Poles from Pahiatua Leave For Home

Chronicle (Levin), 19 April 1948, Page 5

Poles from Pahiatua Leave For Home

Press Association)

(Per

AUCKLAND, April 18. Eaeh carrying a lmlky food parcel, 16 children and eiglit adults from the Polish camp at Pahiatua, filed up the gangway of the liner Rangitata at Auckland on Haturday morning. to | begin the long journey back to their { homeland. They had had several yea rs ' j enforeed exile and departed with mixed j feelings. Among the adults were sevt eral woihen teachers, a woman doctor | and a 76-year-old woman, a singing j tutor who had been attaehed to the j eamp. I Manv of them had come to the camp ! with their children. They had not seen Itheir husbands iior liad' niOst' of the » children seen their parents since earlv ! in the war when they were transferred ; from the country to the displaced peri sons' catnp in Pefsia and later in Xew ! Zealand. | The children and adults had few 1 possessions with thein when they went aboard the Rangitata but all of them had a large food parcel. Tinned" meat, biscuits and choeolate were the main foodstufl's they were taking home. The children were well clothed and wel) nourished but few of them spoke Kug- ' lisli well. They had rec.eived their I sehooling here in their own language. i Representatives of the ("atholic youth ! movement were at the wharf to liclp i the party to embark. After leaving t the Rangitata at London the Poles wiil j go bv another ship to (Jdynia.