HAVEN IN DOMINION

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 244, 12 September 1940, Page 8

HAVEN IN DOMINION

WOMEN AND CHILDREN. ARRIVAL FROM HOME. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Sept. 11. Escaping from the horrors of war, 170 British children arrived at Wellington to-day by liner from England. They did not come under the Government scheme for the evacuation of children from the United Kingdom to other parts of the British Commonwealth. Their passages had been privately arranged. In most cases they were accompanied by mothers or other relatives. One or two were young New Zealanders returning home, but the great majority had been born and bred in the Old Country 7. Most of them were coming to friends or relatives in the Dominion.

They were met at the wharf by Sir Harry Battcrbee (High Commissioner for the United Kingdom) and hv representatives of the British Children Reception Committee. The latter gave advice as to transport and accommodation facilities, and when necessary assisted the arrivals to establish contact with their friends or relatives ashore.

From Cook Strait this morning most of the children and their mothers had their first glimpse of New Zealand, an impression of high hills, bright sunshine, and biting wind. After some hours in the stream the vessel berthed, and the rails were crowded with eager young faces, bright-eyed with excitement at the first impression of their new homeland. EMOTIONAL SCENES.

The crowd gazing down from the liner’s rail was predominantly composed of women, young mothers and uniformed “nannies” and children between the ages of five months and 15 years. On the wharf stood a knot ol expectant relatives and friends who had learnt of the impending arrival of the party. Most, however, saw no familiar faces smiling at them from the wharf, and there were one or two who wept at finding themselves leit out of the emotional scenes of welcome and reunion when the gangway was left down.

Very many had arrived quite unheralded, and the first intimation friends on New Zealand farms and in the cities received of their safe arrival was by a surprise telephone call this evening. Although one or two were hollow-eyed and anxious-looking, most were cheerful and gay and showed no outward signs of whatever ordeals they might have undergone in the war zone. They were loath to speak of what they had seen of warfare. Indeed, it seined almost a point of honour to make light of air raid experiences. One woman, however, who was expecting a baby within a few 7 weeks, said that between the time when she left home and that of the liner’s departure from England her homo was destroved by an enemy bomb. Anotliei said she had no idea where her husband was or what he was doing. She had expected to find a cable waiting her on arrival but no such cable had been delivered. , Small boys described proudly almost boastfully, how they had jumped out of bed on tlie screaming of sirens and had seen the flash of anti-aircraft shells bursting against the sky as they raced for the shelters. The voyage out, they said, had been almost wholly free from anxiety. After some delay in getting away from the British coast they- spent three uneventful days in convoy and thereafter the voyage was a rest cure for them all. A week out from New 7 Zealand they were told there ivas a raider at large in the Pacific, but they were not worried. ENJOYABLE TIME.

There was no sickness or trouble of any kind on the ship. The officers and staff did their utmost to assist in making the trip a happy one. They arranged entertainments and kept an eye on the youngsters to see that they did not clam her up the masts or tumble overboard. Although the juvenile passenger list was almost unprecedented ly large, little difficulty was experienced in feeding or otherwise managing the children. It was stated that for the first fortnight they were models of good behaviour, hut after that time they relaxed somewhat. As they came ashore it was seen that many of the mothers had exercised considerable ingenuity in arranging simple methods of transporting their families. A young baby was carried in a canvas box open at the top with a handle amidships. Another was slung in a special chair from its mother’s shoulders so that her hands were free for carrying luggage and shepherding other children. A third infant was carried in a sort of laundry basket by two women, each holding a separate handle. The youngsters were remarkably hcalthy-iooking, browned with the sun of the tropics but distinguished by English mannerisms and politeness. They showed a remarkable diversity of dress, ranging from a party of kilted young Scots to a toddler in brown battledrcss with an airman’s helmet.

Though comment on the wharf prior to, their arrival gave the impression that these first arrivals were children of rich families who had bean able to pay their own fares at wartime rates, it was evident at a glance that this was inaccurate. The children and their parents were of all classes and walks of life, and were predominantly middleclass. A very large proportion were travelling tourist-class.