MISSING N.Z. AIRMEN

Chronicle (Levin), 30 January 1947, Page 5

MISSING N.Z. AIRMEN

Press Assn .

(Special Coi'vespondent)

Search 1 Dif cult Task For Allied UnitS every eff0rt being made

By Telegraph

- Copyright

Received Wednesday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Jan. 29. ' 1 Every effort is being made to make I sure that no New Zealanders who were I shot down over Europe will lie in un- j identified graves," said Air Commodofe 1 rl. W. Bucklev, A.F.C., R.N.Z.A.F. head- 1 quarters, London, Who recently visited j all R.A.F. niissing research and enquiryj units on the Continent. "All search teams are manned by conscientious and | painstaking officers who are determined 1 to make exhaustive enquiries to locate ^ and identifv niissing airmen. '• i Air Commodore Buckley learned from. I Air Alarshal Eir Philip Wigglesworth in ! charge of the British Air Forces of ; Occupation aud from R.ALZ. A.F. per- ; sonnel engaged on search duties, of the very difficult task of iinding and identi- ; flying niissing men. "Throughout the war there was a great niovement of population 011 the Continent," said Air Commodore Buckley, "and although it' is ot'ten possible to establisli that air- : craft crashed in the vicinity of a par-; ticular towu or village, it is diflicult to • lind witnesses who can remeniber often uve or six years back and provide deuiils of vsffiere the aircraft fell and where the bodies are btiried. Alany aircraft, of eourse, erashed in wiid broken country and were never seen to fall. They have now liecome completeiy overgrown and it is certain some wiil never tie found. A greater proportion of the missing aircraft fell into the sea and in most cases 110 news can be expected by next.-of-kin regarding the fate of the men who met theit death this way. " Two major points emerge trom a study of the work being done. Firstly, there is no' likelihood of any personnel still missing being found alive. Secondly, it is probable that althougli only j a proportion of the bodies of missing personnel will be found aiul identilied, | it. will be a substantial proportion and it is likely that all these will be iden-| tifled and interred in a military eemelerv this year. f The cemeteries where New Zealanders are interred and which were visited by Air Commodore Buckley were: Gravelund, Ksbjerg and Aabrenaa in •lutland aiul Bvino in Denmark; Iviel, Ilamburg, Soltan, Rheinburg and Reichwald Forest in Geiniany; Alaargraten in Ifolland; Antwerp in Belgium and Ganibrai and St. Omer in France. "The Imperial War Graves Commission intends to leave casualties in the lo.-al cemeteries where they were origijiiilly interred and where such cemeteries are in Allied territory and under the care of Allied Powers, " said Air Commodore Buckley. "Personnel interred in Gerniany, however, are being moved to British military cemeteries in Gerniany where the cemeteries are under the Coinmission's care. This work 1 of concentrating personnel in British 1 eertieteries is a difficult task and it will be some- months before all the bodies I are moved and before headstones are j erected and roads and pathways laid. For this reason the aetion of the Imperial War Graves Commission in discouraging visits by next-of-kin until all the cemeteries are compieted and prop erly laid out. is strongly supported. Apart from the difficulties of aecoinitiodation and travel on the Continent, the I working parties would be seriously disturbed by the presenee of visitors and their work should be compieted before next-of-kin are encouraged to make visits. As soon as this work is compieted the pubJic will be free to pay \isits but meanwhile they must exer-

cise patience. " Air Commodore Buckley added that in order to ensure that the interestS oi New Zealand next-of-kin were safe guarded and their many enquiries in vestigated, arrangements had been inade to attaeh to the search units 11 team of R.N.Z.A.F. officers. They weri. Squadron Leader W. G. Birnie, of Ash burton; Fliglit Lieutenants H. .1. Prior of Hastings! L. Al. Bailev, of Hawera; R. J. Ilodgson, of Wellington; and C. E. Baxter, of Waimate.