BRITISH CHILD GUESTS

Evening Star, Issue 23699, 5 October 1940, Page 16

BRITISH CHILD GUESTS

113 EVACUEES ARRIVE CONVOY ATTACKED BY SUBMARINE [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, October 4. Safe after an exciting and adventurous voyage, the second official party of 113 English children, evacuated from their homeland under the Government scheme, arrived at Wellington to-day. At the outset of their journey the convoy in which they were travelling was scattered by a submarine attack. A torpedo passed within a few yards of the vessel and struck another carrying 300 childern bound for a sister dominion. They saw the stricken liner going down, and the passengers and crew abandoning her, but had to hurry and leave the rescue work to the escort vessels. They did not rejoin the convoy, but carried on alone. Afterwards they learned that of 900 passengers on the torpedoed ship, not a single life had been lost. The sole casualty was one of the ship’s officers, who was killed when he missed .his footing climbing into a lifeboat. This was the liner reported to have been torpedoed on the way to Canada several weeks ago. Cabled accounts of the_ rescue of the children appeared in the New Zealand papers at the time.

The children behaved extremely well. When the alarm took place most of them believed it to be only another of the frequent lifeboat practices carried out in the early days of the voyage. The attack took place late in the evening, stated the escorts travelling with the children. They were awakened by gunfire, but at first stayed in their beds, thinking it to be an aeroplane attack. This opinion was strengthened by the rattle of machine gun fire. Then the stewards came and sent them to their muster stations. Wearing lifejackets and ready for any eventuality, they could see the torpedoed ship, now brilliantly lit up, and with lifeboats being lowered down the side. She appeared to be settling slowly on an even keel. Many passengers said they had heard the sound of the torpedo, which had passed within 20yds of their own hull. “ The children were really wonderfull,” said Miss P. M. Redmayne, who was in charge of them. " They showed not a sign of fear or excitement, and behaved just as if it were an ordinary practice. For three nights while wo were in the danger area they slept in a lounge in their clothes. Captain Holland was most thoughtful, and did everything he could for the children’s welfare. Even then it was touch and go. and he must have been distracted with worry. He saw to it that the children were served with hot milk and biscuits.”

OFFICIAL WELCOME

ALL FROM BOMBED AREAS All evacuated children from parts of England which had been heavily bombed, 51 girls and 62 boys between the ages of 5 and 16 years arrived at Wellington to-day under the Government scheme. Most of them were coming to friends or relatives by whom they had been nominated, but others to strange foster-parents who had offered their homes in answer to the recent appeal. The party was in charge of Miss P. M. Redmayne, assisted by Mrs Anne Best, of the Salvation Army. The Rev. H. A. Hayden, vicar of St. Nicholas, Warwick, and Father J. P. Murphy, S.M., were the chaplains to the party. Dr Mary Jennings was the medical officer. There were also two qualified nurses and eight other escorts. The children were met at Wellington by the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) and Mrs Fraser • the Minister of Internal Affairs. Mr Parry; the Minister of Education, Mr Mason; Sir Harry Batterbee; the Director of Education, Dr C. E. Beeby; Mr J. W. Heenan, the Under-Secretary of the Internal Affairs Department; and officers of the Overseas Children’s Reception Committee.

Miss Redmayne, who is a Quaker, said she had for a number of years taken a keen interest in child and peasant welfare work in many parts of the world. She had worked in Russia and Greece, where she and three others rented the little island of St. Nicholas for £4 a year as a holiday resort. At the time of the collapse of France she was occupied in refugee work there, and escaped to England when the German invasion took place. Miss Redmayne said that with the exception of the hectic days in the danger zone at the beginning, the voyage had been uneventful. There was no serious illness of any kind. The children had behaved excellently Among the escorts were several trained teachers, and the children were given lessons every day. At Panama they were given a great reception by the Americans there, and greatly enjoyed the thrill of going ashore in a foreign and tropical land. They rushed about the exotic gardens, were driven round on army trucks, and were given ice creams.

Many of the Wellington children came ashore to-night but, those bound for_ other parts of New Zealand remained on board the liner and will disembark to-morrow.

Awaiting the arrival of the ship was Mr H. G Dickie, National M.P. for Patea, who had nominated the son of a friend in England and had come down to meet the young traveller, j Robert Ashley, of London, aged 11. j The children were a fine healthylooking lot and appeared to be in excellent spirits. The Prime Minister and others who met them wont among them as they had tea in tho liner’s saloon and chatted to many of them. They were not shy, but were eager to make friends with tho people of their new country. Also travelling on tho liner were some 50 other children accompanying their parents or evacuated by private arrangement.