FAREWELLED BY ROYALTY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 255, 28 October 1939, Page 8

FAREWELLED BY ROYALTY

KING AND QUEEN VISIT N.Z.- ; BOUND STEAMER HAWERA WOMAN’S EXPERIENCE DEPARTURE OF FIRST CONVOY A passenger on a vessel included in the outbreak of war, Mrs. E. T. Frank, the first convoy to leave England after reached Auckland on Tuesday, and returned to her home at Hawera on Wednesday after 15 months’ absence, the whole of this period being spent in England, states the Hawera Star. Mrs. Frank left England on September 16, and on the previous day was given a close-up view of Their Majesties the King and Queen, who visited the vessel to extend bon voyage to the passengers, this visit being made during a tour of the London docks. There were between 60 and 70 vessels in the convoy, said Mrs. Frank, this total including destroyers and other warships, while planes flew overhead on the constant watch for U-boats that might put in an appearance. The convoy broke up on September 20, when just off Land’s End, the speed of the vessels up until that day having been about six knots, while they had returned to within sight of land on three occasions. All the vessels were under the direct charge of the British Admiralty, and • British naval units were on board the • I vessel for New Zealand until Jamaica | was reached. With the breaking-up of the convoy and the dispersal of the vessels for various routes, the speed of the ship on which M,v Frank was a passenger was speeded up, and for the remainder of the trip it was a ’ case of "full speed ahead.” During the jonrney down the Eng- ’ lish Channel the passengers were ; given one scare, this being the night ’ on which the aircraft carrier, Courageous, was torpedoed and sunk somewhere in the vicinity of the convoy, but fortunately, they did not know of this incident until some time after it had happaned. The remainder of the journey was comparatively uneventful, but the passengers missed the usual activities ci ship-board life, such as concerts on deck, and they also found the travelling on a "black-out” ship something of a nerve-wracking experience. The wireless was silenced throughout the journey, and they heard little or nothing of the war news. There was some fear regarding the German armed raider after the vessel left Panama, but this vessel did not put in an appearance and finally tne passengers had a very welcome glimpse of Auckland. It was IS years since Mrs. Frank left England, and in her home county, Cornwall, she noticed many changes. She spent most of her time with ner parents in that county but she also made visits to other relatives in Wales, Devon and other western counties. The children evacuated from London were domiciled in the west of England, she said, and the people were doing everything possible to make the jives of these innocent victims of circumstances more cheerful. The children were very brave, she said, but it was pitiable to see them with t.heii gasmasks labelled so as tneir identity would not be lost. Generally, the people of England \vvcre taking matters very calmly, and were going about their ordinary duties in as normal a manner as possible, but London, with its sandbagged buildings and an entire aosence of lights, did not seem the same place. Tne English people were doing their bit to help one ’ another in various ways and Mrs. ; Frank was particularly struck by the manner in which the young men were rallying to the colours. ••Personally, 1 would not like to live in England again,” she said, "and 1 am quite satisfied that the people of New Zealand do not realise now well off they are out here.” -----