BRITISH CHILDREN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24421, 5 October 1940, Page 10

BRITISH CHILDREN

SECOND PARTY ARRIVES / AN ADVENTUROUS VOYAGE ATTACK BY SUBMARINE NARROW ESCAPE FROM TORPEDO (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Oct. 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 their vessel and struck another carrying 300 children bound for a sister dominion. They saw the s ricken 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 tha, of 900 passengers on the torpedoed ship, not a single life had been lost. Tha 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 renorted to have been torpedoed on the way to Canada several weeks ago. Cabled account 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 lat e r 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 cf machine gun fire. Then the stewards came and sent them to their muster stations. Wearing lifejackets and ready for an}' 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 20 yards of their own hull. " The children were really wonderful," said Miss P. M. Redmayne, who was in charge of the children. "They showed not a' sign of fear or excitement, and behaved just as if it were an ordinary practice. For three.nights while we were in the danger area they slept in a lounge in their clothes. Captain Holland was most thoughtful, and did everything he could fcr 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 serve! with hot milk and biscuits!" OFFICIALLY WELCOMED ALL FROM BOMBED AREAS SANCTUARY IN NEW LAND (Per United Press Association), WELLINGTON, Oct. ;4?-' All evacuated children from parts of England which had 'been heavily bombed, 51 girls and 62 boys between the ages of 5 and 15 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.< Hayderi, vicar of St. Nicholas, Warwick, and Father J. P. Murphy. S.M., were the chaplains to the oarty. Dr Mary Jennings was the medical officer. There were also two, qualified :nurse? and eight other escorts. ■■'•'* t The children were met at Wellington by the Prime Minister (Mr P, Fraser) and Mrs Fraser: the Minister of Internal Affairs. Mr W. E. Parry; the Minister of Education, Mr' H. G, R. Mason: Sir Harrv Eatterbee; 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. Days in Danger Zone 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 Darts 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 holfday 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 ashcre to-night, but those bound for other parts of New Zealand remained on board the liner and will disembark to-morrow. Healthy Youngsters Awaiting the arrival of the ship was Mr H. G. Dickie, National M.P. for Patea, wlao had ncminated the son of a friend in England and had come down to meet the young traveller. Robert Ashley, of London, aged 11. The children were a fine healthylooking lot and appeared to be in excellent spirits. The Prime Minister and others who met them went among them as they had tea in the liner's saloon and chattered to many of them. They were not shy, but were eager to make friends with the people of their new country. Also travelling on the liner were some 50 other children accompanying their parents or evacuated by private arrangement. PARTY REACHES NEW YORK NEW YORK. Oct. 3. (Received Oct. 4. at 9 p.m.) A Cunard liner brought 250 British children, the last expected this winter. Simultaneously 31 Government evacuated children arrived at an east Canadian Dort.