NEW HOMELAND

Taranaki Daily News, 12 September 1940, Page 8

NEW HOMELAND

By Telegraph—Press Association.

EAGER CHILDREN LAND ARRIVAL FROM BRITAIN EMOTIONAL WELCOMES

Wellington, Last Night. The ship's rails were crowded with eager young faces brightened with excitement at their first im'pressions of their new homeland when a liner. bringing 170 women and children berthed to-day. On the wharf stood a knot of expectant relatives and friends who had learned of the impending arrival of the party. Most of the arrivals, hov/ever, saw no familiar faces smiling at them from the wharf and there were one Or two who wept at finding themselves left out of the emotional scenes of welcome and reunion when the gangway was let down. Very many arrived quite unheralded and the first intimation friends in New Zealand farms and cities received of their safe' arrival was by a surprise telephone call. No Sign of Ordeals. Altliough 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 seemed almost a point of honour to make light t air-raid experiences. One woman, however, who was expecting a baby within a few weeks said that between the time when she left her home and that of the liner's departure from England her home was destroyed by an enemy bomb. Another said she had no idea where her husband was or what he was doing. She had expected to find a cable awaiting her on her arrival but no such cable had been delivered. Small boys described proudly, almost boastfully, how they had jumped out of bed on the screaming of sirens and had seen the flash of anti-aircraft shells bursting against the sky as they raced for shelters.

Uneventful Voyage. 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 a convoy and thereafter the voyage was a rest-cure for them all. A week out from New Zealand they were told there was a raider at large in the Pacific but they were not worried. There was no sickness or trouble of any kincf on the ship. Officers and staff did their utmost to assist in making the trip a happy one. They arranged entertainments. kept an eye on youngsters to see they did not clamber up the masts or tumble overboard. Although the juvenile passenger list was almost unprecedentedly 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 beha.viour but after that time relaxed somewhat. Ingenuity of Motliers. As they came ashore it was seen many of the m'others 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 his mother's shoulders so that her hands were free for carrying luggage and shepherding other children. The youngsters were remarkably healthy-looking and 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 battle-dress with an airman's helmet. Though comment on the wharf prior to their arrival gave the impression that these were the children of rich families who had been able to pay their own fares at war-time 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 middle-class. A very large proportion travelled tourist class.