MISSING SOLDIERS NOW PRESUMED DEAD

Chronicle (Levin), 4 September 1947, Page 5

MISSING SOLDIERS NOW PRESUMED DEAD

WELLINGTON, Sept. 3. The deaths of 39 of the 47 X.Z.F.F. personnel still oliiciallv posted as nnssing, have been presumed followiug a further raview of tliese casualties, said the Minister of Defence, 51 r. Jones, today. As organised searching in the battle areas of Greece and Italy had now been coneluded and as no evidence of the possible snrvival of these n had been obtained, it could only oe assumed after the long lapse of time .i that they had lost their lives. The Minister added that although there was no direct evidence of death in any of tliese instanees, the lapse of time and lack of any inforination pointing to the possibility of the soldiers' survival, warranted presuming death liefore the expirr of the nornial statutory period of seven years, m order that the ostates, militarv pay, acconnts and otlier affairs of the men coneerned could be wound up. The eight personnel now remaiuing on the missing list were in nmst instanees soldiers who were prisoners of war and of whom nothing had been heard since the cessation of liostilities. Inquiries were not yet completed in these cases and consequently it was not praetieable at this stage to offieially presume them dead. The list includes the nanies of Privates C. Cameron (Ashhurst), K. Chapman (Dannevirke), J. II. Davey (Feilding)" and Trooper H. D. Hocking (Feild ing).