YUGOSLAV EXILES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 295, 18 April 1941, Page 5

YUGOSLAV EXILES

CELEBRATION END OF 1914-18 WAR Now that the British and Yugoslavs are comrades in arms it is of interest to recall that 22 years ago when the 1914-18 war closed there were about a hundred Yugoslavs.,, engaged in drainage work for the Lands Department on the Rangitaiki Plains. These men, natives of Dalmatia or Groated had left their native land as youths in order to escape being conscripted into the Austrian army and were working on the North Auckland kauri gum-fiel'ds when Britain went to war "with Germany and Austria. They were classed as "enemy aliens," because they had been subjects of Austria, although nothing angered them so much as for anyone to speak of them as "Austrians."

So it came about that when most of the young New Zealanders were in khaki the Government called up the Yugoslavs to work on land! drainage and. other State development undertakings. By this means the drainage work on the Rangitaiki was kept going during the latter period of the Great War..

Great was the joy of these Yugoslavs when news came in November 1918, of the collapse of Germany and Austria. The hundred exiles on the Rangitaiki dropped their shovels and held a prolonged celebration. Tl;ey congregated al one camp rear Thornton and had a feast after the manner of their native land. There was an abundance of things to eat and drink, and much speecli making and singing in the Croatian language. "Our country will get its freedom!" they explained to settlers. King Peter of Serbia (grandfather of the present King Peter) was their King, they said, and the Southern Slavs would be a nation once again. As drainage work on the Rangitaiki became more advanced the Yugoslavs departed for other dis-* tricts. They will be remembered by old residents as hard workers, good spenders and good fellows.