figure of 75 per cent, officers in the aircrew is unique in the services, and necessarily it has meant that it has not always been possible to allot accommodation which the personnel normally would be entitled to, as the troopships are not designed to carry such a large proportion of officers. Accommodation, in fact, has become a major problem, so much so that a recent order for all British services authorised troop-deck travel, if necessary, for all junior officers. At the moment there are another 500 R.N.Z.A.F. personnel ready to sail for New Zealand immediately a ship is allotted to them.