REPATRIATED

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10280, 15 May 1919, Page 7

REPATRIATED

FIRST DRAFT LEAVES CIVILIAN INTERNEES AND PRISONERS OF WAR. Yesterday tho Willochra sailed from Wellington with seven prisoners of war and over four hundred civilian internees who arc being repatriated. Tho majority of tho civilians were voluntarily repatriated, and a number of them had been released from the internment camps on pjarole, Prior to the arrival of the. men the public were excluded from the Glasgow wharf, and the approaches were guarded by soldiers and civil police. There was .tie demonstration and the embarkation arrangements, which were under the control of Captain G. Printer, embarkation officer, were complete. The men on parole reported at Mount Cook in the morning and were convoyed to the steamer by motor-cars, and at 1.35 o'clock in the afternoon a special train with 242 internees from Featherston arrived at the wharf under an escort of returned soldiers. The priswho looked despondent, were detrained in batches of twenty. _ Each man had been provided with a military overcoat, and as he walked up the gangway his name was checked. Many of the internees appeared to be glad that they were leaving New Zealand. The men from Narrow Neck camp at Auckland came down by the second Alain Trunk express and the carriages they occupied during the journey reached the wharf at 3 o’clock. Among the number was Dr Schultz. ex-Governor of Samoa, and his staff; also Count von Luckner and Lieutenant C. T. F. Kierohiss. Count von Luckner, who wore a naval uniform, had several ribbons oil*'his breast, and he and the other members of the crew of the Seeadler looked smart, well set-up, and apparently not discouraged to any extent by their internment. The luggage belonging to the internees was taken on to the wharf in railway vans, and it was noticeable that_there was a large number of the best quality travelling trunks among the baggage. The 'Willochra was taken out into the stream at 4.15 o’clock and as the vessel moved off an internee called out, “Good-bye, New Zealand, I hope never see yo iiagain.” He was quickly suppressed by his companions, and there was no further incident. There were several, women on the vessel, wives of internees, some of whom were New Zealanders, who had decided to go away with their husbands. There are also women remaining in New Zealand who,, when approached, refused to accompany their husbands. The men who are being repatriated are mainly Germans and Jugo-Slavs. Tho draft is in charge of Major G. R. Blackett, M.C., and a guard comprising Lieutenant Glass. Stafl-Ser-i geant-Major. Bromley-Smith and 38 other .-ranks. Captain Childs is the medical officer on hoard, and under him are several members of the Atedical Corps. The Willochra will call at Sydney on her way to England, and will pick up a number of German internees in Austral*.