SPIES & SHIPPING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 January 1941, Page 9

SPIES & SHIPPING

(Continued from page 5.) PICKING UP THE HOLMWOOD. The survivor said that the Germans on the raider knew exactly how many tons of butler and how many sheep were aboard the Holmwood. "One of the officers told me." he said, "that they tried to pick up the Holmwood on its previous trip because it had the son of food the raiders wanted. 'We knew exactly where to pick her up. this officer said, 'but we were delayed e a few hours seeing to another ship, and n so wo decided to let the Holmwood go r until the next trip." :1 The judicial officer said that hisj - wife did not disclose to the Nazis that I i'she could speak German. "But." he, ? added, "she listened to many conver- • j sations from which she got the most | sensational disclosures. 1 was stagger- ! i ed by the information myself, and 1 , s feel that I should not make the details I public before the Commonwealth Government has been informed. Some; , months ago. in my official capacity. 11 ■ recommended the arrest of certain people whom 1 regarded as 'fifth columnists,' but the authorities chose to do nothing about it." Captain H. L. Upton, of the Rangitane. said that the Holmwood officers! told him that the German had boasted : to them they would be capturing aj big ship the next day. and had even) given the position where they intended; to intercept the liner. "Actually I was/ about 15 miles away from the point."! said Captain Upton, "but that was be- ; 1 cause of a difference in our Great Circle reckoning. It was most disquieting to find how much they knew." TOUCHING SCENES , ' ___ 1

— i. SURVIVORS WELCOMED IN SYDNEY. VICE-REGAL SYMPATHY. j; j <By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, January 5. ' A spontaneously cheerful was given today to 328 survivors of 101' ships sunk in the Pacific by German 1 ' | raiders. Prominent among thousands 1 <>f people who awaited their arrival by h special train from Brisbane were the 1 Governor-General and Lady Gowrie. i who shook hands and mingled and ’ conversed happily with British. Aus- J tralian. New Zealand. Norwegian, ‘ French, and Polish seamen, compli- ’ I morning them on their good fortune 1 in escaping with their lives. t Meanwhile wives and daughters cm- ; braced affectionately and kissed hus- i bands and fathers in one of the most ' touching scenes witnessed here for ( years. t Some of the men still wore beards t grown during their captivity in the! ( prison ship. Twelve wounded were • carefully helped to ambulance vans, | . Red Cross nurses accompanying them ■, ! to hospitals. Most of the seamen, be-! ( sides being heavily bearded and bronz-1 ; ed, were poorly clad in travel-stained i , clothes. A few wore shorts and open- ' neck shirts. They carried what per- ‘ sonal effects they had in canvas bags and picturesque native carry-alls from!' Emirau Island. All were in high! spirits. j During the height of the excitement | Lord Gowrie mounted an improvised. 1 dais nn the railway platform and ad-M dressed the gathering. "My wife and, ■ I." he said, "wore most anxious to be,’ 1 here to tender you our personal sym- ( t pathy for the terrible experiences you ; i have been through, and also to con-j i : pratulate you on the wonderful.cour-c age and fortitude you have shown. Wei ; were horrified by your stories of how t the enemy forces attacked defenceless ] ships in mid-ocean with women and | children aboard. Such acts should | arouse the indignation and anger ol | the civilised world. The most I can; do now is to give you an assurance that every step will be taken to see! that dastardly outrages of this kind will not happen again." The whole company gave their Ex-, cellencies three very hearty cheers. Passengers and crews were driven in ! cars and omnibuses t<< various city i hotels and boarding-houses, where! they will bo accommodated at the ex- \ pense of the Commonwealth and New| Zealand Governments, shipping companies. and the Children’s Overseas Reception Committee. The New Zea- 1 hand passengers on the Holmwood and j I the Rangitane will be provided with j; i fares to New Zealand.