N.Z. PRISONERS IN FAR EAST

Dominion, Volume 38, Issue 278, 23 August 1945, Page 6

N.Z. PRISONERS IN FAR EAST

Maunganui To Aid In

Evacuation

TEAM TO CO-OPERATE WITH SEAC

An announcement that the Government had arranged for the hospital ship Maunganui, which has been attached to the British Pacific Fleet, to be used as soon as circumstances permit to evacuate New Zealand and Australian prisoners of war and interned civilians from the Far East to their home countries, was made last night by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Joues. ‘‘Arrangements are also in hand to send limited medical supplies, comforts and clothing by R.N.Z.A.F. planes , to Singapore, ami they will bring out New Zealanders on the return flight up to the limit of their capacity as quickly as practicable," said the Minister. “The planes are comfortably fitted to carry wounded and sick personnel if necessary. “A contact team of an officer and two warrant officers is also being sent to headquarters, South-east Asia Command, to join the recovered allied prisoners of war and internees control staff which has been set up by Admiral Mountbatten s headquarters. The duties of this team will be to proceed into recovered terrt; tory to assist in the documentation .of recovered New Zealanders, reporting their recovery and their physical condition to New Zealand, and making the necessary arrangements for Their repatriation to New Zealand with the least possible delay.”

MAILS TO PRISONERS OF WAR

Planes For Singapore Referring yesterday to the departure of R.N.Z.A.F. planes for Singapore for the repatriation of prisoners of war and civilian internees in Japanese hands, the Acting Postmascer-General, Mr. Jones, said that the Post Office was availing itself of the opportunity afforded by those, flights of forwarding letter mails to prisoners and civilian internees. Persons desiring to post letters should address them as usual, showing the internment camp or other address. Because of restricted space on the aircraft, onlv letters could be carried, and these must be of light weight, though the restriction to 25 words for ef K‘h communication no longer applied. Parcels or articles other than letters definitely could not be accepted. Mr. Jones said that for obvious reasons no guarantee of delivery could be made, but, nevertheless, many next-of-kin and friends would no doubt like to avail themselves of the endeavour that is being made to deliver up-to-date mail to prisoners and internees. The special air mail rate for prisoners of war will apply to this correspondence. ____________