WAR PRISONERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 October 1941, Page 5

WAR PRISONERS

ANGLO=GERMAN EXCHANGE ARRANGEMENTS AT LAST CONCLUDED. HOSPITAL SHIPS LEAVING TODAY. LONDON, October 6. After weeks of uncertainty the first British prisoners of war from Germany will reach home at midday on Wednesday. Urgent messages between the British and German Governments broke a silence lasting for more than two years when messages flashed across the Channel between the two countries in respect to the exchange of prisoners.

Two hospital ships will sail tomorrow from Newhaven for Dieppe with German wounded on board and will return on Wednesday, loaded to capacity with British wounded. On Thursday they will leave again with sixty women and children. They will con L tinue to bring back British prisoners until all eligible have been transferred. The British Government hopes to exchange all civilian internees except men of military age, through the mediation of the United States.

UNUSUAL EVENT

BELLIGERENTS EXCHANGE MESSAGES. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.40 a.m.) RUGBY, October 6. For what is probably the first time for many hundreds of years, two belligerent governments have communicatde directly with each other during the actual course of the war. This occurred today at 12.30 (8.5. T. when the 8.8. C. “Monitoring” service picked up from Germany a message relating to the repatriation of prisoners, addressed to the British Government on the overseas wave-length. Five minutes later the 8.8. C. broadcast, on behalf of the War Office, that they were prepared to receive the message, and half an hour later Germany stated: “German Government to British Government. Hospital ships, having on board German prisoners of war and German civilians, can leave from Newhaven Harbour on Tuesday, October 7. Please indicate correct time of departure and total number of sick and wounded prisoners, number of German sanitary personnel, and number of German civilian women and children on board. Time of departure of hospital ship from Dieppe will be announced tomorrow.”

The British Government replied that the ships would sail, and that details would be given as soon as possible. The receipt of this message was acknowledged, and details of the sailing later were broadcast by the War Office.

DETAILS STATED

BRITISH GOVERNMENT MESSAGE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.)i RUGBY. October 6. The following is the text of the message being sent by the British Government to the German Government: “The British Government has received the German Government’s message broadcast this morning. For the sake of clarity, the British Government restates the arrangements which they are going to carry into effect. Two hospital ships will sail from an anchorage off Newhaven, at 5.30 a.m. (G.M.T.) on October 7, arriving off Dieppe at 13.30 a.m. (G.M.T.) They will carry all the German sick and wounded prisoners of war due for repatriation, numbering 13 officers, 43 other ranks and protected personnel, numbering 28 officers, including a chaplain and 19 other ranks. For the return voyage ships should move to an anchorage off Dieppe during the night high tide. This is in order that they may sail at daylight, to reach Newhaven at twelve noon (G.M.T.) on, October 8. They will be loaded to full capacity with British prisoners of war and protected personnel eligible for repatriation. The ships sail again from Newhaven to Dieppe on October 9, carrying approximately 60 German women and children evacuees and the ships will return to Newhaven on October 10, loaded to full capacity, with British sick and wounded prisoners of war and protected personnel. Thereafter the ships make such further voyages on successive days as necessary to complete the repatriation of all remaining British sick and 1 wounded prisoners of war and protected personnel eligible for repatriation. In this connection the British Government points out, in view of the substitution of Dieppe, that the times make it possible, if necessary, to continue sailings up to and including October 14. The above arrangements to be put into effect provided no message to the contrary has been received, by wireless, from the German Government before 8 p.m. (G.M.T.) today, October 6. The British Government reaffirms its readiness to agree to the mutual repatriation of all British and German civilian internees, other than men between the ages of eighteen and sixty years. The British Government will be glad to negotiate arrangements with the German Government, through the intermediary of the United States Government, immediately, in order that repatriation of civilians may be carried out with the least possible delay.”

COURSE FOR SHIPS

FURTHER COMMUNICATIONS 1 EXCHANGED. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) RUGBY, October 6. The latest message received from the German Government, concerning the repatriation of sick and wounded prisoners was received at 4.50 this evening and stated: “The zones of barrage proposed by the British Government for the course from Newhaven to Fecamp are also valid for the course of the hospital ships from' Newhaven to Dieppe. The German Government asks if the hospital ship Dinard or St. Julien will make this course. The pilot will be taken on board at 39 degrees 50 minutes north and 9 degrees 42.5 minutes east. Together with the pilots, a surveying detachment will go on

board. A complete list of every person on board, including the crew, is immediately to be handed over to the surveying detachment. The carrying of cameras is not allowed. The German Government expects the British Government to take .measures in this direction.”

The following reply was immediately dispatched from the British Government: “Your message received. Both ships, the St. Julien and Dinard, will make the course.”

While the German sick and wounded prisoners were rehearsing disembarkation in the afternoon, a gift of 100 packets, each containing ten cigarettes, was taken aboard the Dinard and handed to Major Hackbarth, the leader of the prisoners, on behalf of the Red Cross. The German, who is a Major in the Luftwaffe, expressed sincere thanks for the gift and asked that the President of the British Red Cross Society should be thanked for all that organisation had done for wounded German prisoners.