MAROONED SERVICEMEN RETURN BY AIR

Chronicle (Levin), 25 February 1947, Page 5

MAROONED SERVICEMEN RETURN BY AIR

— — AUCKLAND, Feb. 24. Chartered by the New Zealand Government in response to an appeal from 'Dominion servicemen marooned in Austraha when 011 repatriation from •lapan, the Trans-Australian Airlines Skymaster, Thomas Alitchell, aiTived at Whenuapai from Sydney with 48 passvmgers. Some oi the servicemen had been stranded in Australia for nearly two months and with no other means of 1 ransjiort in sight; made their ap imal to the Alinister of Finance, Mr. Nash, when he recently visited the Commonwealth. A second aircraft of the sunie company will arrive at Wheii iia'pai 011 Thursday afternoon vvith the remainder of the waiting New Zeaianders.

Nearly half the draf't Were medicai cases. They included Captain W. Al. \\ inter, of Alount Eden, who travelled 011 a slretcher with injuries to his spine received when he fell from a bnilding in .Japan. He was under the care of Sister A. Al. Al. Dennan, of Devonport, and he was taken by ambulance to the military annexe on arrival. Three oflicers— Alajor N. Searancke, of (Otorohanga, officer commanding the Alaori squadron of the Divisional cavalry regiment, Captain A. W. Ivay and i-ieutenant A. II. Reynolds, of Auckland, returned to take a course for permaneut commissions at the army school of inst ruction, Trentham. The remaiuing niembers of the draf't inehvded lolig service personnel, amokg the last of the force which originally moved from Italy 10 .lapan,' and one Rojml New Zea land Air Force officer, Flight Lieutenant W. P. N. Clarke, of Gtiinmerburn, Central Otago, who was accompanied by his vvif'e and child. Flight Lieutenant ('larke was being repatriafed from thc i'niied Kingdom when he became mar lone.d in Australia. t ion— unforeseen cirCumstanees.