BELLONA ABSENTEES WILL BE CLASSED AS DESERTERS
WELLINGTON, May 1. Members of the ship's company of H.M.N.Z.fS. Bellona who are absent from duty for seven days or more will, in accordance with regulations, be classed as deserters, it wras stated by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jone.s, toniglit. The necessary action, he said. would be taken accordingly. "If oue of us is arrested all the remaining absentees from the cruiser Bellona will return to the ship, so that all of us may face whatever is coming to us together. " This was a statement made in Auckland by spokesmen for the ratings who are absent without leave from the cruiser. He said they were determined to remain absent, unless arrested, until such time as their grievances were satisfactorily met. Their morale was liigh, he added, and at a- meeting which they had held rumoun of their wavering "were treated with derision". The spokesman continued: "We have ample funds and are perfectly satisfied with our present mode of living, which is a vast improvement on naval life. We are prepared to stay but indefinitely if the Naval Board is prepared to make no move. We have no intention of being coerced into returning to the 'spider's web' or frightened into submission by a whispefing campaign."
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Chronicle (Levin), 2 May 1947, Page 7
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214BELLONA ABSENTEES WILL BE CLASSED AS DESERTERS Chronicle (Levin), 2 May 1947, Page 7
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